Jef. I'm never merry, when I hear sweet mufick. [Mufick. Lor. The reason is, your fpirits are attentive; Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud, You fhall perceive them make a mutual stand; By the sweet power of mufick. Therefore, the Poet Let no fuch man be trufted Mark the mufick. Enter Portia and Neriffa. Por. That light we fee, is burning in my hall: How far that little candle throws his beams! So fhines a good deed in a naughty world. Ner. When the moon fhone, we did not see the Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less [Mufick. Ner. It is the mufick, madam, of your house. When When every goofe is cackling, would be thought How many things by feason feason'd are Lor. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. [Mufick ceafes. Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckow, By the bad voice. Lor. Dear lady, welcome home. Por. We have been praying for our husbands healths, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they return'd? Lor. Madam, they are not yet; But there is come a meffenger before, Por. Go, Neriffa, Give order to my fervants, that they take No note at all of our being abfent hence; Nor you, Lorenze; Jeffica, nor you. [A Tucket founds. Lor. Your husband is at hand, I hear his trumpet: We are no tell-tales, madam, fear you not. Por. This night, methinks, is but the day-light fick; It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the fun is hid. Enter Baffanio, Anthonio, Gratiano, and their followers. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; For a light wife doth make a heavy husband; And never be Bassanio fo from me; But God fort all: you're welcome home, my lord. Baff. I thank you, madam: give welcome to my friend; This is the man, this is Anthonio, To whom I am fo infinitely bound. Por. You fhould in all fenfe be much bound to him; For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. Anth. No more than I am well acquitted of. Por. Por. Sir, you are very welcome to our house; It muft appear in other ways than words; Therefore I scant this breathing courtefic. Gra. By yonder moon, I fwear, you do me wrong; In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk. [To Neriffa. Would he were gelt that had it, for my part, Since you do take it, love, fo much at heart. Por. A quarrel, ho, already! what's the matter? Gra. About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring, That she did give me, whofe poefie was For all the world like cutler's poetry Upon a knife; Love me, and leave me not. Ner. What talk you of the poefie, or the value? You swore to me, when I did give it you, That you would wear it 'till your hour of death, And that it should lye with you in your grave: Tho' not for me, yet for your vehement oaths, You should have been refpective, and have kept it. Gave it a Judge's clerk! but well I know, The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face, that had it. Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. Ner. Ay, if a woman live to be a man. Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, A kind of boy, a little fcrubbed boy, No higher than thy felf, the Judge's clerk; A prating boy, that begg'd it as a fee: I could not for my heart deny it him. you, Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with To part fo flightly with your wife's first gift, A thing ftuck on with oaths upon your finger, And riveted with faith unto your flesh. I gave my love a ring, and made him swear Never to part with it; and here he stands, I dare be fworn for him, he would not leave it, Nor pluck it from his finger, for the wealth That the world mafters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, You give your wife too unkind a caufe of grief; An 'twere to me, I fhould be mad at it. Baff. Why, I were beft to cut my left hand off, And Twear, I loft the ring defending it. VOL. II. G [Afide. Gra. Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Pór. What ring gave you, my lord? Not that, I hope, which you receiv'd of me. I would deny it; but you fee my finger gone. Ner. Nor I in yours, 'Till I again fee mine. If If Baff. Sweet Portia, you did know to whom I gave the ring, When nought would be accepted but the ring, Baff. No, by mine honour, madam, by my foul, No woman had it, but a Civil Doctor, Who did refufe three thousand ducats of me, Of my dear friend. What should I fay, fweet lady? I I was enforc'd to fend it after him; So much befmear it. Pardon me, good lady, Had you been there, I think, you would have begg'd The ring of me, to give the worthy Doctor. Por. Let not that Doctor e'er come near my house, Since he hath got the jewel that I lov❜d, And that which you did fwear to keep for me: I'll not deny him any thing I have, No, not my body, nor my husband's bed; Lye not a night from home; watch me, like Argus: Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own, Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd, Baff. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong. Por. Mark you but that! In both mine eyes he doubly fees himself; Baff. Nay, but hear me : Pardon this fault, and by my foul I fwear, Ant. I once did lend my body for his weal; (32) Which (32 my Body for his Wealth ;] I have ventur'd, against the Authority of the Copies, to fubftitute Weal here; i. e. for his Welfare, G 2 Bene |