Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. By Heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed Until I see the ring. Ner. Nor I in yours, Till I again see mine. Bass. If you Sweet Portia, did know to whom I gave the ring, If you did know for whom I gave the ring, And would conceive for what I the ring, And how unwillingly I left the ring, gave When nought would be accepted but the ring, 2 I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring. Bass. No, by mine honor, madam, by my soul, No woman had it, but a civil doctor, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was beset with shame and courtesy; My honor would not let ingratitude So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady; For, by these blessed candles of the night, Had you been there, I think, you would have begged 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 loved, 1 To contain had nearly the same meaning with to retain. And that which you did swear to keep for me, I'll not deny him any thing I have, No, not my body, nor my husband's bed. Lie not a night from home; watch me, like Argus: Now, by mine honor, which is yet my own, Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advised, Gra. Well, do you so; let not me take him then; For if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Ant. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding. Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: In each eye one.-Swear by your double1 self, Nay, but hear me. Bass. Had quite miscarried. I dare be bound again, 2 Por. Then you shall be his surety. Give him this; And bid him keep it better than the other. Ant. Here, lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. Bass. By Heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor! 1 Double is here used for deceitful, full of duplicity. 2 i. e. for his advantage. Por. I had it of him. Pardon me, Bassanio, For by this ring the doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk, In lieu of this, last night did lie with me. Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways In summer, where the ways are fair enough; What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deserved it? Por. Speak not so grossly.-You are all amazed. Here is a letter; read it at your leisure; It comes from Padua, from Bellario; There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; Shall witness, I set forth as soon as you, You shall not know by what strange accident I am dumb. Ant. cuckold? Ner. Ay; but the clerk that never means to do it; Unless he live until he be a man. Bass. Sweet doctor, you shall be my bedfellow; When I am absent, then lie with my wife. Ant. Sweet lady, you have given me life, and living For here I read for certain, that my ships Are safely come to road. Por. How now, Lorenzo? From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift, Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way Of starved people. Por. It is almost morning, And yet, I am sure, you are not satisfied Gra. Let it be so. The first inter'gatory [Exeunt. Or the Merchant of Venice the style is even and easy, with few peculiarities of diction, or anomalies of construction. The comic part raises laughter, and the serious fixes expectation. The probability of either one or the other story cannot be maintained. actions in one event is in this drama eminently happy. The union of two Dryden was much pleased with his own address in connecting the two plots of his Spanish Friar, which yet, I believe, the critic will find excelled by this play. JOHNSON. |