Shakespeare's play of the Merchant of Venice Part 17

_Ant_. And stand indebted, over and above, In love and service to you evermore.

_Por_. He is well paid that is well satisfied: And I, delivering you, am satisfied, And therein do account myself well paid; My mind was never yet more mercenary.

I pray you know me, when we meet again; I wish you well, and so I take my leave.

_Bas_. Dear Sir, of force I must attempt you further; Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute, Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you, Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

_Por_. You press me far, and therefore I will yield, Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake; And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you:--Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more; And you in love shall not deny me this.

_Bas_. This ring, good Sir,--alas, it is a trifle; I will not shame myself to give you this.

_Por_. I will have nothing else but only this; And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

_Bas_. There's more depends on this than on the value.

The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, And find it out by proclamation; Only for this I pray you pardon me.

_Por_. I see, Sir, you are liberal in offers: You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks, You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd.

_Bas_. Good Sir, this ring was given me by my wife; And when she put it on, she made me vow That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.

_Por_. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts.

An if your wife be not a mad woman, And know how well I have deserv'd this ring, She would not hold out enemy for ever, For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

[_Exeunt_ PORTIA _and_ NERISSA.

_Ant_. My lord Ba.s.sanio, let him have the ring; Let his deservings, and my love withal, Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment.

_Bas_. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him; Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'st, Unto Antonio's house;--away, make haste.

[_Exit_ GRATIANO.

Come, you and I will thither presently; And in the morning early will we both Fly toward Belmont: Come, Antonio.

[_Exeunt_.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 95: _Magnificoes_,; Coryat calls the n.o.bles of Venice _Clarissimoes_.]

[Footnote 96: _--envy's reach_,; Envy, in this place, means hatred or malice.]

[Footnote 97: _--remorse,; Id est_, pity:]

[Footnote 98: _--apparent cruelly_: That is, seeming cruelty; not real.]

[Footnote 99: _--where thou now_ where for whereas.]

[Footnote 100: _--I'll not answer that_;

_But, say, it is my humour_; The Jew being asked a question which the law does not require him to answer, stands upon his right, and refuses; but afterwards gratifies his own malignity by such answers as he knows will aggravate the pain of the enquirer.

I will not answer, says he, as to a legal or serious question, but, since you want an answer, will this serve you?--JOHNSON.]

[Footnote 101: _--a gaping pig_; By a _gaping_ pig, Shakespeare, I believe, meant a pig prepared for the table; for in that state is the epithet, _gaping_, most applicable to this animal. So, in Fletcher's _Elder Brother_--

"And they stand _gaping_ like a _roasted pig_."

A pa.s.sage in one of Nashe's pamphlets (which perhaps furnished our author with his instance), may serve to confirm the observation: "The causes conducting unto wrath are as diverse as the actions of a man's life. Some will take on like a madman, if they see a _pig come to the table_. Sotericus, the surgeon, was cholerick at the sight of sturgeon,"

&c. _Pierce Pennylesse his Supplication to the Devil_, 1592.--MALONE.]

[Footnote 102: _--question with the Jew_.; To question is to converse.]

[Footnote 103: Padua is the place of education for the civil law in Italy.]

[Footnote 104: _Cannot impugn you_,; To impugn, is to oppose, to controvert.]

[Footnote 105: _You stand within his danger,; Id est_, within his power--within his reach or control.]

[Footnote 106: _The quality of mercy is not strain'd;_ "Mercy is seasonable in the time of affliction, as clouds of rain in the time of drought." --Ecclesiasticus x.x.xv., 20.]

[Footnote 107: _--malice bears down truth_.; Malice oppresses honesty. A _true_ man in old language is an _honest_ man.]

[Footnote 108: _--Barrabas_; Shakespeare seems to have followed the p.r.o.nunciation of the name of this robber usual to the Theatre, Barrabas being sounded Barabas throughout Marlowe's _Jews of Malta_.]

[Footnote 109: _Ay, for the state_; That is, the state's moiety may be commuted for a fine, but not Antonio's.]

[Footnote 110: _The other half in use_,; Let him have it at interest during the Jew's life, to render it on his death to Lorenzo.]

[Footnote 111: _thou should'st have had ten more,; Id est_, a jury of _twelve_ men, to condemn thee to be hanged.]

SCENE II.--VENICE. THE FOSCARI GATE OF THE DUCAL PALACE, LEADING TO THE GIANT'S STAIRCASE.

_Enter_ PORTIA _and_ NERISSA.

_Por_. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, And let him sign it; we'll away to-night, And be a day before our husbands home: This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

_Enter_ GRATIANO.

_Gra_. Fair Sir, you are well overtaken: My lord Ba.s.sanio, upon more advice,[112] Hath sent you here this ring; and doth entreat Your company at dinner.

_Por_. That cannot be: This ring I do accept most thankfully, And so, I pray you, tell him: Furthermore, I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house.

_Gra_. That will I do.

_Ner_. Sir, I would speak with you:--I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,

[_To_ PORTIA.