Jes. I am never merry when I hear sweet music. You shall perceive them make a mutual stand, By the sweet power of music: therefore, the poet Let no such man be trusted.-Mark the music. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA, at a distance. Por. That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. Ner. When the moon shone, we did not see the candle. Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less: Ner. It is your music, madam, of the house. Ner. Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam. When neither is attended; and, I think, The nightingale, if she should sing by day, How many things by season season'd are Lor. Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. [Music ceases. That is the voice, Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckoo, By the bad voice. Lor. Dear lady, welcome home. Por. We have been praying for our husbands' wel fare, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they return'd? Lor. But there is come a messenger before, To signify their coming. Por. Madam, they are not yet; Go in, Nerissa: Give order to my servants, that they take No note at all of our being absent hence ;you, Lorenzo;-Jessica, nor you. Nor [A tucket sounded'. 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 daylight sick; It looks a little paler: 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the sun is hid. Enter BASSANIO, ANTONIO, GRATIANO, and their Followers. 6 Bass. We should hold day with the Antipodes, for our husbands' WELFARE,] The 4to. by Roberts has health; while the 4to. by Heyes, and the folio, concur in " welfare." 7 A TUCKET sounded.] From the Italian toccata, which Florio, in his "World of Words," 1611, construes a prelude in music. If you would walk in absence of the sun. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; For a light wife doth make a heavy husband, And never be Bassanio so for me: But God sort all!-You are welcome home, my lord. Bass. I thank you, madam. friend: This is the man, this is Antonio, Give welcome to my To whom I am so infinitely bound. Por. You should in all sense be much bound to him, For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. Ant. No more than I am well acquitted of. Por. Sir, you are very welcome to our house: It must appear in other ways than words, Therefore, I scant this breathing courtesy. Gra. [To NERISSA.] By yonder moon, I swear, you do me wrong; In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk: Would he were gelt that had it, for my part, 8 like cutlers' poetry] i. e. The poetry cutlers inscribed upon knives. 9 till YOUR hour of death,] The folio reads "till the hour of death:" both quartos your. 1-no, God's my judge,] This is the oldest reading, as it stands in the two quartos. The folio, perhaps in consequence of the statute of James I., substituted "but well I know." Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, A prating boy, that begg'd it as a fee: I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And so 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 sworn for him, he would not leave it, Nor pluck it from his finger for the wealth That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief: An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it. Bass. [Aside.] Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear I lost the ring defending it. Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Por. What ring, gave you, my lord? Not that, I hope, which you receiv'd of me. Bass. If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it; but you see, my finger Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. Until I see the ring. If you did know to whom I gave the ring, When naught would be accepted but the ring, I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring. Bass. No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, Even he that had held up the very life Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was beset with shame and courtesy; 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, 2 to go displeas'd away,] The 4to, by Roberts, inverts the order of the words, reading "away displeas'd." A similar error has occurred once or twice before; but in places where the variation was hardly worth notice. 3 FOR, by these blessed, &c.] The folio substitutes And for " For." |