Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. 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' welfare, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words; Are they return'd? Lor. But there is come a messenger before, Madam, they are not yet; Go in, Nerissa, To signify their coming. Por. Give order to my servants, that they take [A tucket sounds. 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. 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; You are welcome home, my lord." Bass. I thank you, madam: give welcome to my friend.-This is the man, this is Antonio, 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. [Gratiano and Nerissa seem to talk apart. Por. A quarrel, ho, already? what's the matter? That she did give me; whose posy was For all the world, like cutler's poetry Ner. What talk you of the posy, or the value? You swore to me, when I did give it you, The clerk will ne'er wear hair on his face, that had it. 1 A flourish on a trumpet. 4 Formerly inscribed on knives by aquafortis. 2 Spare. 3 Verbal. 5 Particular. ་ Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth,- No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk; I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, 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 Unto the judge that begg'd it, and indeed, 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 Hath not the ring upon it, it is gone. Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. Ner. Till I again see mine. Nor I in yours, Sweet Portia, If you did know to whom I gave the ring, When nought would be accepted but the ring, Bass. No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul, No woman had, but a civil doctor, Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was beset with shame and courtesy ; My honour 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 begg'd 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 swear to keep for me, I'll not deny him any thing I have, Know him I shall, I am well sure of it: Lie 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, How you do leave me to mine own protection. Gra. Well, do you so: let not me take him then. Por. Sir, grieve not you; You are welcome notwithstanding. And in the hearing of these many friends, I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes, Por. Mark you but that! In both mine eyes he doubly sees himself: Nay, but hear me : Bass. I never more will break an oath with thee. Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth': [To Portia.] Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again, My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord Will never more break faith advisedly. 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. Here is a letter, read it at your leisure; It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; 1 Welfare. Shall witness, I set forth as soon as you, You shall not know by what strange accident Bass. Were you the doctor, and I knew you not? 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? My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee.- From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift, Por. [Exeunt. As You Like It. Persons Represented. DUKE, living in exile. CHARLES, his Wrestler. SIR OLIVER MAR-TEXT, a Vicar. WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love A Person representing Hymen. OLIVER, Sons of Sir Rowland CELIA, Daughter to Frederick. JAQUES, de Bois. Servants to Oliver. DENNIS, TOUCHSTONE, a Clorn. PHEBE, a Shepherdess. AUDREY, a country Girl. Lords belonging to the two Dukes, Pages, Foresters, and other Attendants. The Scene lies, first, near Oliver's House; afterwards, partly in the Usurper's Court, and partly in the Forest of Arden. Act First. SCENE I.-AN ORCHARD, NEAR OLIVER'S HOUSE. Enter Orlando and Adam. Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeath'd me: By will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit; for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept: For call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better: for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance seems to take from me: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. |