The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Read Free Book Online

us as a tribute,
     Not as fee. Grant me two things, I pray you:
     Not to deny me, and to pardon me 437 .
    PORTIA    You press 438 me far, and therefore I will yield.
     Give me your gloves, I’ll wear them for your sake.
    To Antonio
         And, for your love 440 , I’ll take this ring from you.
    To Bassanio
         Do not draw back your hand, I’ll take no more,
     And you in 442 love shall not deny me this.
    BASSANIO    This ring, good sir, alas, it is a trifle!
     I will not shame myself to give you this.
    PORTIA    I will have nothing else but only this,
     And now methinks I have a mind to 446 it.
    BASSANIO    There’s more depends on this than on the value.
     The dearest 448 ring in Venice will I give you,
     And find it out by proclamation.
     Only for this, I pray you pardon me.
    PORTIA    I see, sir, you are liberal 451 in offers.
     You taught me first to beg, and now methinks
     You teach me how a beggar should be answered.
    BASSANIO    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.
    PORTIA    That ’scuse serves many men to save their gifts.
     An if your wife be not a madwoman,
     And know how well I have deserved this ring,
     She would not hold out enemy forever
     For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!
    Exeunt
[
Portia and Nerissa
]
    ANTONIO    My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.
     Let his deservings and my love withal
     Be valued against your wife’s commandment.
    BASSANIO    Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him.
     Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst,
     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 470 toward Belmont. Come, Antonio.
    Exeunt
[Act 4 Scene 2]
running scene 19
    Enter Portia and Nerissa
    Still disguised
    PORTIA     Inquire the Jew’s house out 1 , give him this deed,
     And let him sign it. We’ll away tonight
    Gives her a deed
         And be 3 a day before our husbands home.
     This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.
    Enter Gratiano
    GRATIANO    Fair sir, you are well o’erta’en 5 .
     My lord Bassanio upon more advice 6
     Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat
     Your company at dinner.
    Gives her the ring
    PORTIA    That cannot be;
     His ring I do accept most thankfully,
     And so, I pray you tell him. Furthermore,
     I pray you show my youth old Shylock’s house.
    GRATIANO    That will I do.
    NERISSA    Sir, I would speak with you.
     I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring,
    Aside to Portia
         Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.
    PORTIA    Thou mayst, I warrant. We shall have
          old 17 swearing
    Aside to Nerissa
         That they did give the rings away to men;
     But we’ll outface 19 them, and outswear them too.—
     Away, make haste! Thou know’st where I will tarry.
    Aloud
    NERISSA    Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?
    Exeunt

Act 5 [Scene 1]
running scene 20
    Location: Belmont
    Enter Lorenzo and Jessica
    LORENZO    The moon shines bright. In such a night as this,
     When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees
     And they did make no noise, in such a night
      Troilus 4 methinks mounted the Trojan walls
     And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents
     Where Cressid lay that night.
    JESSICA    In such a night
     Did Thisbe 8 fearfully o’ertrip the dew,
     And saw the lion’s shadow ere himself 9 ,
     And ran dismayed away.
    LORENZO    In such a night
     Stood Dido 12 with a willow in her hand
     Upon the