The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Read Free Book Online Page B

his nature.
     The man that hath no music in himself,
     Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
     Is fit for treasons, stratagems 92 and spoils.
     The motions 93 of his spirit are dull as night
     And his affections 94 dark as Erebus.
     Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.
    Enter Portia and Nerissa
    PORTIA    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 98 world.
    NERISSA    When the moon shone, we did not see the candle.
    PORTIA    So doth the greater glory dim the less.
     A substitute shines brightly as a king
     Until a king be by 102 , and then his state
     Empties itself, as doth an inland brook
     Into the main of waters 104 . Music! Hark!
    Music
    NERISSA    It is your music, madam, of the house.
    PORTIA    Nothing is good, I see, without respect 106 .
     Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day.
    NERISSA    Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.
    PORTIA    The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark
     When neither is attended 110 , and I think
     The nightingale, if she should sing by day,
     When every goose is cackling, would be thought
     No better a musician than the wren.
     How many things by season 114 seasoned are
     To their right praise and true perfection!
     Peace, ho! The moon sleeps with Endymion 116
     And would not be awaked.
    Music ceases
    LORENZO    That is the voice,
     Or I am much deceived, of Portia.
    PORTIA    He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo,
     By the bad voice.
    LORENZO    Dear lady, welcome home.
    PORTIA    We have been praying for our husbands’ welfare,
     Which speed 124 , we hope, the better for our words.
     Are they returned?
    LORENZO    Madam, they are not yet,
     But there is come a messenger before 127 ,
     To signify their coming.
    PORTIA    Go in, Nerissa.
     Give order to my servants that they take
     No note at all of our being absent hence,
     Nor you, Lorenzo, Jessica, nor you.
    A tucket 132 sounds
    LORENZO    Your husband is at hand. I hear his trumpet.
     We are no telltales, madam; fear you not.
    PORTIA    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
    BASSANIO    We should hold day with the Antipodes 138 ,
     If you would walk in absence of the sun 139 .
    PORTIA    Let me give light, but let me not be light 140 ,
     For a light wife doth make a heavy 141 husband,
     And never be Bassanio so for me,
     But God sort 143 all! You are welcome home, my lord.
    BASSANIO    I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend.
     This is the man, this is Antonio,
     To whom I am so infinitely bound.
    PORTIA    You should in all sense be much bound to him,
     For, as I hear, he was much bound 148 for you.
    ANTONIO    No more than I am well acquitted of 149 .
    PORTIA    Sir, you are very welcome to our house.
     It must appear in other ways than words:
     Therefore I scant 152 this breathing courtesy.
    GRATIANO    By yonder moon I swear you do me wrong.
    To Nerissa
         In faith, I gave it to the judge’s clerk.
     Would he were gelt 155 that had it, for my part,
     Since you do take it, love, so much at 156 heart.
    PORTIA    A quarrel, ho, already? What’s the matter?
    GRATIANO    About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring
     That she did give me, whose posy 159 was
     For all the world like cutler’s poetry
     Upon a knife, ‘Love me, and leave me not.’
    NERISSA    What talk you of the posy or the value?
     You swore to me