SCENE V. Belmont. Lor. Enter Portia, Neriffa, Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Belthazar. ADAM, although I speak it in your presence, MA Of godlike amity, which appears strongly In bearing thus the absence of your lord. But, if you knew to whom you show this honour, The husbandry and manage of my house, Until her husband and my lord's return. The which my love and fome neceffity Lor. Madam, with all my heart ; I fhall obey you in all fair commands. Por. My people do already know my mind, And will acknowledge you and effica In place of lord Bassanio and myself. So fare you well till we fhall meet again. Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you! Jef. I wish your ladyfhip all heart's content. Por. I thank you for your wifh, and am well pleas'd To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jeffica. [Exe. Jes. & Lor. Now, Balthazar, As I have ever found thee honeft, true, So let me find thee ftill: take this fame letter, And use thou all th' endeavour of a man, In fpeed to Padua; fee thou render this Into my coufin's hand, doctor Bellario; And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee, Unto the traject, to the common ferry Which trades to Venice: wafte no time in words, But get thee gone; I fhall be there before thee. Bal. Madam, I go with all convenient speed. Por. Come on, Nerija; I have work in hand That you yet know not of: we'll fee our hufbands Before they think of us. Ner. Shall they see us? Por. They fhall, Neriffa; but in such a habit, [Exit. I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two, And wear my dagger with the braver grace; That men fhall fwear, I've difcontinued school A thousand raw tricks of these bragging jacks, Ner. Shall we turn to men? Por. Fie! what a question's that, If thou wert near a lewd interpreter ! SCENE VI. Enter Launcelot, and Jeffica. [Exeunt. Laun. Yes, truly: for, look you, the fins of the father are to be lay'd upon the children; therefore, I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you; and fo now I speak my agitation of the matter: therefore be of good cheer; for, truly, I think, you are damn'd: there is but one hope in it that can do you any good; and that is but a kind of bastard-hope neither. Jef. And what hope is that, I pray thee? Laun. Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew's daughter. Jef. That were a kind of bastard-hope, indeed: fo the fins of my mother should be vifited upon me. Laun. Truly, then, I fear, you are damn'd both by father and mother: thus when you fhun Scylla, your father, you fall into Charibdis, your mother: well, you are gone both ways. Jef. I fhall be faved by my husband; he hath made me a christian. Laun. Truly, the more to blame he; we were christians enough before, e'en as many as could well live one by another: this making of christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be porkeaters, we fhall not fhortly have a rafher on the coals for money. Enter Lorenzo. Jef. I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you fay: here he comes. Lor. I fhall grow jealous of you fhortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners. Jef. Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are out: he tells me flatly, there is no mercy for me in heav'n, because I am a few's daughter: and he says, you are no good member of the commonwealth; for, in converting Jews to chriftians, you raise the price of pork. Lor. I fhall answer that better to the commonwealth than you can the getting up of the negro's belly: the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot. Laun. It is much that the Moor fhould be more than reason: but if fhe be less than an honest woman, fhe is, indeed, more than I took her for. Lor. How every fool can play upon a word! I think, the best grace of wit will fhortly turn into filence; and discourse grow commendable in none but parrots. Go in, firrah, bid them prepare for dinner. Laun. That is done, fir; they have all stomachs. Lor. Good lord, what a witsnapper are you! then bid them prepare dinner. Laun. That is done too, fir; only cover is the word. Laun. Laun. Not fo, fir, neither; I know my duty. Lor. Yet more quarrelling with occafion! wilt thou show the whole wealth of thy wit in an inftant? I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain meaning: go to thy fellows, bid them cover the table, ferve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. Laun. For the table, fir, it fhall be ferv'd in; for the meat, fir, it fhall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, fir, why, let it be as humours and conceits fhall govern. [Exit Laun. Lor. O dear discretion, how his words are fuited! The fool hath planted in his memory An army of good words; and I do know In reafon he should never come to heav'n. Why, if two gods fhould play fome heav'nly match, Lor. Even fuch a husband Haft thou of me, as fhe is for a wife. Jef. Nay, but afk my opinion too of that. Jef. Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomach. Then, howfoe'er thou speak'ft, 'mong other things, Jef. Well, I'll fet you forth. H 2 [Exeunt. ACT |