TPTT The Merchant of Venice: ACT II
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
SCENE I. Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.
SCENE II. Venice. A street.
SCENE III. The same. A room in SHYLOCK'S house.
SCENE IV. The same. A street.
SCENE V. The same. Before SHYLOCK'S house.
SCENE VI. The same.
SCENE VII. Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.
SCENE VIII. Venice. A street.
SCENE IX. Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.
ACT III
ACT IV
ACT V
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SCENE II. Venice. A street.
Enter LAUNCELOT
LAUNCELOT
      Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from
      this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow and
      tempts me saying to me 'Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good
      Launcelot,' or 'good Gobbo,' or good Launcelot
5     Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away. My
      conscience says 'No; take heed,' honest Launcelot;
      take heed, honest Gobbo, or, as aforesaid, 'honest
      Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy
      heels.' Well, the most courageous fiend bids me
10    pack: 'Via!' says the fiend; 'away!' says the
      fiend; 'for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind,'
      says the fiend, 'and run.' Well, my conscience,
      hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely
      to me 'My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest
15    man's son,' or rather an honest woman's son; for,
      indeed, my father did something smack, something
      grow to, he had a kind of taste; well, my conscience
      says 'Launcelot, budge not.' 'Budge,' says the
      fiend. 'Budge not,' says my conscience.
20    'Conscience,' say I, 'you counsel well;' ' Fiend,'
      say I, 'you counsel well:' to be ruled by my
      conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master,
      who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and, to
      run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the
25    fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil
      himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil
      incarnal; and, in my conscience, my conscience is
      but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel
      me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more
30    friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are
      at your command; I will run.
Enter Old GOBBO, with a basket
GOBBO
      Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way
      to master Jew's?
LAUNCELOT
      (Aside) O heavens, this is my true-begotten father!
35    who, being more than sand-blind, high-gravel blind,
      knows me not: I will try confusions with him.
GOBBO
      Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way
      to master Jew's?
LAUNCELOT
      Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but,
40    at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at
      the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn
      down indirectly to the Jew's house.
GOBBO
      By God's sonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit. Can
      you tell me whether one Launcelot,
45    that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?
LAUNCELOT
      Talk you of young Master Launcelot?

Aside

      Mark me now; now will I raise the waters. Talk you
      of young Master Launcelot?
GOBBO
      No master, sir, but a poor man's son: his father,
50    though I say it, is an honest exceeding poor man
      and, God be thanked, well to live.
LAUNCELOT
      Well, let his father be what a' will, we talk of
      young Master Launcelot.
GOBBO
      Your worship's friend and Launcelot, sir.
LAUNCELOT
55    But I pray you, ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you,
      talk you of young Master Launcelot?
GOBBO
      Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership.
LAUNCELOT
      Ergo, Master Launcelot. Talk not of Master
      Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman,
60    according to Fates and Destinies and such odd
      sayings, the Sisters Three and such branches of
      learning, is indeed deceased, or, as you would say
      in plain terms, gone to heaven.
GOBBO
      Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my
65    age, my very prop.
LAUNCELOT
      Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post, a staff or
      a prop? Do you know me, father?
GOBBO
      Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman:
      but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy, God rest his
70    soul, alive or dead?
LAUNCELOT
      Do you not know me, father?
GOBBO
      Alack, sir, I am sand-blind; I know you not.
LAUNCELOT
      Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of
      the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his
75    own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of
      your son: give me your blessing: truth will come
      to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man's son
      may, but at the length truth will out.
GOBBO
      Pray you, sir, stand up: I am sure you are not
80    Launcelot, my boy.
LAUNCELOT
      Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but
      give me your blessing: I am Launcelot, your boy
      that was, your son that is, your child that shall
      be.
GOBBO
85    I cannot think you are my son.
LAUNCELOT
      I know not what I shall think of that: but I am
      Launcelot, the Jew's man, and I am sure Margery your
      wife is my mother.
GOBBO
      Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be sworn, if thou
90    be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and blood.
      Lord worshipped might he be! what a beard hast thou
      got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin than
      Dobbin my fill-horse has on his tail.
LAUNCELOT
      It should seem, then, that Dobbin's tail grows
95    backward: I am sure he had more hair of his tail
      than I have of my face when I last saw him.
GOBBO
      Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou and thy
      master agree? I have brought him a present. How
      'gree you now?
LAUNCELOT
100   Well, well: but, for mine own part, as I have set
      up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I
      have run some ground. My master's a very Jew: give
      him a present! give him a halter: I am famished in
      his service; you may tell every finger I have with
105   my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come: give me
      your present to one Master Bassanio, who, indeed,
      gives rare new liveries: if I serve not him, I
      will run as far as God has any ground. O rare
      fortune! here comes the man: to him, father; for I
110   am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer.
Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO and other followers
BASSANIO
      You may do so; but let it be so hasted that supper
      be ready at the farthest by five of the clock. See
      these letters delivered; put the liveries to making,
      and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging.
Exit a Servant
LAUNCELOT
115   To him, father.
GOBBO
      God bless your worship!
BASSANIO
      Gramercy! wouldst thou aught with me?
GOBBO
      Here's my son, sir, a poor boy,--
LAUNCELOT
      Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man; that
120   would, sir, as my father shall specify--
GOBBO
      He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve--
LAUNCELOT
      Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew,
      and have a desire, as my father shall specify--
GOBBO
      His master and he, saving your worship's reverence,
125   are scarce cater-cousins--
LAUNCELOT
      To be brief, the very truth is that the Jew, having
      done me wrong, doth cause me, as my father, being, I
      hope, an old man, shall frutify unto you--
GOBBO
      I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow upon
130   your worship, and my suit is--
LAUNCELOT
      In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as
      your worship shall know by this honest old man; and,
      though I say it, though old man, yet poor man, my father.
BASSANIO
      One speak for both. What would you?
LAUNCELOT
135   Serve you, sir.
GOBBO
      That is the very defect of the matter, sir.
BASSANIO
      I know thee well; thou hast obtain'd thy suit:
      Shylock thy master spoke with me this day,
      And hath preferr'd thee, if it be preferment
140   To leave a rich Jew's service, to become
      The follower of so poor a gentleman.
LAUNCELOT
      The old proverb is very well parted between my
      master Shylock and you, sir: you have the grace of
      God, sir, and he hath enough.
BASSANIO
145   Thou speak'st it well. Go, father, with thy son.
      Take leave of thy old master and inquire
      My lodging out. Give him a livery
      More guarded than his fellows': see it done.
LAUNCELOT
      Father, in. I cannot get a service, no; I have
150   ne'er a tongue in my head. Well, if any man in
      Italy have a fairer table which doth offer to swear
      upon a book, I shall have good fortune. Go to,
      here's a simple line of life: here's a small trifle
      of wives: alas, fifteen wives is nothing! eleven
155   widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one
      man: and then to 'scape drowning thrice, and to be
      in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed;
      here are simple scapes. Well, if Fortune be a
      woman, she's a good wench for this gear. Father,
160   come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye.
Exeunt Launcelot and Old Gobbo
BASSANIO
      I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this:
      These things being bought and orderly bestow'd,
      Return in haste, for I do feast to-night
      My best-esteem'd acquaintance: hie thee, go.
LEONARDO
165   My best endeavours shall be done herein.
Enter GRATIANO
GRATIANO
      Where is your master?
LEONARDO
      Yonder, sir, he walks.
Exit
GRATIANO
      Signior Bassanio!
BASSANIO
      Gratiano!
GRATIANO
170   I have a suit to you.
BASSANIO
      You have obtain'd it.
GRATIANO
      You must not deny me: I must go with you to Belmont.
BASSANIO
      Why then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano;
      Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice;
175   Parts that become thee happily enough
      And in such eyes as ours appear not faults;
      But where thou art not known, why, there they show
      Something too liberal. Pray thee, take pain
      To allay with some cold drops of modesty
180   Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behavior
      I be misconstrued in the place I go to,
      And lose my hopes.
GRATIANO
      Signior Bassanio, hear me:
      If I do not put on a sober habit,
185   Talk with respect and swear but now and then,
      Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely,
      Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
      Thus with my hat, and sigh and say 'amen,'
      Use all the observance of civility,
190   Like one well studied in a sad ostent
      To please his grandam, never trust me more.
BASSANIO
      Well, we shall see your bearing.
GRATIANO
      Nay, but I bar to-night: you shall not gauge me
      By what we do to-night.
BASSANIO
195   No, that were pity:
      I would entreat you rather to put on
      Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends
      That purpose merriment. But fare you well:
      I have some business.
GRATIANO
200   And I must to Lorenzo and the rest:
      But we will visit you at supper-time.
Exeunt
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