Prescanned Shakespeare.com
presented by Acoustic Learning
The same. A garden.
[Enter LAUNCELOT and JESSICA]
LAUNCELOT
Yes truly; for look you, the sins of the father are to be laid upon the
children, therefore I promise you, I fear you, I was always plain with you,
and so now I speak my agitation of the matter: therefore be of good cheer,
for truly I think you are damned, there is but one hope in it that can do
you any good, and that is but a kind of bastard hope neither.
JESSICA
And what hope is that I pray thee?
LAUNCELOT
Marry you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the
Jew's daughter.
JESSICA
That were a kind of bastard hope indeed, so the sins of my mother should be
visited upon me.
LAUNCELOT
Truly then I fear you are damned both by father and mother: thus when I shun
Scylla your father, I fall into Charybdis your mother; well, you are gone
both ways.
JESSICA
I shall be saved by my husband, he hath made me a Christian.
LAUNCELOT
Truly the more to blame he, we were Christians enow before, eene 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 pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a
rasher on the coals for money.
[Enter LORENZO]
JESSICA
I'll tell my husband Launcelot what you say, here he comes.
LORENZO
I shall grow jealous of you shortly Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into
corners.
JESSICA
Nay, you need not fear us Lorenzo, Launcelot and I are out, He tells me
flatly, there is no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter:
and he says, you are no good member of the commonwealth, for in converting
Jews to Christians, you raise the price of pork.
LORENZO
I shall 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?
LAUNCELOT
It is much that the Moor should be more than reason: but if she be less than
an honest woman, she is indeed more than I took her for.
LORENZO
How every fool can play upon the word, I think the best grace of wit will
shortly turn into silence, and discourse grow commendable in none only but
parrots: go in sirrah, bid them prepare for dinner?
LAUNCELOT
That is done sir, they have all stomachs?
LORENZO
Goodly Lord, what a wit-snapper are you, then bid them prepare dinner.
LAUNCELOT
That is done too sir, only cover is the word.
LORENZO
Will you cover then sir?
LAUNCELOT
Not so sir neither, I know my duty.
LORENZO
Yet more quarrelling with occasion, wilt thou show the whole wealth of thy
wit in an instant; I pray thee understand a plain man in his plain meaning:
go to thy fellows, bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will
come in to dinner.
LAUNCELOT
For the table sir, it shall be served in, for the meat sir, it shall be
covered, for your coming in to dinner sir, why let it be as humors and
conceits shall govern.
[Exit]
LORENZO
,
, ,
, x
O dear | discre|tion, how | his words | are
suited,
,
, ,
, ,
The fool | hath plant|ed in | his mem|ory
,
, , ,
,
An ar|my of / good words,| and I | do know
,
, , ,
,
A man|y fools | that stand | in bet|ter place,
,
, ,
, ,
Garnished | like him,| that for | a trick|sy word
, ,
, ,
, 2
Defy | the mat|ter: How | cheerst thou | Jessica,
,
T T T ,
,
And now | good sweet say | thy op|inion,
,
, , ,
2 ,
How dost | thou like | the Lord | Bassan|io's
wife?
JESSICA
T T . T
, ,
,
Past all express|ing, It | is ver|y meet
,
, 2 , . T T
T
The Lord | Bassan|io live | an upright life
, ,
, ,
, 2->
For hav|ing such | a bless|ing in | his la||dy,
,
, , , ,
He finds | the joys | of heav|en here | on earth,
,
, , ,
,
And if | on earth | he do | not mean | it, it
,
, , ,
x
In reas|on he | should nev|er come | to heaven?
T . T T
, x ,
Why if two gods | should play | some heaven|ly
match,
,
x , ,
,
And on | the wager | lay* two | earthly | women,
,
, , , ,
And Port|ia one:| there must | be some|thing else
,
, ,
, ,
Pawned with | the oth|er, for the // poor rude
world
,
,
Hath not | her fel|low.
LORENZO
x , ,
Even | such a | husband
,
, ,
, ,
Hast thou | of me,| as she | is for | a wife.
JESSICA
,
, ,
, ,
Nay, but | ask my | opin|ion too | of that?
LORENZO
, ,
, 2 ,
,
I will | anon,| first let us | go to | dinner?
JESSICA
, 2
, ,
, ,
Nay, let me | praise you | while I | have a |
stomach?
LORENZO
,
, ,
, ,
No pray | thee, let | it serve | for tab|le talk,
,
, , ,
,
Then how|soere | thou speakst,| mong^oth|er
things,
,
,
I shall | digest | it?
JESSICA
, , ,
Well,| I'll set | you forth.
[Exeunt]