Bass. Why I were best to cut my left hand off,And sweare I lost the Ring defending it
Gra. My Lord Bassanio gaue his Ring awayVnto the Iudge that beg'd it, and indeedeDeseru'd it too: and then the Boy his ClearkeThat tooke some paines in writing, he begg'd mine,And neyther man nor master would take oughtBut the two Rings
Por. What Ring gaue you my Lord?Not that I hope which you receiu'd of me
Bass. If I could adde a lie vnto a fault,I would deny it: but you see my fingerHath not the Ring vpon it, it is gone
Por. Euen so voide is your false heart of truth.By heauen I wil nere come in your bedVntil I see the Ring
Ner. Nor I in yours, til I againe see mine
Bass. Sweet Portia,If you did know to whom I gaue the Ring,If you did know for whom I gaue the Ring,And would conceiue for what I gaue the Ring,And how vnwillingly I left the Ring,When nought would be accepted but the Ring,You would abate the strength of your displeasure?Por. If you had knowne the vertue of the Ring,Or halfe her worthinesse that gaue the Ring,Or your owne honour to containe the Ring,You would not then haue parted with the Ring:What man is there so much vnreasonable,If you had pleas'd to haue defended itWith any termes of Zeale: wanted the modestieTo vrge the thing held as a ceremonie:Nerrissa teaches me what to beleeue,Ile die for't, but some Woman had the Ring?Bass. No by mine honor Madam, by my souleNo Woman had it, but a ciuill Doctor,Which did refuse three thousand Ducates of me,And beg'd the Ring; the which I did denie him,And suffer'd him to go displeas'd away:Euen he that had held vp the verie lifeOf my deere friend. What should I say sweete Lady?I was inforc'd to send it after him,I was beset with shame and curtesie,My honor would not let ingratitudeSo much besmeare it. Pardon me good Lady,And by these blessed Candles of the night,Had you bene there, I thinke you would haue beg'dThe Ring of me, to giue the worthie Doctor?Por. Let not that Doctor ere come neere my house,Since he hath got the iewell that I loued,And that which you did sweare to keepe for me,I will become as liberall as you,Ile not deny him any thing I haue,No, not my body, nor my husbands bed:Know him I shall, I am well sure of it.Lie not a night from home. Watch me like Argos,If you doe not, if I be left alone,Now by mine honour which is yet mine owne,Ile haue the Doctor for my bedfellow
Nerrissa. And I his Clarke: therefore be well aduis'dHow you doe leaue me to mine owne protection
Gra. Well, doe you so: let not me take him then,For if I doe, ile mar the yong Clarks pen
Ant. I am th' vnhappy subiect of these quarrels
Por. Sir, grieue not you,You are welcome notwithstanding
Bas. Portia, forgiue me this enforced wrong,And in the hearing of these manie friendsI sweare to thee, euen by thine owne faire eyesWherein I see my selfe
Por. Marke you but that?In both my eyes he doubly sees himselfe:In each eye one, sweare by your double selfe,And there's an oath of credit
Bas. Nay, but heare me.Pardon this fault, and by my soule I sweareI neuer more will breake an oath with thee
Anth. I once did lend my bodie for thy wealth,Which but for him that had your husbands ringHad quite miscarried. I dare be bound againe,My soule vpon the forfeit, that your LordWill neuer more breake faith aduisedlie
Por. Then you shall be his suretie: giue him this,And bid him keepe it better then the other
Ant. Heere Lord Bassanio, swear to keep this ring
Bass. By heauen it is the same I gaue the Doctor
Por. I had it of him: pardon Bassanio,For by this ring the Doctor lay with me
Ner. And pardon me my gentle Gratiano,For that same scrubbed boy the Doctors ClarkeIn liew of this, last night did lye with me
Gra. Why this is like the mending of high waiesIn Sommer, where the waies are faire enough:What, are we Cuckolds ere we haue deseru'd it
Por. Speake not so grossely, you are all amaz'd;Heere is a letter, reade it at your leysure,It comes from Padua from Bellario,There you shall finde that Portia was the Doctor,Nerrissa there her Clarke. Lorenzo heereShall witnesse I set forth as soone as you,And but eu'n now return'd: I haue not yetEntred my house. Anthonio you are welcome,And I haue better newes in store for youThen you expect: vnseale this letter soone,There you shall finde three of your ArgosiesAre richly come to harbour sodainlie.You shall not know by what strange accidentI chanced on this letter
Antho. I am dumbe
Bass. Were you the Doctor, and I knew you not?Gra. Were you the Clark that is to make me cuckold
Ner. I, but the Clark that neuer meanes to doe it,Vnlesse he liue vntill he be a man
Bass. (Sweet Doctor) you shall be my bedfellow,When I am absent, then lie with my wife
An. (Sweet Ladie) you haue giuen me life & liuing;For heere I reade for certaine that my shipsAre safelie come to Rode
Por. How now Lorenzo?My Clarke hath some good comforts to for you
Ner. I, and Ile giue them him without a fee.There doe I giue to you and IessicaFrom the rich Iewe, a speciall deed of giftAfter his death, of all he dies possess'd of
Loren. Faire Ladies you drop Manna in the wayOf starued people
Por. It is almost morning,And yet I am sure you are not satisfiedOf these euents at full. Let vs goe in,And charge vs there vpon intergatories,And we will answer all things faithfully
Gra. Let it be so, the first intergatoryThat my Nerrissa shall be sworne on, is,Whether till the next night she had rather stay,Or goe to bed, now being two houres to day,But were the day come, I should wish it darke,Till I were couching with the Doctors Clarke.Well, while I liue, Ile feare no other thingSo sore, as keeping safe Nerrissas ring.
Exeunt.
FINIS. The Merchant of Venice.