TPTT The Merchant of Venice: ACT III
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
SCENE I. Venice. A street.
SCENE II. Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.
SCENE III. Venice. A street.
SCENE IV. Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.
SCENE V. The same. A garden.
ACT IV
ACT V
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SCENE V. 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 ye, I fear you. I was always plain with
      you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter:
5     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
10    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
15    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
20    Truly, the more to blame he: we were Christians
      enow before; e'en as many as could well live, one by
      another. This making 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
25    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
30    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
35    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
40    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
45    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
50    Yet more quarrelling with occasion! Wilt thou show
      the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray
      tree, 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
55    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 humours and
      conceits shall govern.
Exit
LORENZO
      O dear discretion, how his words are suited!
60    The fool hath planted in his memory
      An army of good words; and I do know
      A many fools, that stand in better place,
      Garnish'd like him, that for a tricksy word
      Defy the matter. How cheerest thou, Jessica?
65    And now, good sweet, say thy opinion,
      How dost thou like the Lord Bassanio's wife?
JESSICA
      Past all expressing. It is very meet
      The Lord Bassanio live an upright life;
      For, having such a blessing in his lady,
70    He finds the joys of heaven here on earth;
      And if on earth he do not mean it, then
      In reason he should never come to heaven
      Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match
      And on the wager lay two earthly women,
75    And Portia one, there must be something else
      Pawn'd with the other, for the poor rude world
      Hath not her fellow.
LORENZO
      Even such a husband
      Hast thou of me as she is for a wife.
JESSICA
80    Nay, but ask my opinion too of that.
LORENZO
      I will anon: first, let us go to dinner.
JESSICA
      Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomach.
LORENZO
      No, pray thee, let it serve for table-talk;
      ' Then, howso'er thou speak'st, 'mong other things
85    I shall digest it.
JESSICA
      Well, I'll set you forth.
Exeunt
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