THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. William Shakespeare

if Fortune be a woman, she’s a good wench for this gear. Father, 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 tonight

       My best esteem’d acquaintance; hie thee, go.

       LEONARDO.

       My best endeavours shall be done herein.

       [Enter GRATIANO.]

       GRATIANO.

       Where’s your master?

       LEONARDO.

       Yonder, sir, he walks.

       [Exit.]

       GRATIANO.

       Signior Bassanio!—

       BASSANIO.

       Gratiano!

       GRATIANO.

       I have 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;

       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

       Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behaviour

       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,

       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,

       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 tonight; you shall not gauge me

       By what we do tonight.

       BASSANIO.

       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.

       And I must to Lorenzo and the rest;

       But we will visit you at suppertime.

       [Exeunt.]

      SCENE 3. The same. A room in SHYLOCK’s house.

       [Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT.]

       JESSICA.

       I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so:

       Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,

       Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness.

       But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee;

       And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see

       Lorenzo, who is thy new master’s guest:

       Give him this letter; do it secretly.

       And so farewell. I would not have my father

       See me in talk with thee.

       LAUNCELOT. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue. Most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew! If a Christian do not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceived. But, adieu! these foolish drops do something drown my manly spirit; adieu!

       JESSICA.

       Farewell, good Launcelot.

       [Exit LAUNCELOT]

       Alack, what heinous sin is it in me

       To be asham’d to be my father’s child!

       But though I am a daughter to his blood,

       I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo!

       If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,

       Become a Christian and thy loving wife.

       [Exit]

      SCENE 4. The same. A street

       [Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SALANIO.]

       LORENZO.

       Nay, we will slink away in suppertime,

       Disguise us at my lodging, and return

       All in an hour.

       GRATIANO.

       We have not made good preparation.

       SALARINO.

       We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers.

       SALANIO.

       ‘Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order’d,

       And better in my mind not undertook.

       LORENZO.

       ‘Tis now but four o’clock; we have two hours

       To furnish us.

       [Enter LAUNCELOT, With a letter.]

       Friend Launcelot, what’s the news?

       LAUNCELOT. An it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem to signify.

       LORENZO.

       I know the hand; in faith, ‘tis a fair hand,

       And whiter than the paper it writ on

       Is the fair hand that writ.

       GRATIANO.

       Love news, in faith.

       LAUNCELOT.

       By your leave, sir.

       LORENZO.

       Whither goest thou?

       LAUNCELOT. Marry, sir, to bid my old master, the Jew, to sup tonight with my new master, the Christian.

       LORENZO.

       Hold, here, take this. Tell gentle Jessica

       I will not fail her; speak it privately.

       Go, gentlemen,

       [Exit LAUNCELOT]

       Will you prepare you for this masque tonight?

       I am provided of a torch-bearer.

       SALARINO.

       Ay, marry, I’ll be gone about it straight.

       SALANIO.

       And so will I.

       LORENZO.

       Meet me and Gratiano

       At Gratiano’s lodging some hour hence.

       SALARINO.