Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed 190 Until I see the ring. Nor I in yours Sweet Portia, Ner. Till I again see mine. Bass. If you did know to whom I gave the ring, No woman had it, but a civil doctor, 200 Bass. No, by my honour, madam, by my soul, 210 Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him Even he that did uphold the very life Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was beset with shame and courtesy ; My honour would not let ingratitude So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady; 220 Had you been there, I think you would have begg'd The ring of me to give the worthy doctor. Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house: And that which you did swear to keep for me, I'll not deny him any thing I have, No, not my body nor my husband's bed : Know him I shall, I am well sure of it: Lie not a night from home; watch me like Argus: If you do not, if I be left alone, Now, by mine honour, which is yet mine own, 230 Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advised How you do leave me to mine own protection. Gra. Well, do you so let not me take him, then; For if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Ant. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding. Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes, Por. Mark you but that! Bass. I never more will break an oath with thee. Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth; Por. Then you shall be his surety. Give him this And bid him keep it better than the other. Ant. Here, Lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. For, by this ring, the doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk, Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways In summer, where the ways are fair enough: Por. Speak not so grossly. You are all amazed: It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find that Portia was the doctor, Shall witness I set forth as soon as you And even but now return'd; I have not yet Enter'd my house. Antonio, you are welcome; Are richly come to harbour suddenly: 240 260 270 You shall not know by what strange accident Bass. Were you the doctor and I knew you not? 280 Gra. Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold? Ner. Ay, but the clerk that never means to do it, Unless he live until he be a man. Bass. Sweet doctor, you shall be my bedfellow : When I am absent, then lie with my wife. Ant. Sweet lady, you have given me life and living; For here I read for certain that my ships Are safely come to road. Por. My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. How now, Lorenzo! Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee. There do I give to you and Jessica, 290 From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift, Por. It is almost morning, Gra. Let it be so the first inter'gatory 300 [Exeunt. SCENE: Oliver's house; Duke Frederick's court; and the Forest of Arden. ACT. I. SCENE I. Orchard of OLIVER's house. Enter ORLANDO and ADAM. Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion he bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou sayest, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there be ins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his counte nance seems to take from me: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Adam, Yonder comes my master, your brother. Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. Enter OLIVER, Oli. Now, sir! what make you here? Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. 30 Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. Oli. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile. Orl. Shall I keep your hogs and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury? Oli. Know you where you are, sir? Orl. O, sir, very well. here in your orchard. Oli. Know you before whom, sir? Orl. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father in me as you; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. Oli. What, boy! Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? Orl. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat till this other had pulled out thy tongue for saying so thou hast railed on thyself. Adam. Sweet masters, be patient: for your father's remembrance, be at accord. Oli. Let me go, I say. My Orl. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. father charged you in his will to give me good education: |