Scene IV

[Belmont]

Enter Portia, Nerissa, Lorenzo, Jessica, and a man of Portia [Balthasar].

LORENZO:

Madam, although I speak it in your presence,
You have a noble and a true conceit
Of god-like amity; which appears most strongly
In bearing thus the absence of your lord.
But, if you knew to whom you show this honour,(5)
How true a gentleman you send relief,
How dear a lover of my lord your husband,
I know you would be prouder of the work,
Than customary bounty can enforce you.

LORENZO:

Madam, although I’m saying it in front of you,
You have a noble and a true understanding
Of godlike friendship, which appears most strongly
In your behaving like this in the absence of your lord.
But if you knew to whom you give this friendship,
How true a gentleman you send in relief,
How dear a friend of my lord is your husband,
I know you show more pride in the work
Than accustomed behavior can make you show.

PORTIA:

I never did repent for doing good,(10)
Nor shall not now; for in companions
That do converse and waste the time together,
Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit;(15)
Which makes me think, that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord. If it be so,
How little is the cost I have bestow'd,
In purchasing the semblance of my soul(20)
From out the state of hellish cruelty!
This comes too near the praising of myself,
Therefore, no more of it: hear other things.
Lorenzo, I commit into your hands
The husbandry and manage of my house,(25)
Until my lord's return; for mine own part,
I have toward heaven breathed a secr't vow,
To live in prayer and contemplation,
Only attended by Nerissa here,
Until her husband and my lord's return:(30)
There is a monastery two miles off,
And there will we abide. I do desire you
Not to deny this imposition,
The which my love, and some necessity,
Now lays upon you.(35)

PORTIA:

I never did regret doing good,
And I won’t now; because in companions
That talk and waste the time together,
Whose souls bear an equal burden of love,
There must be a sharing of things like proportion
Of limbs, manners, and spirit,
Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the closest friend of my lord,
Must be like my lord. If it’s true,
How little is the cost I have paid
In purchasing the image of my soul
From out of the state of hellish cruelty!
This sounds as if I am praising of myself;
So, no more about it; listen to other things.
Lorenzo, I am putting the farming
And management of my house into your hands
Until my lord's return; as for me,
I have taken a secret vow to heaven
To live in prayer and contemplation,
Only attended by Nerissa here,
Until her husband and my lord's return.
There is a monastery two miles off,
And we’ll stay there. I don’t want you
To deny this imposition,
Which my love and some necessity
Now lays on you.

LORENZO:

Madam, with all my heart,
I shall obey you in all fair commands.

LORENZO:

Madam, I shall obey you in all fair commands.
With all my heart

PORTIA:

My people do already know my mind,
And will acknowledge you and Jessica,
In place of Lord Bassanio and myself.(40)
So fare you well, till we shall meet again.

PORTIA:

My staff already know my mind,
And will report to you and Jessica
In place of Lord Bassanio and myself.
So goodbye until we shall meet again.

LORENZO:

Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!

LORENZO:

Beautiful thoughts and happy hours attend on you!

JESSICA:

I wish your ladyship all heart's content.

JESSICA:

I wish your ladyship all my heart's content.

PORTIA:

I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas'd
To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jessica.(45)

Exeunt [Jessica and Lorenzo]

Now, Balthasar,
As I have ever found thee honest, true,
So let me find thee still: Take this same letter,
And use thou all the endeavour of a man
In speed to Padua; see thou render this(50)
Into my cousin's hand, Doctor Bellario;
And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee,
Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin'd speed
Unto the Tranect, to the common ferry
Which trades to Venice:—Waste no time in words,(55)
But get thee gone; I shall be there before thee.

PORTIA:

I thank you for your wish, and I’m happy
To wish it back on you. Goodbye, Jessica.

Now, Balthasar,
As I have always found you to be honest and true,
So let me find you the same! Take this letter,
And use all the power of a man
To speed to Padua; see that you put this
Into my cousin's hands, Doctor Bellario;
And look what notes and garments he gives you,
Bring them, please, with imagined speed
To the bridge, to the common ferry
Which sails to Venice. Don’t waste time in words,
But get going; I’ll be there before you.

BALTHASAR:

Madam, I go with all convenient speed.

BALTHASAR:

Madam, I go with all convenient speed.

PORTIA:

Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand,
That you yet know not of; we'll see our husbands
Before they think of us.(60)

PORTIA:

Come on, Nerissa, I have work in hand
That you don’t know about yet; we'll see our husbands
Before they think about us.

NERISSA:

Shall they see us?

NERISSA:

Shall they see us?

PORTIA:

They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit,
That they shall think we are accomplished
With that we lack. I'll hold thee any wager,
When we are both accoutred like young men,(65)
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace;
And speak, between the change of man and boy,
With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride; and speak of frays,(70)
Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died;
I could not do withal; then I'll repent,
And wish, for all that, that I had not kill'd them:(75)
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
That men shall swear I have discontinued school
Above a twelvemonth:—I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.(80)

PORTIA:

They shall, Nerissa; but in such a costume
That they’ll think we are finished
With that we don’t have. I'll bet you any amount,
When we are both dressed like young men,
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace,
And speak with a reed voice,
That’s between the change of man and boy;
And turn two delicate steps
Into a manly stride; and speak about fights
Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies,
How honorable ladies have looked for my love,
Who fell sick and died when I told them, “No”;
I couldn’t do everything. Then I'll be sorry,
And wish that, for all of that, I had not killed them.
And I’ll tell twenty of these flimsy lies so well,
That men shall swear I have been out of school
About a year. I have thousand raw tricks for
These bragging Jacks within my mind,
Which I’ll practice.

NERISSA:

Why, shall we turn to men?

NERISSA:

Why, shall we turn into men?

PORTIA:

Fie! what a question's that,
If thou wert near a lewd interpreter!
But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which stays for us(85)
At the park gate; and therefore haste away,
For we must measure twenty miles to-day.

PORTIA:

Nonsense, what kind of a question is that,
If you were near a nasty interpreter!
But come, I'll tell you all about my whole plan
When I am in my coach, which waits for us
At the park gate; and so hurry,
Because we must travel twenty miles today.

Exeunt.