1    Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from
2    this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow and
3    tempts me saying to me 'Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good
4    Launcelot,' or 'good Gobbo,' or good Launcelot
5    Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away. My
6    conscience says 'No; take heed,' honest Launcelot;
7    take heed, honest Gobbo, or, as aforesaid, 'honest
8    Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy
9    heels.' Well, the most courageous fiend bids me
10   pack: 'Via!' says the fiend; 'away!' says the
11   fiend; 'for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind,'
12   says the fiend, 'and run.' Well, my conscience,
13   hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely
14   to me 'My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest
15   man's son,' or rather an honest woman's son; for,
16   indeed, my father did something smack, something
17   grow to, he had a kind of taste; well, my conscience
18   says 'Launcelot, budge not.' 'Budge,' says the
19   fiend. 'Budge not,' says my conscience.
20   'Conscience,' say I, 'you counsel well;' ' Fiend,'
21   say I, 'you counsel well:' to be ruled by my
22   conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master,
23   who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and, to
24   run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the
25   fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil
26   himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil
27   incarnal; and, in my conscience, my conscience is
28   but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel
29   me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more
30   friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are
31   at your command; I will run.

32   Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way
33   to master Jew's?

Aside
34    O heavens, this is my true-begotten father!
35   who, being more than sand-blind, high-gravel blind,
36   knows me not: I will try confusions with him.

37   Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way
38   to master Jew's?

39   Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but,
40   at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at
41   the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn
42   down indirectly to the Jew's house.

43   By God's sonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit. Can
44   you tell me whether one Launcelot,
45   that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?

46   Talk you of young Master Launcelot?
Aside
47   Mark me now; now will I raise the waters. Talk you
48   of young Master Launcelot?

49   No master, sir, but a poor man's son: his father,
50   though I say it, is an honest exceeding poor man
51   and, God be thanked, well to live.

52   Well, let his father be what a' will, we talk of
53   young Master Launcelot.

54   Your worship's friend and Launcelot, sir.

55   But I pray you, ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you,
56   talk you of young Master Launcelot?

57   Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership.

58   Ergo, Master Launcelot. Talk not of Master
59   Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman,
60   according to Fates and Destinies and such odd
61   sayings, the Sisters Three and such branches of
62   learning, is indeed deceased, or, as you would say
63   in plain terms, gone to heaven.

64   Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my
65   age, my very prop.

66   Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post, a staff or
67   a prop? Do you know me, father?

68   Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman:
69   but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy, God rest his
70   soul, alive or dead?

71   Do you not know me, father?

72   Alack, sir, I am sand-blind; I know you not.

73   Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of
74   the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his
75   own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of
76   your son: give me your blessing: truth will come
77   to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man's son
78   may, but at the length truth will out.

79   Pray you, sir, stand up: I am sure you are not
80   Launcelot, my boy.

81   Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but
82   give me your blessing: I am Launcelot, your boy
83   that was, your son that is, your child that shall
84   be.

85   I cannot think you are my son.

86   I know not what I shall think of that: but I am
87   Launcelot, the Jew's man, and I am sure Margery your
88   wife is my mother.

89   Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be sworn, if thou
90   be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and blood.
91   Lord worshipped might he be! what a beard hast thou
92   got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin than
93   Dobbin my fill-horse has on his tail.

94   It should seem, then, that Dobbin's tail grows
95   backward: I am sure he had more hair of his tail
96   than I have of my face when I last saw him.

97   Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou and thy
98   master agree? I have brought him a present. How
99   'gree you now?

100  Well, well: but, for mine own part, as I have set
101  up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I
102  have run some ground. My master's a very Jew: give
103  him a present! give him a halter: I am famished in
104  his service; you may tell every finger I have with
105  my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come: give me
106  your present to one Master Bassanio, who, indeed,
107  gives rare new liveries: if I serve not him, I
108  will run as far as God has any ground. O rare
109  fortune! here comes the man: to him, father; for I
110  am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer.

111  You may do so; but let it be so hasted that supper
112  be ready at the farthest by five of the clock. See
113  these letters delivered; put the liveries to making,
114  and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging.

115  To him, father.

116  God bless your worship!

117  Gramercy! wouldst thou aught with me?

118  Here's my son, sir, a poor boy,--

119  Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man; that
120  would, sir, as my father shall specify--

121  He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve--

122  Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew,
123  and have a desire, as my father shall specify--

124  His master and he, saving your worship's reverence,
125  are scarce cater-cousins--

126  To be brief, the very truth is that the Jew, having
127  done me wrong, doth cause me, as my father, being, I
128  hope, an old man, shall frutify unto you--

129  I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow upon
130  your worship, and my suit is--

131  In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as
132  your worship shall know by this honest old man; and,
133  though I say it, though old man, yet poor man, my father.

134  One speak for both. What would you?

135  Serve you, sir.

136  That is the very defect of the matter, sir.

137  I know thee well; thou hast obtain'd thy suit:
138  Shylock thy master spoke with me this day,
139  And hath preferr'd thee, if it be preferment
140  To leave a rich Jew's service, to become
141  The follower of so poor a gentleman.

142  The old proverb is very well parted between my
143  master Shylock and you, sir: you have the grace of
144  God, sir, and he hath enough.

145  Thou speak'st it well. Go, father, with thy son.
146  Take leave of thy old master and inquire
147  My lodging out. Give him a livery
148  More guarded than his fellows': see it done.

149  Father, in. I cannot get a service, no; I have
150  ne'er a tongue in my head. Well, if any man in
151  Italy have a fairer table which doth offer to swear
152  upon a book, I shall have good fortune. Go to,
153  here's a simple line of life: here's a small trifle
154  of wives: alas, fifteen wives is nothing! eleven
155  widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one
156  man: and then to 'scape drowning thrice, and to be
157  in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed;
158  here are simple scapes. Well, if Fortune be a
159  woman, she's a good wench for this gear. Father,
160  come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye.

161  I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this:
162  These things being bought and orderly bestow'd,
163  Return in haste, for I do feast to-night
164  My best-esteem'd acquaintance: hie thee, go.

165  My best endeavours shall be done herein.

166  Where is your master?

167  Yonder, sir, he walks.

168  Signior Bassanio!

169  Gratiano!

170  I have a suit to you.

171  You have obtain'd it.

172  You must not deny me: I must go with you to Belmont.

173  Why then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano;
174  Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice;
175  Parts that become thee happily enough
176  And in such eyes as ours appear not faults;
177  But where thou art not known, why, there they show
178  Something too liberal. Pray thee, take pain
179  To allay with some cold drops of modesty
180  Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behavior
181  I be misconstrued in the place I go to,
182  And lose my hopes.

183  Signior Bassanio, hear me:
184  If I do not put on a sober habit,
185  Talk with respect and swear but now and then,
186  Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely,
187  Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
188  Thus with my hat, and sigh and say 'amen,'
189  Use all the observance of civility,
190  Like one well studied in a sad ostent
191  To please his grandam, never trust me more.

192  Well, we shall see your bearing.

193  Nay, but I bar to-night: you shall not gauge me
194  By what we do to-night.

195  No, that were pity:
196  I would entreat you rather to put on
197  Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends
198  That purpose merriment. But fare you well:
199  I have some business.

200  And I must to Lorenzo and the rest:
201  But we will visit you at supper-time.