Shakespeare Portal

Act 3, Scene 5

The same. A garden.

  1. [Enter LAUNCELOT and JESSICA.]
  2. Launcelot Gobbo
  3. 1708 Yes, truly; for, look you, the sins of the father are to
  4. 1709 be laid upon the children; therefore, I promise you, I fear you.
  5. 1710 I was always plain with you, and so now I speak my agitation of
  6. 1711 the matter; therefore be of good cheer, for truly I think you are
  7. 1712 damn'd. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good, and
  8. 1713 that is but a kind of bastard hope neither.
  9. Jessica
  10. 1714 And what hope is that, I pray thee?
  11. Launcelot Gobbo
  12. 1715 Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not,
  13. 1716 that you are not the Jew's daughter.
  14. Jessica
  15. 1717 That were a kind of bastard hope indeed; so the sins of my
  16. 1718 mother should be visited upon me.
  17. Launcelot Gobbo
  18. 1719 Truly then I fear you are damn'd both by father and
  19. 1720 mother; thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into
  20. 1721 Charybdis, your mother; well, you are gone both ways.
  21. Jessica
  22. 1722 I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian.
  23. Launcelot Gobbo
  24. 1723 Truly, the more to blame he; we were Christians enow
  25. 1724 before, e'en as many as could well live one by another. This
  26. 1725 making of Christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all
  27. 1726 to be pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a rasher on the
  28. 1727 coals for money.
  29. Jessica
  30. 1728 I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say; here he comes.
  31. [Enter LORENZO.]
  32. Lorenzo
  33. 1729 I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you
  34. 1730 thus get my wife into corners.
  35. Jessica
  36. 1731 Nay, you need nor fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are
  37. 1732 out; he tells me flatly there's no mercy for me in heaven,
  38. 1733 because I am a Jew's daughter; and he says you are no good member
  39. 1734 of the commonwealth, for in converting Jews to Christians you
  40. 1735 raise the price of pork.
  41. Lorenzo
  42. 1736 I shall answer that better to the commonwealth than you
  43. 1737 can the getting up of the negro's belly; the Moor is with child
  44. 1738 by you, Launcelot.
  45. Launcelot Gobbo
  46. 1739 It is much that the Moor should be more than reason; but
  47. 1740 if she be less than an honest woman, she is indeed more than I
  48. 1741 took her for.
  49. Lorenzo
  50. 1742 How every fool can play upon the word! I think the best
  51. 1743 grace of wit will shortly turn into silence, and discourse grow
  52. 1744 commendable in none only but parrots. Go in, sirrah; bid them
  53. 1745 prepare for dinner.
  54. Launcelot Gobbo
  55. 1746 That is done, sir; they have all stomachs.
  56. Lorenzo
  57. 1747 Goodly Lord, what a wit-snapper are you! Then bid them
  58. 1748 prepare dinner.
  59. Launcelot Gobbo
  60. 1749 That is done too, sir, only 'cover' is the word.
  61. Lorenzo
  62. 1750 Will you cover, then, sir?
  63. Launcelot Gobbo
  64. 1751 Not so, sir, neither; I know my duty.
  65. Lorenzo
  66. 1752 Yet more quarrelling with occasion! Wilt thou show the
  67. 1753 whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray thee understand a
  68. 1754 plain man in his plain meaning: go to thy fellows, bid them cover
  69. 1755 the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner.
  70. Launcelot Gobbo
  71. 1756 For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for the meat,
  72. 1757 sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, sir, why,
  73. 1758 let it be as humours and conceits shall govern.
  74. [Exit.]
  75. Lorenzo
  76. 1759 O dear discretion, how his words are suited!
  77. 1760 The fool hath planted in his memory
  78. 1761 An army of good words; and I do know
  79. 1762 A many fools that stand in better place,
  80. 1763 Garnish'd like him, that for a tricksy word
  81. 1764 Defy the matter. How cheer'st thou, Jessica?
  82. 1765 And now, good sweet, say thy opinion,
  83. 1766 How dost thou like the Lord Bassanio's wife?
  84. Jessica
  85. 1767 Past all expressing. It is very meet
  86. 1768 The Lord Bassanio live an upright life,
  87. 1769 For, having such a blessing in his lady,
  88. 1770 He finds the joys of heaven here on earth;
  89. 1771 And if on earth he do not merit it,
  90. 1772 In reason he should never come to heaven.
  91. 1773 Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match,
  92. 1774 And on the wager lay two earthly women,
  93. 1775 And Portia one, there must be something else
  94. 1776 Pawn'd with the other; for the poor rude world
  95. 1777 Hath not her fellow.
  96. Lorenzo
  97. 1778 Even such a husband
  98. 1779 Hast thou of me as she is for a wife.
  99. Jessica
  100. 1780 Nay, but ask my opinion too of that.
  101. Lorenzo
  102. 1781 I will anon; first let us go to dinner.
  103. Jessica
  104. 1782 Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomach.
  105. Lorenzo
  106. 1783 No, pray thee, let it serve for table-talk;
  107. 1784 Then howsoe'er thou speak'st, 'mong other things
  108. 1785 I shall digest it.
  109. Jessica
  110. 1786 Well, I'll set you forth.
  111. [Exeunt.]