Act 4, Scene 2

The same. A street

[Enter PORTIA and NERISSA.]
Portia
2258 Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed,
2259 And let him sign it; we'll away tonight,
2260 And be a day before our husbands home.
2261 This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.
[Enter GRATIANO.]
Gratiano
2262 Fair sir, you are well o'erta'en.
2263 My Lord Bassanio, upon more advice,
2264 Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat
2265 Your company at dinner.
Portia
2266 That cannot be:
2267 His ring I do accept most thankfully;
2268 And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore,
2269 I pray you show my youth old Shylock's house.
Gratiano
2270 That will I do.
Nerissa
2271 Sir, I would speak with you.
[Aside to PORTIA.]
Nerissa
2272 I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,
2273 Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.
[To NERISSA]
Portia
2274 Thou Mayst, I warrant. We shall have old swearing
2275 That they did give the rings away to men;
2276 But we'll outface them, and outswear them too.
2277 Away! make haste: thou know'st where I will tarry.
Nerissa
2278 Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?
[Exeunt.]

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Notes

TLN 2258historical topical
“give him this deed”
The 'deed' is the legal document drawn up during the trial (4.1): Shylock was ordered to leave half his estate to the state and the other half held in trust for Lorenzo, to pass to Lorenzo and Jessica at Shylock's death. Portia, still in her lawyer's disguise, is sending Nerissa to get Shylock's signature so that the deed is legally binding. Lorenzo, who eloped with Shylock's daughter Jessica, is its direct beneficiary.
TLN 2262archaic vocab
“you are well o'erta'en”
'Well o'erta'en' is a polite greeting meaning 'I have caught up with you just in time' or 'I am glad I overtook you.' The verb 'overtake' was used in early modern English for catching someone up on the road, as in a chance meeting. Gratiano has run after Portia in the street after the trial.
TLN 2263archaic vocab
“upon more advice”
'Advice' here does not mean a recommendation from another person but 'deliberation' or 'second thought' — Bassanio has reconsidered and decided to send back the ring he gave away to the lawyer (the disguised Portia). The phrase 'upon more advice' means 'after further reflection.'
TLN 2274archaic vocab
“We shall have old swearing”
'Old' is used here as an intensifier meaning 'a great deal of' or 'plenty of,' the same way modern English uses 'lots of.' Portia is predicting, with amusement, that their husbands will swear up and down that they gave the rings to men (the disguised lawyers), not to women. The line sets up the comic confrontation of Act 5 where both husbands must explain away the missing rings.