William Shakespeare - Ultimate Collection: Complete Plays & Poetry in One Volume. William ShakespeareЧитать онлайн книгу.

       GRATIANO.

       He will, an if he live to be a man.

       NERISSA.

       Ay, if a woman live to be a man.

       GRATIANO.

       Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth,

       A kind of boy, a little scrubbed boy

       No higher than thyself, the judge’s clerk;

       A prating boy that begg’d it as a fee;

       I could not for my heart deny it him.

       PORTIA.

       You were to blame,—I must be plain with you,—

       To part so slightly with your wife’s first gift,

       A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger,

       And so riveted with faith unto your flesh.

       I gave my love a ring, and made him swear

       Never to part with it, and here he stands,

       I dare be sworn for him he would not leave it

       Nor pluck it from his finger for the wealth

       That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano,

       You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief;

       An ‘twere to me, I should be mad at it.

       BASSANIO.[Aside]

       Why, I were best to cut my left hand off,

       And swear I lost the ring defending it.

       GRATIANO.

       My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away

       Unto the judge that begg’d it, and indeed

       Deserv’d it too; and then the boy, his clerk,

       That took some pains in writing, he begg’d mine;

       And neither man nor master would take aught

       But the two rings.

       PORTIA.

       What ring gave you, my lord?

       Not that, I hope, which you receiv’d of me.

       BASSANIO.

       If I could add a lie unto a fault,

       I would deny it; but you see my finger

       Hath not the ring upon it; it is gone.

       PORTIA.

       Even so void is your false heart of truth;

       By heaven, I will ne’er come in your bed

       Until I see the ring.

       NERISSA.

       Nor I in yours

       Till I again see mine.

       BASSANIO.

       Sweet Portia,

       If you did know to whom I gave the ring,

       If you did know for whom I gave the ring,

       And would conceive for what I gave the ring,

       And how unwillingly I left the ring,

       When nought would be accepted but the ring,

       You would abate the strength of your displeasure.

       PORTIA.

       If you had known the virtue of the ring,

       Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,

       Or your own honour to contain the ring,

       You would not then have parted with the ring.

       What man is there so much unreasonable,

       If you had pleas’d to have defended it

       With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty

       To urge the thing held as a ceremony?

       Nerissa teaches me what to believe:

       I’ll die for’t but some woman had the ring.

       BASSANIO.

       No, by my honour, madam, by my soul,

       No woman had it, but a civil doctor,

       Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me,

       And begg’d the ring; the which I did deny him,

       And suffer’d him to go displeas’d away;

       Even he that had held up the very life

       Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?

       I was enforc’d to send it after him;

       I was beset with shame and courtesy;

       My honour would not let ingratitude

       So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady;

       For, by these blessed candles of the night,

       Had you been there, I think you would have begg’d

       The ring of me to give the worthy doctor.

       PORTIA.

       Let not that doctor e’er come near my house;

       Since he hath got the jewel that I loved,

       And that which you did swear to keep for me,

       I will become as liberal as you;

       I’ll not deny him anything 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,

       I’ll have that doctor for mine bedfellow.

       NERISSA.

       And I his clerk; therefore be well advis’d

       How you do leave me to mine own protection.

       GRATIANO.

       Well, do you so: let not me take him then;

       For, if I do, I’ll mar the young clerk’s pen.

       ANTONIO.

       I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels.

       PORTIA.

       Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding.

       BASSANIO.

       Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong;

       And in the hearing of these many friends

       I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes,

       Wherein I see myself,—

       PORTIA.

       Mark you but that!

       In both my eyes he doubly sees himself,

       In each eye one; swear by your double self,

       And there’s an oath of credit.

       BASSANIO.

       Nay, but hear me:

       Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear

       I never more will break an oath with thee.

       ANTONIO.

       I once did lend my body for his wealth,

       Which, but for him that had your husband’s ring,

       Had quite miscarried; I dare be bound again,

       My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord

       Will never more break faith advisedly.

       PORTIA.

       Then you shall be his surety. Give him this,

       And bid him keep it better than the other.

       ANTONIO.

       Here, Lord Bassanio, swear to keep this ring.

       BASSANIO.