Enter ⌜Lancelet Gobbo⌝ the Clown, alone.LANCELET Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow and tempts me, saying to me “Gobbo, Lancelet Gobbo, good Lancelet,” or “good Gobbo,”5 or “good Lancelet Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away.” My conscience says “No. Take heed, honest Lancelet, take heed, honest Gobbo,” or, as aforesaid, “honest Lancelet Gobbo, do not run; scorn running with thy heels.” Well, the most10 courageous fiend bids me pack. “Fia!” says the fiend. “Away!” says the fiend. “For the heavens, rouse up a brave mind,” says the fiend, “and run!” Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me “My honest friend15 Lancelet, being an honest man’s son”—or rather, an honest woman’s son, for indeed my father did something smack, something grow to—he had a kind of taste—well, my conscience says “Lancelet, budge not.” “Budge,” says the fiend. “Budge not,”20 says my conscience. “Conscience,” say I, “you counsel well.” “Fiend,” say I, “you counsel well.” To be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who (God bless the mark) is a kind of devil; and to run away from the Jew, I should be25 ruled by the fiend, who (saving your reverence) is the devil himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnation, and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more30 friendly counsel. I will run, fiend. My heels are at your commandment. I will run.Enter old Gobbo with a basket.
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GOBBO Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew’s?LANCELET, ⌜aside⌝ O heavens, this is my true begotten35 father, who being more than sandblind, high gravelblind, knows me not. I will try confusions with him.GOBBO Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew’s?LANCELET Turn up on your right hand at the next40 turning, but at the next turning of all on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew’s house.GOBBO Be God’s sonties, ’twill be a hard way to hit. Can you tell me whether one Lancelet, that dwells45 with him, dwell with him or no?LANCELET Talk you of young Master Lancelet? ⌜Aside.⌝ Mark me now, now will I raise the waters.—Talk you of young Master Lancelet?GOBBO No master, sir, but a poor man’s son. His50 father, though I say ’t, is an honest exceeding poor man and, God be thanked, well to live.LANCELET Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young Master Lancelet.GOBBO Your Worship’s friend, and Lancelet, sir.LANCELET 55But I pray you, ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you, talk you of young Master Lancelet?GOBBO Of Lancelet, an ’t please your mastership.LANCELET Ergo, Master Lancelet. Talk not of Master Lancelet, father, for the young gentleman, according60 to Fates and Destinies, and such odd sayings, the Sisters Three, and such branches of learning, is indeed deceased, or, as you would say in plain terms, gone to heaven.GOBBO Marry, God forbid! The boy was the very staff65 of my age, my very prop.LANCELET, ⌜aside⌝ Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post, a staff or a prop?—Do you know me, father?
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GOBBO Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman. But I pray you tell me, is my boy, God rest his70 soul, alive or dead?LANCELET Do you not know me, father?GOBBO Alack, sir, I am sandblind. I know you not.LANCELET Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me. It is a wise father that75 knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son. ⌜He kneels.⌝ Give me your blessing. Truth will come to light, murder cannot be hid long—a man’s son may, but in the end, truth will out.GOBBO 80Pray you, sir, stand up! I am sure you are not Lancelet my boy.LANCELET Pray you, let’s have no more fooling about it, but give me your blessing. I am Lancelet, your boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall85 be.GOBBO I cannot think you are my son.LANCELET I know not what I shall think of that; but I am Lancelet, the Jew’s man, and I am sure Margery your wife is my mother.GOBBO 90Her name is Margery, indeed. I’ll be sworn if thou be Lancelet, thou art mine own flesh and blood. Lord worshiped might He be, what a beard hast thou got! Thou hast got more hair on thy chin than Dobbin my fill-horse has on his tail.LANCELET, ⌜standing up⌝ 95It should seem, then, that Dobbin’s tail grows backward. I am sure he had more hair of his tail than I have of my face when I ⌜last⌝ saw him.GOBBO Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou100 and thy master agree? I have brought him a present. How ’gree you now?LANCELET Well, well. But for mine own part, as I have set up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I
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have run some ground. My master’s a very Jew.105 Give him a present! Give him a halter. I am famished in his service. You may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come! Give me your present to one Master Bassanio, who indeed gives rare new liveries. If I serve not him, I110 will run as far as God has any ground. O rare fortune, here comes the man! To him, father, for I am a Jew if I serve the Jew any longer.Enter Bassanio with ⌜Leonardo and⌝ a follower or two.BASSANIO, ⌜to an Attendant⌝ You may do so, but let it be so hasted that supper be ready at the farthest by five115 of the clock. See these letters delivered, put the liveries to making, and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging.⌜The Attendant exits.⌝LANCELET To him, father.GOBBO, ⌜to Bassanio⌝ God bless your Worship.BASSANIO 120Gramercy. Wouldst thou aught with me?GOBBO Here’s my son, sir, a poor boy—LANCELET Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew’s man, that would, sir, as my father shall specify—GOBBO He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say,125 to serve—LANCELET Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew, and have a desire, as my father shall specify—GOBBO His master and he (saving your Worship’s reverence) are scarce cater-cousins—LANCELET 130To be brief, the very truth is that the Jew, having done me wrong, doth cause me, as my father being, I hope, an old man, shall frutify unto you—GOBBO I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow135 upon your Worship, and my suit is—LANCELET In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as your Worship shall know by this honest
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old man, and though I say it, though old man yet poor man, my father—BASSANIO 140One speak for both. What would you?LANCELET Serve you, sir.GOBBO That is the very defect of the matter, sir.BASSANIO, ⌜to Lancelet⌝ I know thee well. Thou hast obtained thy suit. Shylock thy master spoke with me this day,145 And hath preferred thee, if it be preferment To leave a rich Jew’s service, to become The follower of so poor a gentleman.LANCELET The old proverb is very well parted between my master Shylock and you, sir: you have “the150 grace of God,” sir, and he hath “enough.”BASSANIO Thou speak’st it well.—Go, father, with thy son.— Take leave of thy old master, and inquire My lodging out. ⌜To an Attendant.⌝ Give him a livery More guarded than his fellows’. See it done.⌜Attendant exits. Bassanio and Leonardo talk apart.⌝LANCELET 155Father, in. I cannot get a service, no! I have ne’er a tongue in my head! Well, ⌜studying his palm⌝ if any man in Italy have a fairer table which doth offer to swear upon a book—I shall have good fortune, go to! Here’s a simple line of life. Here’s a160 small trifle of wives—alas, fifteen wives is nothing; eleven widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one man—and then to ’scape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a featherbed! Here are simple ’scapes. Well, if Fortune165 be a woman, she’s a good wench for this gear. Father, come. I’ll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling.⌜Lancelet and old Gobbo⌝ exit.BASSANIO I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this.⌜Handing him a paper.⌝
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These things being bought and orderly bestowed,170 Return in haste, for I do feast tonight My best esteemed acquaintance. Hie thee, go.LEONARDO My best endeavors shall be done herein.Enter Gratiano.GRATIANO, ⌜to Leonardo⌝ Where’s your master?LEONARDO Yonder, sir, he walks.Leonardo exits.GRATIANO 175Signior Bassanio!BASSANIO Gratiano!GRATIANO I have suit to you.BASSANIO You have obtained it.GRATIANO You must not deny me. I must go with you180 to Belmont.BASSANIO Why then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano, Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice— Parts that become thee happily enough, And in such eyes as ours appear not faults.185 But where thou art not known—why, there they show Something too liberal. Pray thee take pain To allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behavior190 I be misconstered in the place I go to, And lose my hopes.GRATIANO Signior Bassanio, hear me. If I do not put on a sober habit, Talk with respect, and swear but now and then,195 Wear prayer books in my pocket, look demurely, Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes Thus with my hat, and sigh and say “amen,” Use all the observance of civility Like one well studied in a sad ostent200 To please his grandam, never trust me more.
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BASSANIO Well, we shall see your bearing.GRATIANO Nay, but I bar tonight. You shall not gauge me By what we do tonight.BASSANIO No, that were pity.205 I would entreat you rather to put on Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends That purpose merriment. But fare you well. I have some business.GRATIANO And I must to Lorenzo and the rest.210 But we will visit you at supper time.They exit.
The Merchant of Venice
