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The Merchant of Venice - Act 2, scene 5
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The Merchant of Venice - Act 2, scene 5Act 2, scene 5
⌜Scene 5⌝
Synopsis:
Lancelet brings Shylock an invitation to dinner at Bassanio’s. Shylock grudgingly accepts and commands Jessica to guard their house carefully. Lancelet also manages to tell Jessica that Lorenzo is coming for her that night.
Enter ⌜Shylock, the⌝ Jew, and ⌜Lancelet,⌝his man that was, the Clown.
SHYLOCK
0844 Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
0845 The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio.—
0846 What, Jessica!—Thou shalt not gormandize
0847 As thou hast done with me—what, Jessica!—
0848 5 And sleep, and snore, and rend apparel out.—
0849 Why, Jessica, I say!
LANCELET 0850 Why, Jessica!
SHYLOCK
0851 Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.
LANCELET 0852 Your Worship was wont to tell me I could
0853 10 do nothing without bidding.
Enter Jessica.
JESSICA 0854 Call you? What is your will?
SHYLOCK
0855 I am bid forth to supper, Jessica.
0856 There are my keys.—But wherefore should I go?
0857 I am not bid for love. They flatter me.
0858 15 But yet I’ll go in hate, to feed upon
0859 The prodigal Christian.—Jessica, my girl,
0860 Look to my house.—I am right loath to go.
0861 There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,
0862 For I did dream of money bags tonight.
LANCELET 0863 20I beseech you, sir, go. My young master
0864 doth expect your reproach.
SHYLOCK 0865 So do I his.
LANCELET 0866 And they have conspired together—I will
0867 not say you shall see a masque, but if you do, then it
0868 25 was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on
0869 Black Monday last, at six o’clock i’ th’ morning,
0870 falling out that year on Ash Wednesday was four
0871 year in th’ afternoon.
p.
67
SHYLOCK 0872 What, are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica,
0873 30 Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum
0874 And the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife,
0875 Clamber not you up to the casements then,
0876 Nor thrust your head into the public street
0877 To gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces,
0878 35 But stop my house’s ears (I mean my casements).
0879 Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter
0880 My sober house. By Jacob’s staff I swear
0881 I have no mind of feasting forth tonight.
0882 But I will go.—Go you before me, sirrah.
0883 40 Say I will come.
LANCELET 0884 I will go before, sir. ⌜Aside to Jessica.⌝ Mistress,
0885 look out at window for all this.
0886 There will come a Christian by
0887 Will be worth a ⌜Jewess’⌝ eye.⌜He exits.⌝
SHYLOCK
0888 45 What says that fool of Hagar’s offspring, ha?
JESSICA
0889 His words were “Farewell, mistress,” nothing else.
SHYLOCK
0890 The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder,
0891 Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day
0892 More than the wildcat. Drones hive not with me,
0893 50 Therefore I part with him, and part with him
0894 To one that I would have him help to waste
0895 His borrowed purse. Well, Jessica, go in.
0896 Perhaps I will return immediately.
0897 Do as I bid you. Shut doors after you.
0898 55 Fast bind, fast find—
0899 A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.He exits.
JESSICA
0900 Farewell, and if my fortune be not crossed,
0901 I have a father, you a daughter, lost.
She exits.