The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 4

Madam, although I speak it in your presence, You have a noble and a true conceit Of godlike amity, which appears most strongly In bearing thus the absence of your lord. But if you knew to whom you show this honour, How true a gentleman you send relief, How dear a lover of my lord your husband, I know you would be prouder of the work Than customary bounty can enforce you.

Madam, even though I say it with you standing here, you have a noble and true understanding of godlike friendship, and it shows most clearly in the way you bear your husband's absence like this. But if you knew who it is you are honouring in this way, what a truly fine gentleman you are sending help to, how dear a friend he is to my lord your husband, I know you would be prouder of what you are doing than ordinary generosity could make you.

I never did repent for doing good, Nor shall not now; for in companions That do converse and waste the time together, Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love, There must be needs a like proportion Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit; Which makes me think that this Antonio, Being the bosom lover of my lord, Must needs be like my lord. If it be so, How little is the cost I have bestowed In purchasing the semblance of my soul From out the state of hellish cruelty! This comes too near the praising of myself; Therefore no more of it. Hear other things. Lorenzo, I commit into your hands The husbandry and manage of my house Until my lord’s return. For mine own part, I have toward heaven breath’d a secret vow To live in prayer and contemplation, Only attended by Nerissa here, Until her husband and my lord’s return. There is a monastery two miles off, And there we will abide. I do desire you Not to deny this imposition, The which my love and some necessity Now lays upon you.

I have never regretted doing good, and I will not now; for among companions who talk together and spend their time together, whose souls bear an equal yoke of love, there must necessarily be a matching proportion of features, of manners, and of spirit. That makes me think that this Antonio, being the bosom friend of my husband, must certainly be like my husband. If that is so, how small is the cost I have paid to rescue the image of my own soul from a condition of hellish cruelty! This comes too close to praising myself, so no more of it. Listen to other matters. Lorenzo, I put into your hands the care and management of my house until my lord returns. As for myself, I have breathed a secret vow to heaven to live in prayer and contemplation, attended only by Nerissa here, until her husband and my lord return. There is a monastery two miles away, and we will stay there. I ask you not to refuse this duty, which my love and a certain necessity now lay upon you.

Madam, with all my heart I shall obey you in all fair commands.

Madam, with all my heart I will obey you in every fair command.

My people do already know my mind, And will acknowledge you and Jessica In place of Lord Bassanio and myself. So fare you well till we shall meet again.

My household already knows my wishes, and will accept you and Jessica in place of Lord Bassanio and myself. So farewell until we meet again.

Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!

May fair thoughts and happy hours go with you!

I wish your ladyship all heart’s content.

I wish your ladyship every happiness of heart.

I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas’d To wish it back on you. Fare you well, Jessica.

I thank you for your wish, and I am glad to wish the same back to you. Farewell, Jessica.

Now, Balthazar, As I have ever found thee honest-true, So let me find thee still. Take this same letter, And use thou all th’ endeavour of a man In speed to Padua, see thou render this Into my cousin’s hands, Doctor Bellario; And look what notes and garments he doth give thee, Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin’d speed Unto the traject, to the common ferry Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words, But get thee gone. I shall be there before thee.

Now, Balthazar: as I have always found you honest and true, let me find you so still. Take this letter, and use every effort a man can in getting quickly to Padua; make sure you deliver it into the hands of my cousin, Doctor Bellario. And whatever notes and clothing he gives you, bring them, please, with all the speed you can imagine, to the crossing point, the public ferry that runs to Venice. Waste no time in talking, but be off. I will be there before you.

Madam, I go with all convenient speed.

Madam, I am going as fast as I possibly can.

Come on, Nerissa, I have work in hand That you yet know not of; we’ll see our husbands Before they think of us.

Come on, Nerissa, I have something in hand that you do not know about yet; we will see our husbands before they expect us.

Shall they see us?

Will they see us?

They shall, Nerissa, but in such a habit That they shall think we are accomplished With that we lack. I’ll hold thee any wager, When we are both accoutered like young men, I’ll prove the prettier fellow of the two, And wear my dagger with the braver grace, And speak between the change of man and boy With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps Into a manly stride; and speak of frays Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies How honourable ladies sought my love, Which I denying, they fell sick and died; I could not do withal. Then I’ll repent, And wish for all that, that I had not kill’d them. And twenty of these puny lies I’ll tell, That men shall swear I have discontinued school About a twelvemonth. I have within my mind A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, Which I will practise.

They will, Nerissa, but dressed in such clothes that they will think we are equipped with the thing we lack. I will bet you anything that, once we are both got up like young men, I will prove the better-looking fellow of the two, and wear my dagger with the finer style, and speak in the cracking voice between man and boy with a thin reed of a tone; and turn two dainty little steps into a manly stride; and talk of fights like a fine boasting youth; and tell clever lies about how honourable ladies sought my love, and how, when I refused them, they fell sick and died — I could not help it. Then I will be sorry, and wish, for all that, that I had not killed them. And I will tell twenty of these feeble lies, so that men will swear I left school about a year ago. I have in my mind a thousand crude tricks of these boasting fellows, which I will put into practice.

Why, shall we turn to men?

Why, are we going to turn into men?

Fie, what a question’s that, If thou wert near a lewd interpreter! But come, I’ll tell thee all my whole device When I am in my coach, which stays for us At the park gate; and therefore haste away, For we must measure twenty miles today.

Shame on you — what a question that would be if you were near someone with a dirty mind! But come, I will tell you my whole plan when I am in my coach, which is waiting for us at the park gate; so hurry away, for we must cover twenty miles today.