READ STUDY GUIDE: Act II, scenes v–ix |
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Act II, Scene v:
The same. Before SHYLOCK'S house
The same. Before SHYLOCK'S house
| [Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT.] |
| SHYLOCK: |
| Well, thou shalt see; thy eyes shall be thy judge, |
| The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:— |
| What, Jessica!—Thou shalt not gormandize, |
| As thou hast done with me;—What, Jessica!— |
| And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out— |
| Why, Jessica, I say! |
| LAUNCELOT: |
| Why, Jessica! |
| SHYLOCK: |
| Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call. |
| LAUNCELOT: |
| Your worship was wont to tell me I could do nothing |
| without bidding. |
| [Enter JESSICA.] |
| JESSICA: |
| Call you? What is your will? |
| SHYLOCK: |
| I am bid forth to supper, Jessica: |
| There are my keys. But wherefore should I go? |
| I am not bid for love; they flatter me; |
| But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon |
| The prodigal Christian. Jessica, my girl, |
| Look to my house. I am right loath to go; |
| There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, |
| For I did dream of money-bags to-night. |
| LAUNCELOT: |
| I beseech you, sir, go: my young master doth expect your |
| reproach. |
| SHYLOCK: |
| So do I his. |
| LAUNCELOT: |
| And they have conspired together; I will not say you |
| shall see a masque, but if you do, then it was not for nothing |
| that my nose fell a-bleeding on Black Monday last at six o'clock |
| i' the morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four |
| year in the afternoon. |
| SHYLOCK: |
| What! are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica: |
| Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum, |
| And the vile squealing of the wry-neck'd fife, |
| Clamber not you up to the casements then, |
| Nor thrust your head into the public street |
| To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces; |
| But stop my house's mean my casements; |
| Let not the sound of shallow fopp'ry enter |
| My sober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear |
| I have no mind of feasting forth to-night; |
| But I will go. Go you before me, sirrah; |
| Say I will come. |
| LAUNCELOT: |
| I will go before, sir. Mistress, look out at window for all this; |
 There will come a Christian by |
| Will be worth a Jewess' eye. |
| [Exit LAUNCELOT.] |
| SHYLOCK: |
| What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? |
| JESSICA: |
| His words were 'Farewell, mistress'; nothing else. |
| SHYLOCK: |
| The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder; |
| Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day |
| More than the wild-cat; drones hive not with me, |
| Therefore I part with him; and part with him |
| To one that I would have him help to waste |
| His borrow'd purse. Well, Jessica, go in; |
| Perhaps I will return immediately: |
| Do as I bid you, shut doors after you: |
| 'Fast bind, fast find,' |
| A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. |
| [Exit.] |
| JESSICA: |
| Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, |
| I have a father, you a daughter, lost. |
| [Exit.] |
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