The Merchant of Venice Translation Act 3, Scene 4
Enter PORTIA, NERISSA, LORENZO, JESSICA, and BALTHAZAR, a man of PORTIA’s
LORENZO
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 honor, 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.
LORENZO
Madam, if I may say so in front of you, I believe you have the noble and true goodwill of a god, which is most apparent in the way you are dealing with the absence of your husband. If you knew the man whom you are helping, how honest a gentleman you are sending relief to, how close a friend of your husband he is, then I know you would be even prouder of what you are doing than you are now.
PORTIA
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 breathed 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 will we abide. I do desire you Not to deny this imposition, The which my love and some necessity Now lays upon you.
PORTIA
I have never regretted doing good, and I will not do so now. Friends who converse and spend time together a lot, who love each other equally, share similar manners and spirit, so I think that this Antonio, being so close to my husband, must be like him. If he is as good as my husband, then it is a small sum of money that I have spent in purchasing his rescue from hellish cruelty, since he resembles my soul, my husband. But I'm coming too close to praising myself. Therefore I won't say anything more. Let's talk about something else. Lorenzo, I put you in charge of managing my household until my husband returns. As for myself, I have made a secret vow to heaven to live a life of prayer and contemplation, accompanied only by Nerissa here, until both our husbands return. There is a monastery two miles away where we will stay. I ask you not to refuse the duty I've asked of you, which necessity and my love for you compels me to lay on you.
LORENZO
Madam, with all my heart.I shall obey you in all fair commands.
LORENZO
Madam, I will obey you with all my heart in your fair commands.
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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.
PORTIA
My servants already know my intentions and will obey you and Jessica in place of Lord Bassanio and me. Farewell until we meet again.
LORENZO
Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!
LORENZO
May you have pleasant thoughts and happy times!
JESSICA
I wish your ladyship all heart’s content.
JESSICA
I wish you contentment, my lady.
PORTIA
I thank you for your wish, and am well pleasedTo wish it back on you. Fare you well, Jessica.
PORTIA
Thank you for your wish, and I am pleased to wish you the same. Farewell, Jessica.
Exeunt JESSICA and LORENZO
Now, Balthazar, As I have ever found thee honest true, So let me find thee still. [gives BALTHAZAR a letter] 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 imagined 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, be honest and true as I have always found you to be in the past.
[She gives BALTHAZAR a letter] Take this letter and go as fast as you can to Padua. Give the letter to my cousin, Doctor Bellario. Bring whatever notes and clothes he gives you and take them with you as you catch the ferry to Venice as quickly as you possibly can. Don't waste any time chitchatting; just go right away. I will be in Venice before you.
BALTHAZAR
Madam, I go with all convenient speed.
BALTHAZAR
Madam, I will go as quickly as I can.
Exit BALTHAZAR
PORTIA
Come on, Nerissa, I have work in handThat you yet know not of. We’ll see our husbandsBefore they think of us.
PORTIA
Come on, Nerissa, I have a plan you don't know about yet. We'll see our husbands before they even think of us.
NERISSA
Shall they see us?
NERISSA
Will they see us?
PORTIA
They shall, Nerissa, but in such a habit That they shall think we are accomplishèd With that we lack. I’ll hold thee any wager, When we are both accoutred 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 honorable 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 killed them. And twenty of these puny lies I’ll tell, That men shall swear I have discontinued school Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind A thousand raw tricks of these bragging jacks Which I will practice.
PORTIA
They will, Nerissa, but we will be dressed as the very thing we currently lack: men. I'll bet you anything that when we are disguised as men I'll be the more handsome one, and I'll carry my dagger with more manly bravery. My voice will sound high-pitched like a teenager not yet a man, and I'll turn my womanly steps into a manly walk. I'll talk about fights like a bragging young man and tell white lies about how honorable ladies sought my love and practically died when I denied them because I couldn't be bothered with them! And then I'll repent and say that I wish I hadn't caused their deaths. I'll tell twenty of these little lies, and men will swear that I am just a year out of school. I have a thousand of these little tricks and brags up my sleeve that I'll use.
NERISSA
Why, shall we turn to men?
NERISSA
Are we going to turn to men?
PORTIA
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.
PORTIA
What a question that is! Turn to men for sex? Is your mind in the gutter? But come with me, and I'll tell you my whole plan when we're in the carriage waiting for us at the gate. Hurry up, because we have twenty miles to travel today.
Exeunt
