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   The Merchant of Venice
ACT II SCENE II Venice. A street. 
 Enter LAUNCELOT 
LAUNCELOT 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, Launcelot Gobbo, good 
 Launcelot,' or 'good Gobbo,' or good Launcelot 5
 Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away. My 
 conscience says 'No; take heed,' honest Launcelot; 
 take heed, honest Gobbo, or, as aforesaid, 'honest 
 Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy 
 heels.' Well, the most courageous fiend bids me 10
 pack: 'Via!' 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 friend Launcelot, being an honest 15
 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 'Launcelot, budge not.' 'Budge,' says the 
 fiend. 'Budge not,' says my conscience. 20
 '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 be ruled by the 25
 fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil 
 himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil 
 incarnal; 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 more 30
 friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are 
 at your command; I will run. 
 Enter Old GOBBO, with a basket 
GOBBO Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way 
 to master Jew's? 
LAUNCELOT Aside 
 who, being more than sand-blind, high-gravel blind, 35
 knows me not: I will try confusions with him. 
GOBBO Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way 
 to master Jew's? 
LAUNCELOT Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but, 
 at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at 40
 the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn 
 down indirectly to the Jew's house. 
GOBBO By God's sonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit. Can 
 you tell me whether one Launcelot, 
 that dwells with him, dwell with him or no? 45
LAUNCELOT Talk you of young Master Launcelot? 
 Aside 
 Mark me now; now will I raise the waters. Talk you 
 of young Master Launcelot? 
GOBBO No master, sir, but a poor man's son: his father, 
 though I say it, is an honest exceeding poor man 50
 and, God be thanked, well to live. 
LAUNCELOT Well, let his father be what a' will, we talk of 
 young Master Launcelot. 
GOBBO Your worship's friend and Launcelot, sir. 
LAUNCELOT But I pray you, ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you, 55
 talk you of young Master Launcelot? 
GOBBO Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership. 
LAUNCELOT Ergo, Master Launcelot. Talk not of Master 
 Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman, 
 according to Fates and Destinies and such odd 60
 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 staff of my 
 age, my very prop. 65
LAUNCELOT Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post, a staff or 
 a prop? Do you know me, father? 
GOBBO Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman: 
 but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy, God rest his 
 soul, alive or dead? 70
LAUNCELOT Do you not know me, father? 
GOBBO Alack, sir, I am sand-blind; I know you not. 
LAUNCELOT Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of 
 the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his 
 own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of 75
 your son: give me your blessing: truth will come 
 to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man's son 
 may, but at the length truth will out. 
GOBBO Pray you, sir, stand up: I am sure you are not 
 Launcelot, my boy. 80
LAUNCELOT Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but 
 give me your blessing: I am Launcelot, your boy 
 that was, your son that is, your child that shall 
 be. 
GOBBO I cannot think you are my son. 85
LAUNCELOT I know not what I shall think of that: but I am 
 Launcelot, the Jew's man, and I am sure Margery your 
 wife is my mother. 
GOBBO Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be sworn, if thou 
 be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and blood. 90
 Lord worshipped 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. 
LAUNCELOT It should seem, then, that Dobbin's tail grows 
 backward: I am sure he had more hair of his tail 95
 than I have of my face when I last saw him. 
GOBBO Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou and thy 
 master agree? I have brought him a present. How 
 'gree you now? 
LAUNCELOT Well, well: but, for mine own part, as I have set 100
 up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I 
 have run some ground. My master's a very Jew: 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 105
 your present to one Master Bassanio, who, indeed, 
 gives rare new liveries: if I serve not him, I 
 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. 110
 Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO and other followers 
BASSANIO You may do so; but let it be so hasted that supper 
 be ready at the farthest by five of the clock. See 
 these letters delivered; put the liveries to making, 
 and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. 
 Exit a Servant 
LAUNCELOT To him, father. 115
GOBBO God bless your worship! 
BASSANIO Gramercy! wouldst thou aught with me? 
GOBBO Here's my son, sir, a poor boy,-- 
LAUNCELOT Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man; that 
 would, sir, as my father shall specify-- 120
GOBBO He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve-- 
LAUNCELOT 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-- 125
LAUNCELOT To 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 bestow upon 
 your worship, and my suit is-- 130
LAUNCELOT In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as 
 your worship shall know by this honest old man; and, 
 though I say it, though old man, yet poor man, my father. 
BASSANIO One speak for both. What would you? 
LAUNCELOT Serve you, sir. 135
GOBBO That is the very defect of the matter, sir. 
BASSANIO I know thee well; thou hast obtain'd thy suit: 
 Shylock thy master spoke with me this day, 
 And hath preferr'd thee, if it be preferment 
 To leave a rich Jew's service, to become 140
 The follower of so poor a gentleman. 
LAUNCELOT The old proverb is very well parted between my 
 master Shylock and you, sir: you have the grace of 
 God, sir, and he hath enough. 
BASSANIO Thou speak'st it well. Go, father, with thy son. 145
 Take leave of thy old master and inquire 
 My lodging out. Give him a livery 
 More guarded than his fellows': see it done. 
LAUNCELOT Father, in. I cannot get a service, no; I have 
 ne'er a tongue in my head. Well, if any man in 150
 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 a small trifle 
 of wives: alas, fifteen wives is nothing! eleven 
 widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one 155
 man: and then to 'scape drowning thrice, and to be 
 in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed; 
 here are simple scapes. Well, if Fortune be a 
 woman, she's a good wench for this gear. Father, 
 come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. 160
 Exeunt Launcelot and Old Gobbo 
BASSANIO I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this: 
 These things being bought and orderly bestow'd, 
 Return in haste, for I do feast to-night 
 My best-esteem'd acquaintance: hie thee, go. 
LEONARDO My best endeavours shall be done herein. 165
 Enter GRATIANO 
GRATIANO Where is your master? 
LEONARDO Yonder, sir, he walks. 
 Exit 
GRATIANO Signior Bassanio! 
BASSANIO Gratiano! 
GRATIANO I have a suit to you. 170
BASSANIO You have obtain'd it. 
GRATIANO You must not deny me: I must go with you 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 175
 And in such eyes as ours appear not faults; 
 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 behavior 180
 I be misconstrued 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, 185
 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 ostent 190
 To please his grandam, never trust me more. 
BASSANIO Well, we shall see your bearing. 
GRATIANO Nay, but I bar to-night: you shall not gauge me 
 By what we do to-night. 
BASSANIO No, that were pity: 195
 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: 200
 But we will visit you at supper-time. 
 Exeunt 


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