ACT 2
[Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SALANIO]
LORENZO
Nay, we will slink away in supper-time,
No, we will slip away at suppertime,
Disguise us at my lodging and return,
Disguise ourselves at my house and return
All in an hour.
In under an hour.
GRATIANO
We have not made good preparation.
Our preparation is not good enough.
SALARINO
We have not spoke us yet of torchbearers.
We’ve not discussed the torchbearers as yet.
SALANIO
'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered,
It will be awful if not organised right,
And better in my mind not undertook.
And better, I believe, we didn’t try.
LORENZO
'Tis now but four o'clock: we have two hours
It’s only four o’clock. We have two hours
To furnish us.
To get prepared.
[Enter LAUNCELOT, with a letter]
Friend Launcelot, what's the news?
Friend Launcelot, what’s news?
LAUNCELOT
An it shall please you to break up
If you break open this letter,
this, it shall seem to signify.
it should clarify everything.
LORENZO
I know the hand: in faith, 'tis a fair hand;
I recognise this handwriting, it’s lovely,
And whiter than the paper it writ on
And it’s a purer white than is the paper
Is the fair hand that writ.
This lovely hand wrote on.
GRATIANO
Love-news, in faith.
Love-news, I guess.
LAUNCELOT
By your leave, sir.
Can I go now, sir?
LORENZO
Whither goest thou?
Where are you going?
LAUNCELOT
Marry, sir, to bid my old master the Jew
Well, sir, to tell my old boss, the Jew,
to sup to-night with my new master the Christian.
to dine tonight with my new boss, the Christian.
LORENZO
Hold here, take this: tell gentle Jessica
Hold this, take it: tell lovely Jessica
I will not fail her; speak it privately.
I will not let her down; tell her in private.
Go, gentlemen,
Leave, gentlemen,
[Exit Launcelot]
Will you prepare you for this masque tonight?
Will you set up the masquerade tonight?
I am provided of a torch-bearer.
I have a torchbearer.
SALANIO
Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.
Yes, sure, I will get on with it right now.
SALANIO
And so will I.
And so will I.
LORENZO
Meet me and Gratiano
Meet me and Gratiano
At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence.
At Gratiano’s in about an hour.
SALARINO
'Tis good we do so.
It’s good we do that.
[Exeunt SALARINO and SALANIO]
GRATIANO
Was not that letter from fair Jessica?
Did lovely Jessica write you that letter?
LORENZO
I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed
I have to tell you everything. She’s told me
How I shall take her from her father's house,
How I shall take her from her father’s house,
What gold and jewels she is furnished with,
What gold and jewels she is carrying,
What page's suit she hath in readiness.
And what her pageboy clothes she has prepared.
If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven,
And if her Jewish father gets to heaven,
It will be for his gentle daughter's sake:
It will be only for his daughter’s sake.
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
And never will she ever be unlucky,
Unless she do it under this excuse,
Unless the reason for it is because
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
She is the daughter of a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me; peruse this as thou goest:
Now, come with me and read this as we go:
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.
The lovely Jessica will be my torchbearer.
[Exeunt]
