SCENE 2: BELMONT. A ROOM IN PORTIA'S HOUSE.

[Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, and Attendants]

PORTIA

I pray you, tarry: pause a day or two

Please, take your time; stay here a day or two

Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong,

Before you pick a box, for if you’re wrong,

I lose your company: therefore forbear awhile.

I cannot be with you. So, take your time.

There's something tells me, but it is not love,

There’s something nagging me – but it’s not love! –

I would not lose you; and you know yourself,

That makes me want you here. And you yourself know

Hate counsels not in such a quality.

I wouldn’t feel that way if I did hate you.

But lest you should not understand me well,--

But just in case you do not understand me –

And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,--

And though young ladies shouldn’t talk, just think –

I would detain you here some month or two

I’d like to keep you here a month or two

Before you venture for me. I could teach you

Before you try your luck for me. I’d teach you

How to choose right, but I am then forsworn;

Which one to pick, except I have sworn not to.

So will I never be: so may you miss me;

So I will never say; and you might choose wrong.

But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin,

But if you choose wrong, I’ll then wish I sinned

That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes,

And said what I’d sworn not to. Damn your eyes

They have o'erlooked me and divided me;

For looking at me, leaving me all torn.

One half of me is yours, the other half yours,

One half of me is yours; the other half, yours,

Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,

For it is mine to give. If mine, it’s yours,

And so all yours. O, these naughty times

So, I’m all yours. Oh, all these testing times

Put bars between the owners and their rights!

Restrict us doing things we want to do!

And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so,

I want to be yours, but I’m not! But do it,

Let fortune go to hell for it, not I.

Let luck become the victim here, not me.

I speak too long; but 'tis to peize the time,

I’m talking too much, just to stretch the time,

To eke it and to draw it out in length,

To eke it out and make it last for longer,

To stay you from election.

Preventing you from choosing.

BASSANIO

Let me choose

For as I am, I live upon the rack.

For as I am now, it’s a living torture.

PORTIA

Upon the rack, Bassanio! Then confess

In torture, dear Bassanio! Then state

What treason there is mingled with your love.

What treason you’ve committed out of love.

BASSANIO

None but that ugly treason of mistrust,

The only treason is my lack of trust

Which makes me fear the enjoying of my love:

Which scares me that you won’t enjoy my love.

There may as well be amity and life

There may as well be friendly love between

'Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love.

Cold snow and fire, than treason and my love.

PORTIA

Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack,

Yes, but I fear you speak whilst being tortured,

Where men enforced do speak anything.

Which forces men to speak most anything.

BASSANIO

Promise me life, and I'll confess the truth.

I’ll state the truth if you will let me live.

PORTIA

Well then, confess and live.

Confess and live.

BASSANIO

'Confess' and 'love'

“Confess” and “love”, more like,

Had been the very sum of my confession:

For that has been the root of my confession.

O happy torment, when my torturer

It is a happy pain when being tortured

Doth teach me answers for deliverance!

By one who teaches how I meet my wishes!

But let me to my fortune and the caskets.

But let me know my fortune at the boxes.

PORTIA

Away, then! I am locked in one of them:

Let’s go! My painting’s locked in one of them:

If you do love me, you will find me out.

If you do really love me, you will choose it.

Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.

Nerissa and you others, stand aside.

Let music sound while he doth make his choice;

Let music play while he does make his choice;

Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,

Then, if he loses, it’ll be his swansong,

Fading in music: that the comparison

The music fading as he leaves. To make

May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream

The metaphor robust, my crying eyes

And watery death-bed for him. He may win;

Will form a death-bed stream for him. He might win;

And what is music then? Then music is

And then what music should we play? The music

Even as the flourish when true subjects bow

Should be like trumpets blaring when we bow at

To a new-crowned monarch: such it is

The coronation of a monarch; much like

As are those dulcet sounds in break of day

The chirping songbirds welcoming the dawn

That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,

Heard by the dreaming bridegroom as he wakes

And summon him to marriage. Now he goes,

Upon his wedding day. Now he is going –

With no less presence, but with much more love,

Appearing similar, but filled with love –

Than young Alcides, when he did redeem

Like Hercules, who, in mythology,

The virgin tribute paid by howling Troy

Rescued the virgin, sacrificed by Troy,

To the sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice

From the sea-monster. I’m that sacrifice;

The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives,

The rest of you, like wives of Dardanus,

With bleared visages, come forth to view

With bleary eyes, step forward to observe

The issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules!

The acts of Hercules. Go, Hercules!

Live thou, I live: with much, much more dismay

If you live, then I’ll live. It hurts me more

I view the fight than thou that makest the fray.

To watch you fight, than fighting you’ll endure.

[Music, whilst BASSANIO comments on the caskets to himself]

singer

[Sings]

Tell me where is fancy bred,

Tell me where your love was bred:

Or in the heart, or in the head?

In your heart, or in your head?

How begot, how nourished?

How was it made, how is it fed?

All

Reply, reply.

Answer, answer!

singer

[Sings]

It is engendered in the eyes,

Well it is born within the eyes,

With gazing fed; and fancy dies

By staring, grows; but love then dies

In the cradle where it lies.

When it no longer sees the prize.

Let us all ring fancy's knell

Let us all ring love’s death knell,

I'll begin it,--Ding, dong, bell.

I’ll begin it – Ding, dong, bell.

ALL

Ding, dong, bell.

BASSANIO

So may the outward shows be least themselves:

Appearances can often be misleading:

The world is still deceived with ornament.

Most folk can be deceived when things look flashy.

In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt,

In court, if someone’s case is truly awful,

But, being seasoned with a gracious voice,

But on the stand, they talk in pompous tones,

Obscures the show of evil? In religion,

Won’t it obscure their crime? And in religion,

What damned error, but some sober brow

When one does something bad, a sombre priest

Will bless it and approve it with a text,

Will pass forgiveness with some lines of scripture,

Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?

To hide the awful act with flourishes.

There is no vice so simple but assumes

Disguising evil is as simple as

Some mark of virtue on his outward parts:

Appearing virtuous when being observed.

How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false

How many cowards – heartless folk, as tough

As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins

As sandcastles – grow beards upon their chins

The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars;

Like Hercules, or Mars, the God of War,

Who, inward searched, have livers white as milk;

Who, if you check, there’s no blood in their livers;

And these assume but valour's excrement

But these men all are dressing in false beards

To render them redoubted! Look on beauty,

So that they might look scary! Look at beauty,

And you shall see 'tis purchased by the weight;

And you can see that makeup’s bought by weight;

Which therein works a miracle in nature,

But it’s miraculous on untouched women

Making them lightest that wear most of it:

By making them look best who wears the most.

So are those crisped snaky golden locks

The same for golden locks of wispy hair

Which make such wanton gambols with the wind,

That frolics playfully upon the wind,

Upon supposed fairness, often known

Supposedly appearing lovely, often

To be the dowry of a second head,

Is just a wig, cut from another’s head,

The skull that bred them in the sepulchre.

And taken from their skull when someone’s died.

Thus ornament is but the guiled shore

And so, appearance is the tempting beach

To a most dangerous sea; the beauteous scarf

Aside a dangerous sea; the gorgeous scarf

Veiling an Indian beauty; in a word,

That hides an Indian lady’s skin; and thus,

The seeming truth which cunning times put on

What first seems real is merely a deception

To entrap the wisest. Therefore, thou gaudy gold,

To trap the wisest folk. So, gaudy gold –

Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee;

Which Midas wished on all he touched – no thank you;

Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge

Nor none of you, plain silver, used in coins

'Tween man and man: but thou, thou meagre lead,

That pass from man to man; but you, poor lead,

Which rather threatenest than dost promise aught,

That looks more threatening than it looks gaudy,

Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence;

Your paleness moves me more than any glitz,

And here choose I; joy be the consequence!

I choose you, hoping I’ll be thrilled to bits!

PORTIA

[Aside]

How all the other passions fleet to air,

How all my fears have vanished in thin air,

As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair,

My doubtful thoughts, and ill-advised despair,

And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy! O love,

And dreadful fear, and jealousy! My love must

Be moderate; allay thy ecstasy,

Be moderate; quell my exuberance

In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.

And keep my joy in check; don’t seem too keen.

I feel too much thy blessing: make it less,

I’m feeling blessed; reduce the joy that’s seen

For fear I surfeit.

In case I share too much.

BASSANIO

What find I here?

What is this here?

[Opening the leaden casket]

Fair Portia's counterfeit! What demi-god

The gorgeous Portia’s face! Which god has painted

Hath come so near creation? Move these eyes?

This image true to life? Well, do your eyes move?

Or whether, riding on the balls of mine,

Or how come, when my eyes move in their sockets,

Seem they in motion? Here are severed lips,

Yours seem to move? Look at her opened lips,

Parted with sugar breath: so sweet a bar

Parted by her sweet breath: how sweet a gap

Should sunder such sweet friends. Here in her hairs

That separates sweet friends. Here in her hair,

The painter plays the spider and hath woven

The painter paints as though he is a spider

A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men,

That’s spun a golden web to steal men’s hearts,

Faster than gnats in cobwebs; but her eyes,--

Faster than flies in cobwebs. But her eyes…

How could he see to do them? Having made one,

How could he see to paint them? Having done one,

Methinks it should have power to steal both his

Her painted eye would stop his eyes from seeing,

And leave itself unfurnished. Yet look, how far

Leaving the painting incomplete. But look

The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow

How far my words of praise cheapen this image,

In underprizing it, so far this shadow

Devaluing its worth, just as the painting

Doth limp behind the substance. Here's the scroll,

Does when compared to her. Here is the note,

The continent and summary of my fortune.

That summarises everything I’ve won.

[Reads]

You that choose not by the view,

“You who’s chosen not by view,

Chance as fair and choose as true!

You guessed it well and guessed it true!

Since this fortune falls to you,

And since this prize is won by you,

Be content and seek no new,

Enjoy it, seeking no one new.

If you be well pleased with this

If you’re delighted winning this

And hold your fortune for your bliss,

And keep the prize for your own bliss,

Turn you where your lady is

Turn to where your lady is

And claim her with a loving kiss.

And claim her with a loving kiss.”

A gentle scroll. Fair lady, by your leave;

A lovely note. Fair lady, if I may,

I come by note, to give and to receive.

I’ll come and kiss you, like the note does say.

Like one of two contending in a prize,

Like someone who’s competing for a prize,

That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes,

And thinks he has done well in people’s eyes,

Hearing applause and universal shout,

Hearing applause, where lots of people shout,

Giddy in spirit, still gazing in a doubt

All giddy with excitement, full of doubt

Whether these pearls of praise be his or no;

For whether people cheer for him or not;

So, thrice fair lady, stand I, even so;

That’s how I feel, my dear, no matter what;

As doubtful whether what I see be true,

I’m doubtful whether what I see is true,

Until confirmed, signed, ratified by you.

Until confirmed by being kissed by you.

PORTIA

You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand,

You see me, Lord Bassanio, standing here

Such as I am: though for myself alone

Just as I am. But thinking just of me,

I would not be ambitious in my wish,

I wouldn’t be ambitious with my wishes

To wish myself much better; yet, for you

By wishing I were better; but, for you

I would be trebled twenty times myself;

I would improve myself some sixty times;

A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich;

A thousand times more beautiful, ten thousand times more rich;

That only to stand high in your account,

And only so you think a lot of me,

I might in virtue, beauties, livings, friends,

I wish my virtues, beauty, life, and friends

Exceed account; but the full sum of me

Exceed what you expect; but I am just

Is sum of something, which, to term in gross,

The sum of who I am, which, being blunt,

Is an unlessoned girl, unschooled, unpractised;

Is an uneducated girl, unpracticed;

Happy in this, she is not yet so old

I’m happy that I am not yet too old

But she may learn; happier than this,

So that I still can learn; and even happier

She is not bred so dull but she can learn;

I wasn’t born a bonehead, so can learn;

Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit

But happiest of all, my gentle soul

Commits itself to yours to be directed,

Commits itself to you to be directed

As from her lord, her governor, her king.

As ordered by her lord, governor and king.

Myself and what is mine to you and yours

Now me and everything that’s mine is yours,

Is now converted: but now I was the lord

Transferred to you. Before I was the lord

Of this fair mansion, master of my servants,

Of this grand mansion, master of my servants,

Queen o'er myself: and even now, but now,

The ruler of myself. But from now on,

This house, these servants and this same myself

This house, these servants, me, myself and I,

Are yours, my lord: I give them with this ring;

Are yours, my lord. I give them with this ring,

Which when you part from, lose, or give away,

Which if you part from, lose or give away,

Let it presage the ruin of your love

Then let it be the sign your love is ruined,

And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

And be my opportunity to scold you.

BASSANIO

Madam, you have bereft me of all words,

Madam, well, you have left me lost for words;

Only my blood speaks to you in my veins;

My blushing face is doing all the talking.

And there is such confusion in my powers,

And all my faculties are in confusion,

As after some oration fairly spoke

Like after listening to a lovely speech

By a beloved prince, there doth appear

By a beloved prince, there does appear

Among the buzzing pleased multitude;

Among the thrilled, delighted, buzzing crowd

Where every something, being blent together,

Where all emotions meld themselves together

Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy,

Into a wild expression of pure joy,

Expressed and not expressed. But when this ring

Both spoken and unspoken. If this ring

Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence:

Leaves from my finger, then my life is over:

O, then be bold to say Bassanio's dead!

Oh, then be bold to say Bassanio’s dead!

NERISSA

My lord and lady, it is now our time,

That have stood by and seen our wishes prosper,

Those of us standing here hoping you’d win,

To cry, good joy: good joy, my lord and lady!

To celebrate, exclaiming, “good for you!”

GRATIANO

My lord Bassanio and my gentle lady,

I wish you all the joy that you can wish;

I wish you all the joy that you can wish for,

For I am sure you can wish none from me:

So you’ve no need to wish for joy from me.

And when your honours mean to solemnize

And when you both are ready to confirm

The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you,

Your marriage in a church, I ask you both

Even at that time I may be married too.

That at that time, that I can marry too.

BASSANIO

With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife.

Of course, if you can find yourself a wife.

GRATIANO

I thank your lordship, you have got me one.

My thanks, my lord; for you have found me one.

My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours:

My eyes, my lord, are just as fast as yours:

You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;

You saw the lady, then I saw her maid.

You loved, I loved for intermission.

You fell in love; I fell in love straight after.

No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.

We are no different, me and you, my lord.

Your fortune stood upon the casket there,

Your fate relied on what was in the boxes,

And so did mine too, as the matter falls;

And so did mine as well, as it turns out;

For wooing here until I sweat again,

For I ran dry of sweat from all my wooing,

And sweating until my very roof was dry

And sweated till my mouth was very dry

With oaths of love, at last, if promise last,

From speaking oaths of love, eventually

I got a promise of this fair one here

I got a promise from this fair maid here

To have her love, provided that your fortune

That she would love me, if your luck prevailed

Achieved her mistress.

Winning her mistress.

PORTIA

Is this true, Nerissa?

NERISSA

Madam, it is, so you stand pleased withal.

Madam, it is, if that’s alright with you.

BASSANIO

And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?

And do you, Gratiano, speak the truth?

GRATIANO

Yes, faith, my lord.

I do, my lord.

BASSANIO

Our feast shall be much honoured in your marriage.

Our feast will also celebrate your marriage.

GRATIANO

We'll play with them the first boy for a thousand ducats.

We’ll bet a thousand coins we’ll bear a boy first.

NERISSA

What, and stake down?

What, you want to bet on that?

GRATIANO

No; we shall ne'er win at that sport, and stake down.

We can’t have children if I lay my ‘stake’ down.

But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infidel? What,

Who’s coming here? Lorenzo and his heathen? What,

and my old Venetian friend Salerio?

and my old friend from Venice, Salerio?

[Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, and SALERIO, a Messenger from Venice]

BASSANIO

Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome hither;

Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome here;

If that the youth of my new interest here

If, as I’ve only just moved in this house,

Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave,

I have the power to welcome you. Through kindness,

I bid my very friends and countrymen,

Please welcome in my friends and countrymen,

Sweet Portia, welcome.

Sweet Portia.

PORTIA

So do I, my lord:

They are welcome here, my lord;

They are entirely welcome.

LORENZO

I thank your honour. For my part, my lord,

My purpose was not to have seen you here;

My purpose coming here was not to see you;

But meeting with Salerio by the way,

But on the way, I bumped into Salerio,

He did entreat me, past all saying nay,

Who begged of me, despite my protestation,

To come with him along.

To come along with him.

SALERIO

I did, my lord;

And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio

Commends him to you.

Has sent you this.

[Gives Bassanio a letter]

BASSANIO

Ere I ope his letter,

Before I read his letter,

I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth.

I ask you, tell me how my good friend is.

SALERIO

Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind;

Not sick, my lord, unless sick in the head,

Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there

Nor well, unless his mind is well. His letter

Will show you his estate.

Will tell you how he is.

GRATIANO

Nerissa, cheer yon stranger; bid her welcome.

Nerissa, go and welcome Jessica.

Your hand, Salerio: what's the news from Venice?

Shake hands, Salerio; what’s news from Venice?

How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?

How is that thriving merchant, good Antonio?

I know he will be glad of our success;

I know he will be glad we’re getting married;

We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.

We won the fleece, like Jason and the Argonauts.

SALERIO

I would you had won the fleece that he hath lost.

I wish you’d won the fleece that he has lost.

PORTIA

There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper,

There’s some hard-hitting content in that letter;

That steals the colour from Bassanio's cheek:

It’s turned Bassanio white as a sheet.

Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world

A dear friend’s died, for nothing else on earth

Could turn so much the constitution

Could so dramatically change the appearance

Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!

Of any level-headed man. What, worse!

With leave, Bassanio: I am half yourself,

With your permission, I am half of you now,

And I must freely have the half of anything

That this same paper brings you.

This letter tells you of.

BASSANIO

O sweet Portia,

Oh, my sweet Portia,

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words

Here are some of the most horrendous words

That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady,

That have been put to paper! Gentle lady,

When I did first impart my love to you,

When I did first declare my love for you,

I freely told you, all the wealth I had

I freely told you all the wealth I have

Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;

Is blood within my veins; I was a man

And then I told you true: and yet, dear lady,

And what I said was true. And even though

Rating myself at nothing, you shall see

I said that I’m worth nothing, you’ll discover

How much I was a braggart. When I told you

That even that was bragging. When I told you

My state was nothing, I should then have told you

I was worth nothing, I should then have told you

That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,

That I’m worth less than nothing, for, in truth,

I have engaged myself to a dear friend,

I have become indebted to a dear friend,

Engaged my friend to his mere enemy,

And he’s indebted to his enemy

To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady;

To help me out. Here is a letter, lady;

The paper as the body of my friend,

This letter’s like the body of my friend,

And every word in it a gaping wound,

And every word in it is like a wound

Issuing life-blood. But is it true, Salerio?

That’s bleeding him to death. Can this be true?

Have all his ventures failed? What, not one hit?

Have all his ships succumbed? Not one’s returned?

From Tripolis, from Mexico and England,

From Tripoli, from Mexico and England,

From Lisbon, Barbary and India?

From Lisbon, northern Africa and India?

And not one vessel 'scape the dreadful touch

And not a single vessel has survived

Of merchant-marring rocks?

From hitting wrecking rocks?

SALERIO

Not one, my lord.

Besides, it should appear, that if he had

Besides, it seems that even if he had

The present money to discharge the Jew,

The money needed to repay the Jew,

He would not take it. Never did I know

He would not take it. Never have I known

A creature, that did bear the shape of man,

A creature, that looked like he was a human,

So keen and greedy to confound a man:

So keen to discombobulate a man:

He plies the duke at morning and at night,

He hounds the duke each morning and each night,

And doth impeach the freedom of the state,

And challenges the country’s legislators

If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,

If they deny him justice. Twenty merchants,

The duke himself, and the magnificoes

The duke himself, and patrons of the port

Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him;

Of Venice, have all tried to talk him down,

But none can drive him from the envious plea

But no one’s made him drop his evil grudge

Of forfeiture, of justice and his bond.

Of forfeiting his bond upon the duke.

JESSICA

When I was with him I have heard him swear

When I was with him, I have heard him swear

To Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen,

That he would rather have Antonio's flesh

That he would rather have Antonio’s flesh

Than twenty times the value of the sum

Than twenty times the value of the money

That he did owe him: and I know, my lord,

Antonio owed him. I know, my lord,

If law, authority and power deny not,

If laws and those in power don’t deny him,

It will go hard with poor Antonio.

This won’t end well for poor Antonio.

PORTIA

Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?

And so this means your dear friend is in trouble?

BASSANIO

The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,

The best-conditioned and unwearied spirit

The best presented and unwavering

In doing courtesies, and one in whom

In being courteous, and someone who

The ancient Roman honour more appears

Possesses all the Roman dignity

Than any that draws breath in Italy.

Than any other man in Italy.

PORTIA

What sum owes he the Jew?

What does he owe the Jew?

BASSANIO

For me three thousand ducats.

For me, three thousand gold coins.

PORTIA

What, no more?

Is that all?

Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond;

Pay him six thousand, then tear up the bond.

Double six thousand, and then treble that,

Double six thousand, and then treble it

Before a friend of this description

Before a friend as good as you’ve described

Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault.

Shall lose a hair caused by Bassanio.

First go with me to church and call me wife,

First off, let’s go to church and let’s get married,

And then away to Venice to your friend;

And then we’ll go to Venice to your friend;

For never shall you lie by Portia's side

I’ll never let you, when you’re by my side,

With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold

Endure a troubled mind. You will have gold

To pay the petty debt twenty times over:

To pay the little debt off twenty times.

When it is paid, bring your true friend along.

When it is paid, bring your good friend back here.

My maid Nerissa and myself meantime

My maid Nerissa and myself, meanwhile,

Will live as maids and widows. Come, away!

Will humbly live as maids and widows. Come!

For you shall hence upon your wedding-day:

For you are leaving on your wedding day.

Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer:

Invite your friends inside, show them a party.

Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.

Since you cost much, I’ll love you just as much.

But let me hear the letter of your friend.

Now read the letter to me from your friend.

BASSANIO

[Reads]

Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all

Dear Bassanio, my ships have all

miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is

gone missing, my creditors are ruthless, I’m running out

very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since

of money, I cannot pay the Jew his bond; and since

in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all

by paying it, I’m going to die, all

debts are cleared between you and I, if I might but

debts are cleared between you and I, but I do hope

see you at my death. Notwithstanding, use your

to see you at my death. But do whatever you

pleasure: if your love do not persuade you to come,

want: if you don’t want to come here out of love,

let not my letter.

don’t come here for this letter either.

PORTIA

O love, dispatch all business, and be gone!

Oh love, drop everything; get on your way!

BASSANIO

Since I have your good leave to go away,

Since I must leave right now, just as you’ve said,

I will make haste: but, till I come again,

I’ll hurry up; but till I’m back anew,

No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay,

I will not sleep in someone else’s bed,

No rest be interposer 'twixt us twain.

Nor will I rest until I’m back with you.

[Exeunt]