Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Act 2 - Scene 8
Venice. A street.
Salarino : Why, man, I saw Bassanio under sail:
[p]With him is Gratiano gone
along;
[p]And in their ship I am sure Lorenzo is not.
Salanio : The villain Jew with outcries raised the duke,
[p]Who went with him to
search Bassanio's ship.
Salarino : He came too late, the ship was under sail:
[p]But there the duke was
given to understand
[p]That in a gondola were seen together
[p]Lorenzo
and his amorous Jessica:
[p]Besides, Antonio certified the
duke
[p]They were not with Bassanio in his ship.
Salanio : I never heard a passion so confused,
[p]So strange, outrageous, and so
variable,
[p]As the dog Jew did utter in the streets:
[p]'My daughter!
O my ducats! O my daughter!
[p]Fled with a Christian! O my Christian
ducats!
[p]Justice! the law! my ducats, and my daughter!
[p]A sealed
bag, two sealed bags of ducats,
[p]Of double ducats, stolen from me by
my daughter!
[p]And jewels, two stones, two rich and precious
stones,
[p]Stolen by my daughter! Justice! find the girl;
[p]She hath
the stones upon her, and the ducats.'
Salarino : Why, all the boys in Venice follow him,
[p]Crying, his stones, his
daughter, and his ducats.
Salanio : Let good Antonio look he keep his day,
[p]Or he shall pay for this.
Salarino : Marry, well remember'd.
[p]I reason'd with a Frenchman
yesterday,
[p]Who told me, in the narrow seas that part
[p]The French
and English, there miscarried
[p]A vessel of our country richly
fraught:
[p]I thought upon Antonio when he told me;
[p]And wish'd in
silence that it were not his.
Salanio : You were best to tell Antonio what you hear;
[p]Yet do not suddenly,
for it may grieve him.
Salarino : A kinder gentleman treads not the earth.
[p]I saw Bassanio and Antonio
part:
[p]Bassanio told him he would make some speed
[p]Of his return:
he answer'd, 'Do not so;
[p]Slubber not business for my sake,
Bassanio
[p]But stay the very riping of the time;
[p]And for the Jew's
bond which he hath of me,
[p]Let it not enter in your mind of
love:
[p]Be merry, and employ your chiefest thoughts
[p]To courtship
and such fair ostents of love
[p]As shall conveniently become you
there:'
[p]And even there, his eye being big with tears,
[p]Turning
his face, he put his hand behind him,
[p]And with affection wondrous
sensible
[p]He wrung Bassanio's hand; and so they parted.
Salanio : I think he only loves the world for him.
[p]I pray thee, let us go and
find him out
[p]And quicken his embraced heaviness
[p]With some
delight or other.
Salarino : Do we so.
Previous: Act 2 - Scene 7
Next: Act 2 - Scene 9
