The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (458 page)

By what we do to-night.

But tonight doesn’t count. Don’t judge how I will be

By how I am tonight.

BASSANIO

No, that were pity:

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.

No, that would be a shame.

I would rather you be

As wild as you can be tonight because our friends

Will enjoy that and want to have fun. Goodbye for now,

I have some things I have to do.

GRATIANO

And I must to Lorenzo and the rest:

But we will visit you at supper-time.

And I must get back to Lorenzo and the rest of them.

We will see you at dinner.

Exeunt

Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT

JESSICA

I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so:

Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,

Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness.

But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee:

And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see

Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest:

Give him this letter; do it secretly;

And so farewell: I would not have my father

See me in talk with thee.

I’m sorry you are leaving my father’s service:

This house is hellish and you cheered it up like a funny devil,

Taking away some small amount of the pain of it all.

But, goodbye and take care, here is a ducat for you:

Lorenzo, who will be your new master’s guest tonight—

Please give him this letter. Do it secretly.

Well, goodbye. I don’t want my father

To see me talking to you.

LAUNCELOT

Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue. Most beautiful

pagan, most sweet Jew! if a Christian did not play

the knave and get thee, I am much deceived. But,

adieu: these foolish drops do something drown my

manly spirit: adieu.

Goodbye! My tears show what I cannot say. Most beautiful

pagan, most sweet Jew! A Christian will figure

out a way to get you, I have no doubt. But,

goodbye: these foolish tears don’t do much to

make me appear manly: goodbye.

JESSICA

Farewell, good Launcelot.

Goodbye, good Launcelot.

Exit Launcelot

Alack, what heinous sin is it in me

To be ashamed to be my father's child!

But though I am a daughter to his blood,

I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,

If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,

Become a Christian and thy loving wife.

Oh my god, how terrible am I

To be ashamed to be my father’s daughter!

But though I am his daughter by blood,

I do not share his behavior. Oh, Lorenzo,

If you keep your promise, this will all end

And I’ll become a Christian and your loving wife.

Exit

Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SALANIO

LORENZO

Nay, we will slink away in supper-time,

Disguise us at my lodging and return,

All in an hour.

No, we’ll sneak away at dinner time,

Disguise ourselves at my house and come back

within an hour.

GRATIANO

We have not made good preparation.

But we don’t have anything ready.

SALARINO

We have not spoke us yet of torchbearers.

We haven’t even asked anyone to be torchbearers.

SALANIO

'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd,

And better in my mind not undertook.

It might turn out badly since it’s not well organized.

I think it’s best we call it off.

LORENZO

'Tis now but four o'clock: we have two hours

To furnish us.

It’s only four o’clock now: we have two hours

to get it together.

Enter LAUNCELOT, with a letter

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Hello, Launcelot, what’s up?

LAUNCELOT

An it shall please you to break up

this, it shall seem to signify.

Here, if you’d like to open

this letter, it will give you the news.

LORENZO

I know the hand: in faith, 'tis a fair hand;

And whiter than the paper it writ on

Is the fair hand that writ.

I recognize the handwriting, no doubt. It’s beautiful handwriting.

And as white as the paper this writing is on,

the beautiful hand that wrote it is whiter.

GRATIANO

Love-news, in faith.

I believe it’s a love letter.

LAUNCELOT

By your leave, sir.

May I go, sir?

LORENZO

Whither goest thou?

Where are you going?

LAUNCELOT

Marry, sir, to bid my old master the

Jew to sup to-night with my new master the Christian.

Sir, I have to go invite my old master the

Jew to join tonight with my new master the Christian.

LORENZO

Hold here, take this: tell gentle Jessica

I will not fail her; speak it privately.

Go, gentlemen,

Hold on, take this: tell gentle Jessica

I will not fail her. Tell her privately.

Go on, gentlemen—

Exit Launcelot

Will you prepare you for this masque tonight?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

Get ready for the masquerade tonight.

I have someone who can be a torch-bearer.

SALANIO

Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.

Okay, I’ll go ahead and get right on it.

SALANIO

And so will I.

So will I.

LORENZO

Meet me and Gratiano

At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence.

Meet me and Gratiano

At Gratiano’s house in an hour.

SALARINO

'Tis good we do so.

It’s good we’re doing this.

Exeunt SALARINO and SALANIO

GRATIANO

Was not that letter from fair Jessica?

Wan’t that letter from Jessica?

LORENZO

I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed

How I shall take her from her father's house,

What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with,

What page's suit she hath in readiness.

If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven,

It will be for his gentle daughter's sake:

And never dare misfortune cross her foot,

Unless she do it under this excuse,

That she is issue to a faithless Jew.

Come, go with me; peruse this as thou goest:

Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

I have to tell you everything. She has told me

How I can get her out of her father’s house,

And what gold and jewels she has,

She decribed a page’s suit she has ready.

If the Jew her father ever makes it to heaven,

It will be because of her:

She’ll never suffer from bad luck,

Unless it happens because of one reason:

That she is the daughter of an unbeleiving Jew.

Come on, go with me. Read this as we go.

Beautiful Jessica is going to be my torch-bearer.

Exeunt

Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT

SHYLOCK

Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:--

What, Jessica!--thou shalt not gormandise,

As thou hast done with me:--What, Jessica!--

And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out;--

Why, Jessica, I say!

Well, you’ll see how it is—you’ll see it with your own eyes,

The difference between working for old Shylock and Bassanio—

Jessica!—you will not eat so greedily

As you have done here—Jessica!—

And sleep and snore, and wear your cloths out—

Jessica, come here, I’m calling you!

LAUNCELOT

Why, Jessica!

Jessica!

SHYLOCK

Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.

Why do you call her? I didn’t tell you to call her.