Love's Labour's Lost (version 2) - Free Audiobook

ACT III.

Scene I. Venice. A street.

TMOV III. 1 Enter Salanio and Salarino.

Salan. Now, what news on the Rialto?

Salar. Why, yet it lives there unchecked, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrecked on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat 005 and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie buried, 006 as they say, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word.

008 Salan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped ginger, or made her neighbours believe she wept 010 for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of talk, 012 that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,——O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!—

Salar. Come, the full stop.

015 Salan. Ha! what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship.

Salar. I would it might prove the end of his losses.

Salan. Let me say ‘amen’ betimes, lest the devil cross 019 my prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.

Enter Shylock.

020 How now, Shylock! what news among the merchants?

021 Shy. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter’s flight.

Salar. That’s certain: I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal.

025 Salan. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird 026 was fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.

Shy. She is damned for it.

Salar. That’s certain, if the devil may be her judge.

030 Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel!

031 Salar. Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years?

032 Shy. I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

Salar. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods 035 than there is between red wine and rhenish. But tell us, do 036 you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no?

037 Shy. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a 038 prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a 039 beggar, that was used to come so smug upon the mart; let 040 him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy; let him look to his bond.

Salar. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh: what’s that good for?

045 Shy. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered 047 me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my 049 friends, heated mine enemies; and what’s his reason? I am 050 a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same 053 diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the 054 same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick 055 us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? if we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is 059 his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what 060 should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute; and it 062 shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both.

065 Salar. We have been up and down to seek him.

Enter Tubal.

Salan. Here comes another of the tribe: a third cannot 067 be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt Salan. Salar. and Servant.

068 Shy. How now, Tubal! what news from Genoa? hast thou found my daughter?

070 Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.

Shy. Why, there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now: two 075 thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the 077 jewels in her ear! would she were hearsed at my foot, and 078 the ducats in her coffin! No news of them? Why, so:— 079 and I know not what’s spent in the search: why, thou loss 080 upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill 082 luck stirring but what lights on my shoulders; no sighs but of my breathing; no tears but of my shedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too: Antonio, as I 085 heard in Genoa,—

086 Shy. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck?

Tub. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.

088 Shy. I thank God, I thank God! Is’t true, is’t true?

Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the 090 wreck.

091 Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal: good news, good 092 news! ha, ha! where? in Genoa?

093 Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, in one night fourscore ducats.

095 Shy. Thou stickest a dagger in me: I shall never see my gold again: fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats.

Tub. There came divers of Antonio’s creditors in my 099 company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break.

100 Shy. I am very glad of it: I’ll plague him; I’ll torture 101 him: I am glad of it.

Tub. One of them showed me a ring that he had of your daughter for a monkey.

Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it 105 was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.

Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone.

108 Shy. Nay, that’s true, that’s very true. Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. I will 110 have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for, were he out of 111 Venice, I can make what merchandise I will. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt.