Act III, Scene 4

Belmont. A room in PORTIA’S house.

[Enter PORTIA, NERISSA, LORENZO, JESSICA, and BALTHASAR]

• Lorenzo. Madam, although I speak it in your presence, 1750
  You have a noble and a true conceit
  Of godlike amity; which appears most strongly
  In bearing thus the absence of your lord.
  But if you knew to whom you show this honour,
  How true a gentleman you send relief, 1755
  How dear a lover of my lord your husband,
  I know you would be prouder of the work
  Than customary bounty can enforce you.

• Portia. I never did repent for doing good,
  Nor shall not now: for in companions 1760
  That do converse and waste the time together,
  Whose souls do bear an equal yoke Of love,
  There must be needs a like proportion
  Of lineaments, of manners and of spirit;
  Which makes me think that this Antonio, 1765
  Being the bosom lover of my lord,
  Must needs be like my lord. If it be so,
  How little is the cost I have bestow'd
  In purchasing the semblance of my soul
  From out the state of hellish misery! 1770
  This comes too near the praising of myself;
  Therefore no more of it: hear other things.
  Lorenzo, I commit into your hands
  The husbandry and manage of my house
  Until my lord's return: for mine own part, 1775
  I have toward heaven breathed a secret vow
  To live in prayer and contemplation,
  Only attended by Nerissa here,
  Until her husband and my lord's return:
  There is a monastery two miles off; 1780
  And there will we abide. I do desire you
  Not to deny this imposition;
  The which my love and some necessity
  Now lays upon you.

• Lorenzo. Madam, with all my heart; 1785
  I shall obey you in all fair commands.

• Portia. My people do already know my mind,
  And will acknowledge you and Jessica
  In place of Lord Bassanio and myself.
  And so farewell, till we shall meet again. 1790

• Lorenzo. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!

• Jessica. I wish your ladyship all heart's content.

• Portia. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased
  To wish it back on you: fare you well Jessica.
  [Exeunt JESSICA and LORENZO] 1795
  Now, Balthasar,
  As I have ever found thee honest-true,
  So let me find thee still. Take this same letter,
  And use thou all the endeavour of a man
  In speed to Padua: see thou render this 1800
  Into my cousin's hand, Doctor Bellario;
  And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee,
  Bring them, I pray thee, with imagined speed
  Unto the tranect, to the common ferry
  Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words, 1805
  But get thee gone: I shall be there before thee.

• Balthasar. Madam, I go with all convenient speed.

[Exit]

• Portia. Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand
  That you yet know not of: we'll see our husbands 1810
  Before they think of us.

• Nerissa. Shall they see us?

• Portia. They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit,
  That they shall think we are accomplished
  With that we lack. I'll hold thee any wager, 1815
  When we are both accoutred like young men,
  I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
  And wear my dagger with the braver grace,
  And speak between the change of man and boy
  With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps 1820
  Into a manly stride, and speak of frays
  Like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies,
  How honourable ladies sought my love,
  Which I denying, they fell sick and died;
  I could not do withal; then I'll repent, 1825
  And wish for all that, that I had not killed them;
  And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
  That men shall swear I have discontinued school
  Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind
  A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, 1830
  Which I will practise.

• Nerissa. Why, shall we turn to men?

• Portia. Fie, what a question's that,
  If thou wert near a lewd interpreter!
  But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device 1835
  When I am in my coach, which stays for us
  At the park gate; and therefore haste away,
  For we must measure twenty miles to-day.

[Exeunt]