First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
| Enter Portia, Nerrissa, Lorenzo, Iessica, and | Enter Portia, Nerissa, Lorenzo, Jessica, and Balthasar, | | MV III.iv.1.1 | |
| a man of Portias. | a Man of Portia's | | MV III.iv.1.2 | |
| Lor. | LORENZO | | | |
| Madam, although I speake it in your presence, | Madam, although I speak it in your presence, | | MV III.iv.1 | |
| You haue a noble and a true conceit | You have a noble and a true conceit | conceit (n.) notion, idea, thought | MV III.iv.2 | |
| Of god-like amity, which appeares most strongly | Of godlike amity, which appears most strongly | | MV III.iv.3 | |
| In bearing thus the absence of your Lord. | In bearing thus the absence of your lord. | | MV III.iv.4 | |
| But if you knew to whom you shew this honour, | But if you knew to whom you show this honour, | | MV III.iv.5 | |
| How true a Gentleman you send releefe, | How true a gentleman you send relief, | | MV III.iv.6 | |
| How deere a louer of my Lord your husband, | How dear a lover of my lord your husband, | | MV III.iv.7 | |
| I know you would be prouder of the worke | I know you would be prouder of the work | | MV III.iv.8 | |
| Then customary bounty can enforce you. | Than customary bounty can enforce you. | bounty (n.)great generosity, gracious liberality, munificence | MV III.iv.9 | |
| Por. | PORTIA | | | |
| I neuer did repent for doing good, | I never did repent for doing good, | | MV III.iv.10 | |
| Nor shall not now: for in companions | Nor shall not now; for in companions | | MV III.iv.11 | |
| That do conuerse and waste the time together, | That do converse and waste the time together, | waste (v.)pass, spend, while away | MV III.iv.12 | |
| Whose soules doe beare an egal yoke of loue. | Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love, | egal, egall (adj.)equal, matched, equivalent | MV III.iv.13 | |
| There must be needs a like proportion | There must be needs a like proportion | needs (adv.)of necessity, necessarily | MV III.iv.14 | |
| | proportion (n.)weighing up, appropriate measuring | | |
| | like (adj.)same, similar, alike, equal | | |
| Of lyniaments, of manners, and of spirit; | Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit; | lineament (n.)line, feature, characteristic, attribute | MV III.iv.15 | |
| Which makes me thinke that this Anthonio | Which makes me think that this Antonio, | | MV III.iv.16 | |
| Being the bosome louer of my Lord, | Being the bosom lover of my lord, | lover (n.)companion, comrade, dear friend | MV III.iv.17 | |
| | bosom (adj.)intimate, confidential, close | | |
| Must needs be like my Lord. If it be so, | Must needs be like my lord. If it be so, | | MV III.iv.18 | |
| How little is the cost I haue bestowed | How little is the cost I have bestowed | | MV III.iv.19 | |
| In purchasing the semblance of my soule; | In purchasing the semblance of my soul | semblance (n.)likeness, image, depiction | MV III.iv.20 | |
| From out the state of hellish cruelty, | From out the state of hellish cruelty. | | MV III.iv.21 | |
| This comes too neere the praising of my selfe, | This comes too near the praising of myself, | | MV III.iv.22 | |
| Therefore no more of it: heere other things | Therefore no more of it. Hear other things: | | MV III.iv.23 | |
| Lorenso I commit into your hands, | Lorenzo, I commit into your hands | | MV III.iv.24 | |
| The husbandry and mannage of my house, | The husbandry and manage of my house | manage (n.)management, direction, administration | MV III.iv.25 | |
| | husbandry (n.)thrift, good economy, careful management | | |
| Vntill my Lords returne; for mine owne part | Until my lord's return. For mine own part, | | MV III.iv.26 | |
| I haue toward heauen breath'd a secret vow, | I have toward heaven breathed a secret vow | | MV III.iv.27 | |
| To liue in prayer and contemplation, | To live in prayer and contemplation, | | MV III.iv.28 | |
| Onely attended by Nerrissa heere, | Only attended by Nerissa here, | attend (v.)accompany, follow closely, go with | MV III.iv.29 | |
| Vntill her husband and my Lords returne: | Until her husband and my lord's return. | | MV III.iv.30 | |
| There is a monastery too miles off, | There is a monastery two miles off, | | MV III.iv.31 | |
| And there we will abide. I doe desire you | And there will we abide. I do desire you | | MV III.iv.32 | |
| Not to denie this imposition, | Not to deny this imposition, | imposition (n.)order, charge, command | MV III.iv.33 | |
| The which my loue and some necessity | The which my love and some necessity | | MV III.iv.34 | |
| Now layes vpon you. | Now lays upon you. | | MV III.iv.35.1 | |
| Lorens. | LORENZO | | | |
| Madame, with all my heart, | Madam, with all my heart, | | MV III.iv.35.2 | |
| I shall obey you in all faire commands. | I shall obey you in all fair commands. | | MV III.iv.36 | |
| Por. | PORTIA | | | |
| My people doe already know my minde, | My people do already know my mind | | MV III.iv.37 | |
| And will acknowledge you and Iessica | And will acknowledge you and Jessica | | MV III.iv.38 | |
| In place of Lord Bassanio and my selfe. | In place of Lord Bassanio and myself. | | MV III.iv.39 | |
| So far you well till we shall meete againe. | So fare you well till we shall meet again. | fare ... well (int.)goodbye [to an individual] | MV III.iv.40 | |
| Lor. | LORENZO | | | |
| Faire thoughts & happy houres attend on you. | Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you! | attend (v.)accompany, follow closely, go with | MV III.iv.41 | |
| Iessi. | JESSICA | | | |
| I wish your Ladiship all hearts content. | I wish your ladyship all heart's content. | | MV III.iv.42 | |
| Por. | PORTIA | | | |
| I thanke you for your wish, and am well pleas'd | I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased | | MV III.iv.43 | |
| To wish it backe on you: faryouwell Iessica. | To wish it back on you. Fare you well, Jessica. | | MV III.iv.44 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt Jessica and Lorenzo | | MV III.iv.44 | |
| Now Balthaser, | Now, Balthasar, | | MV III.iv.45 | |
| as I haue euer found thee honest true, | As I have ever found thee honest-true, | true (adj.)loyal, firm, faithful in allegiance | MV III.iv.46 | |
| So let me finde thee still: take this same letter, | So let me find thee still. Take this same letter, | still (adv.)ever, now [as before] | MV III.iv.47 | |
| And vse thou all the indeauor of a man, | And use thou all th' endeavour of a man | | MV III.iv.48 | |
| In speed to Mantua, see thou render this | In speed to Padua. See thou render this | render (v.)give up, surrender, yield | MV III.iv.49 | |
| Into my cosins hand, Doctor Belario, | Into my cousin's hand, Doctor Bellario, | | MV III.iv.50 | |
| And looke what notes and garments he doth giue thee, | And look what notes and garments he doth give thee. | | MV III.iv.51 | |
| Bring them I pray thee with imagin'd speed | Bring them, I pray thee, with imagined speed | imagined (adj.)all imaginable, as much as can be conceived | MV III.iv.52 | |
| Vnto the Tranect, to the common Ferrie | Unto the traject, to the common ferry | traject (n.)ferry | MV III.iv.53 | |
| Which trades to Venice; waste no time in words, | Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words | trade (v.)cross, come and go | MV III.iv.54 | |
| But get thee gone, I shall be there before thee. | But get thee gone. I shall be there before thee. | | MV III.iv.55 | |
| Balth. | BALTHASAR | | | |
| Madam, I goe with all conuenient speed. | Madam, I go with all convenient speed. | | MV III.iv.56 | |
| Exit | | MV III.iv.56 | |
| Por. | PORTIA | | | |
| Come on Nerissa, I haue worke in hand | Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand | | MV III.iv.57 | |
| That you yet know not of; wee'll see our husbands | That you yet know not of. We'll see our husbands | | MV III.iv.58 | |
| Before they thinke of vs? | Before they think of us. | | MV III.iv.59.1 | |
| Nerrissa. | NERISSA | | | |
| Shall they see vs? | Shall they see us? | | MV III.iv.59.2 | |
| Portia. | PORTIA | | | |
| They shall Nerrissa: but in such a habit, | They shall, Nerissa, but in such a habit, | habit (n.)dress, clothing, costume | MV III.iv.60 | |
| That they shall thinke we are accomplished | That they shall think we are accomplished | accomplish (v.)equip, provide, furnish | MV III.iv.61 | |
| With that we lacke; Ile hold thee any wager | With that we lack. I'll hold thee any wager, | | MV III.iv.62 | |
| When we are both accoutered like yong men, | When we are both accoutered like young men, | accouter, accoutre (v.)attire, equip, array | MV III.iv.63 | |
| Ile proue the prettier fellow of the two, | I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two, | | MV III.iv.64 | |
| And weare my dagger with the brauer grace, | And wear my dagger with the braver grace, | grace (n.)procedure, attitude, affectation | MV III.iv.65 | |
| | brave (adj.)audacious, daring, bold | | |
| | brave (adj.)fine, excellent, splendid, impressive | | |
| And speake betweene the change of man and boy, | And speak between the change of man and boy | | MV III.iv.66 | |
| With a reede voyce, and turne two minsing steps | With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps | reed (adj.)reedy, squeaking | MV III.iv.67 | |
| Into a manly stride; and speake of frayes | Into a manly stride, and speak of frays | | MV III.iv.68 | |
| Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lyes | Like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies, | quaint (adj.)artful, cunning | MV III.iv.69 | |
| How honourable Ladies sought my loue, | How honourable ladies sought my love, | | MV III.iv.70 | |
| Which I denying, they fell sicke and died. | Which I denying, they fell sick and died – | | MV III.iv.71 | |
| I could not doe withall: then Ile repent, | I could not do withal. Then I'll repent, | | MV III.iv.72 | |
| And wish for all that, that I had not kil'd them; | And wish, for all that, that I had not killed them. | | MV III.iv.73 | |
| And twentie of these punie lies Ile tell, | And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell, | | MV III.iv.74 | |
| That men shall sweare I haue discontinued schoole | That men shall swear I have discontinued school | | MV III.iv.75 | |
| Aboue a twelue moneth: I haue within my minde | Above a twelve month. I have within my mind | | MV III.iv.76 | |
| A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Iacks, | A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, | raw (adj.)unrefined, unskilled, unpolished | MV III.iv.77 | |
| | Jack (n.)jack-in-office, ill-mannered fellow, lout, knave | | |
| Which I will practise. | Which I will practise. | | MV III.iv.78.1 | |
| Nerris. | NERISSA | | | |
| Why, shall wee turne to men? | Why, shall we turn to men? | | MV III.iv.78.2 | |
| Portia. | PORTIA | | | |
| Fie, what a questions that? | Fie, what a question's that, | | MV III.iv.79 | |
| If thou wert nere a lewd interpreter: | If thou wert near a lewd interpreter! | | MV III.iv.80 | |
| But come, Ile tell thee all my whole deuice | But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device | device (n.)plan, scheme, intention | MV III.iv.81 | |
| When I am in my coach, which stayes for vs | When I am in my coach, which stay for us | stay for (v.)wait for, await | MV III.iv.82 | |
| At the Parke gate; and therefore haste away, | At the park gate, and therefore haste away, | | MV III.iv.83 | |
| For we must measure twentie miles to day. | For we must measure twenty miles today. | measure (v.)pass through, travel over, traverse | MV III.iv.84 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | MV III.iv.84 | |