the Merchant of Venice.
24922486that you would weare it till your houre of death,
24932487and that it
should lie with you in your graue,
24942488though not for me, yet for your vehement oathes,
24952489you
should haue beene re
spe
ctiue and haue kept it.
24962490Gaue it a Iudges Clarke: no Gods my Iudge
24972491the Clarke will nere weare haire ons face that had it.
24982492Gra. He will, and if he liue to be a man.
24992493Nerrissa. I, if a woman liue to be a man.
25002494Gra. Now by this hand I gaue it to a youth,
25012495a kind of boy, a little
scrubbed boy,
25022496no higher then thy
selfe, the Iudges Clarke,
25032497a prating boy that begd it as a fee,
25042498I could not for my hart deny it him.
25052499Por. You were to blame, I mu
st be plaine with you,
25062500to part
so
slightly with your wiues
fir
st gift,
25072501a thing
stuck on with oaths vpon your
finger,
25082502and
so riueted with faith vnto your
fle
sh.
25092503I gaue my Loue a ring, and made him
sweare
25102504neuer to part with it, and heere he
stands:
25112505I dare be
sworne for him he would not leaue it,
25122506nor pluck it from his
finger, for the wealth
25132507that the world mai
sters. Now in faith
Gratiano 25142508you giue your wife too vnkind a cau
se of griefe,
25152509and twere to me I
should be mad at it.
25162510Bass. Why I were be
st to cut my left hand o
ff,
25172511and
sweare I lo
st the ring defending it.
25182512Gra. My Lord
Bassanio gaue his ring away
25192513vnto the Iudge that begd it, and indeede
25202514de
seru'd it to: and then the boy his Clarke
25212515that tooke
some paines in writing, he begd mine,
25222516and neither man nor mai
ster would take ought
25242518Por. What ring gaue you my Lord?
25252519Not that I hope which you receau'd of me.
25262520Bass. If I could add a lie vnto a fault,
25272521I would deny it: but you
see my
finger
25282522hath not the ring vpon it, it is gone.
Por.