Act V

Here, Lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring.

By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor!

I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio;

For, by this ring, the doctor lay with me.

And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano;

For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor’s clerk,

In lieu of this last night did lie with me.

Why, this is like the mending of highways

In summer, where the ways are fair enough:

What, are we cuckolds ere we have deserved it?

Here is a letter; read it at your leisure;

It comes from Padua, from Bellario:

There you shall find that Portia was the doctor,

Nerissa there her clerk: Lorenzo here

Shall witness I set forth as soon as you

And even but now return’d; I have not yet

Enter’d my house. Antonio, you are welcome;

And I have better news in store for you

Than you expect: unseal this letter soon;

There you shall find three of your argosies

Are richly come to harbour suddenly:

You shall not know by what strange accident

I chanced on this letter.