(Jessica and Lorenzo come forward.)
Jess. You pardon us, pa?
Shy.Yes, howe'er distressing
To my paternal feelings, take my blessing.
Fathers, I think, will own my case a hard 'un,
She's done for pa, and now she asks her par-don.
Gratiano, in this version, is represented as a flunkey, in which character he makes love to Nerissa:—
Blush not that I'm a footman, I conjures;
Let not my plushes be the cause of yours.
You to the eyes—but, though more difficulter,
I to the knees plush as the knee plush ultra.
Everywhere the puns are as clever as they are bright. Portia says to Nerissa:—
Mind, a maiden should
Of kisses to a bearded man be chary.
Nerissa. Such a salute, ma'am, must be salute-hairy.
Launcelot, again, says to Jessica:—
But smile again, and all will sunshine be,
Sweet Israelite, you is real light to me!...
Mock not my misery—I know full well
I'm a poor serf and he's a heavy swell.