[000] Scene II. Venice. A street.
TMOV II. 2 Enter Launcelot.
[001] Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow, and [003] tempts me, saying to me, ‘Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot,’ or ‘good Gobbo,’ or ‘good Launcelot Gobbo, 005 use your legs, take the start, run away.’ My conscience says, ‘No; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo,’ or, as aforesaid, ‘honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not [008] run; scorn running with thy heels.’ Well, the most courageous [009] fiend bids me pack: ‘Via!’ says the fiend; ‘away!’ [010] says the fiend; ‘for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind,’ says the fiend, ‘and run.’ Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me, ‘My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man’s son,’—or rather an honest woman’s son;—for, indeed, my father did 015 something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste;—well, my conscience says, ‘Launcelot, budge not.’ ‘Budge,’ says the fiend. ‘Budge not,’ says my conscience. ‘Conscience,’ say I, ‘you counsel well;’ ‘Fiend,’ say I, ‘you [019] counsel well:’ to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay 020 with the Jew my master, who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil [023] himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnal; [024] and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard 025 conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my [027] heels are at your command; I will run.
Enter Old Gobbo, with a basket.
[028] Gob. Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew’s?
030 Laun. [Aside] O heavens, this is my true-begotten father! who, being more than sand-blind, high-gravel blind, [032] knows me not: I will try confusions with him.
Gob. Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew’s?
[035] Laun. Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly [038] to the Jew’s house.
[039] Gob. By God’s sonties, ’twill be a hard way to hit. 040 Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?
Laun. Talk you of young Master Launcelot? [Aside] Mark me now; now will I raise the waters. Talk you of young Master Launcelot?