Page:Merchant of Venice (1923) Yale.djvu/24

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Por. God made him, and therefore let him pass

for a man. In truth, I know it is a sin to be a

mocker; but, he! why, he hath a horse better

than the Neapolitan's, a better bad habit of

frowning than the Count Palatine; he is every

man in no man; if a throstle sing, he falls

straight a-capering; he will fence with his own

shadow: if I should marry him, I should marry

twenty husbands. If he would despise me, I

would forgive him, for if he love me to madness,

I shall never requite him.

Ner. What say you, then, to Falconbridge,

the young baron of England?

Por. You know I say nothing to him, for he

understands not me, nor I him: he hath neither

Latin, French, nor Italian; and you will come

into the court and swear that I have a poor

pennyworth in the English. He is a proper

man's picture, but, alas! who can converse with

a dumb-show? How oddly he is suited! I think

he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in

France, his bonnet in Germany, and his be-

haviour everywhere.

Ner. What think you of the Scottish lord, his

neighbour?

Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in

him, for he borrowed a box of the ear of the

Englishman, and swore he would pay him again

when he was able: I think the Frenchman be-

came his surety and sealed under for another.

Ner. How like you the young German, the

Duke of Saxony's nephew?

 64 throstle: thrush

74 Latin; cf. n.

76 proper: handsome

78 suited: dressed

79 doublet: tight-fitting coat

round hose: a variety of knee-breeches

87 Frenchman; cf. n.

88 sealed under: pledged himself 