Page 189 - William_Shakespeare_-_The_Merchant_of_Venice_191

That my Nerissa shall be sworn on is:
Would you prefer on the next night to lay
Or go to bed now, with two hours till day? 140
But were the day come, I should wish it night
Till I were laying° in my clerk’s delight. 141 {couching} / rolling
And while I live, I’ll fear no other thing—
142
So sore as keeping safe° Nerissa’s ring. / But the sore keeping of

Exeunt. Couples first, then Antonio

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140. {Whether till the next night she had rather stay
{Or go to bed now, being two hours to day
141. {But were the day come, I should wish it night
{Till I were couching with the doctor’s clerk
142. This bawdy punning is commonly found at the end of a romantic comedies. Herein the term ring is usually
taken as a reference to ‘vulva’ and Gratziano’s ‘sore keeping’ of it—well we need not comment on that!