Page 48 - William_Shakespeare_-_The_Merchant_of_Venice_191

17
blind, — knows me not. I will try confusing him. 18

—Old Gobbo
Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew’s?

—Launcelet
Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but at the next turning after that, turn left.
19
Then!—+pay careful attention, —at the very next turning, don’t turn at all but veer off
indirectly to the Jew’s house.

—Old Gobbo
20
By the saints of God ‘twill be a hard place° to hit.° Can you tell me whether one Launcelet,
who is supposed to live with him, still lives with him or no? 21

—Launcelet
Talk you of young Master Launcelet? [aside] Watch me now—I will raise a few tears!° Talk you
of young Master Launcelet? a few tears: {the waters}

—Old Gobbo
No ‘master,’ sir, but a poor man’s son. His father, though I say it, is an honest, exceeding poor
man and, God be thanked, in good health.° {well to live}

—Launcelet
Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young Master Launcelet.

—Old Gobbo
Is he your worship’s friend, my Launcelet, sir? 22

17. sand-blind, high-gravel-blind: blindness comes in gradations and Launcelet makes up a some new terms: sand
blind is someone partially blind; gravel-blind is someone midway between sand-blind and stone-blind (total
blindness), high-gravel blind, is somewhere between gravel-blind and stone-blind, which means he can barely see at
all.
18. {I will try confusions with him.}
confusions: Q2 renders this as conclusions which means ‘experiments’—‘I will try experimenting with him (to
see how he reacts.)’ Launcelet, however, seems more intent on playfully confusing his father.
19. Then!: {marry}: The term marry has the force of ‘verily,’ ‘indeed’ and by extension, ‘now listen carefully’ or
‘pay attention,’ etc.
20. {By God’s sonties} / By God’s little saints / Even with God’s favor / Even with God’s help / Even with the
blessings of God
sonties: a) little saints, b) sanctity, blessedness.
21. {Can you tell me whether one Launcelet that dwells with him dwells with him or not?}
/ Can you tell me whether one Launcelet, who is supposed to live with him, lives with him or not?
place: {way} hit: / find
22. {Your worship’s friend and Launcelet, sir.} / My worship, do you know my boy Launcelet, sir?
your worship: honorific title for someone of high standing
your worship’s friend: this could be interpreted as a polite rejection of the title of ‘master’ (when applied to
Launcelet), who is not a master. This resembles the previous line, where Old Gobbo rejects the term ‘master’ when
applied to Launcelet [‘No ‘master,’ sir, but a poor man’s son. [47].] Here, again, he makes the same correction so
that there is no confusion and to insure that the two parties are referring to the same Launcelet—who is not a master.