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Pray you, sir, stand up. I am sure you are not Launcelet, my boy.

—Launcelet
30
Pray you, let’s have no more fooling about it, but give me your blessing: I am Launcelet, your
boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall be.

—Old Gobbo
I cannot think you are my son.

—Launcelet
I know not what I shall think of that. But I am Launcelet, the Jew’s man, and I am sure Margery,
your wife, is my mother.

—Old Gobbo
Her name is Margery, indeed. I’ll be sworn, if thou be Launcelet, thou are mine own flesh and
blood.

Old Gobbo reaches out to feel Launcelet’s face
Launcelet offers the back of his head 31

32
All praise the Lord, what a beard hast thou got! Thou hast got more hair on thy chin than
Dobbin, my cart-horse, has on his tail.

—Launcelet
It should seem, then, that Dobbin’s tail grows from long to short:° I am sure he had more hair on
his tail than I have on my face, when I last saw him. {backwards}

—Old Gobbo
Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou and thy master get along?° I have brought him a
present. How ‘gree you now? {agree}

—Launcelet
33
Well, well, but for mine own part, I have decided to risk it all and run away, so I will not rest

30. / stop all the pretending
31. The action parallels of the same trick played on Isaac by Jacob and his mother (a story referenced by Shylock in
his first meeting with Antonio). In this story, Jacob substituted himself for Esau (Jacob’s older brother) in order to
receive his father’s blessings. Jacob, who was smooth-skinned, placed lamb wool over his face and hands—to ‘feel’
hairy like his brother. When his blind father touched his face, he believed that he was touching Esau (not Jacob) and
thereupon blessed Jacob and bequeathed to him all his land and possessions.
32. {Lord worshiped might he be} / What blessings the Lord has granted!
33. {set up my rest} / go for broke / risk everything / ‘go all in’
Set up my rest is a phrase used in the card game, primero, where a final wager is made and one bets (risks) all he
has. In the modern poker-style game of Texas Hold-em, this would be akin to going all in. Launcelet, speaking in
modern jargon might have said: ‘I decided to go all in and run away.’