Page 80 - William_Shakespeare_-_The_Merchant_of_Venice_191

She hath the stones upon her, and the ducats!’

—Salarino
Why, all the boys in Venice follow him,
Crying, ‘His stones, his daughter, and his ducats!’

—Salanio
Let good Antonio look to keep° his day.° {look he keep} // forfeit not
Or he shall pay for this.

—Salarino Ay,° well remembered°— {Marry} // By Mary
I conversed° with a Frenchman yesterday {I reasoned} / I’d spoken
Who told me, in the narrow seas that part° / dividing / between
8
The French and English, there did overturn° {miscarriéd}/ overturnéd // was dashed to pieces
A vessel of our country, fraught with riches.° {richly fraught}
I thought about° Antonio when he told me, 9 {upon}
And wished in silence that it were not his.

—Salanio
You’re° best to tell Antonio what you hear;° {You are} / ‘Tis / heard
Yet do it gently, else it° may grieve him. {Yet do not suddenly, for it}

—Salarino
A kinder gentleman treads not° this earth: / man walks not upon
I saw Bassanio and Antonio part. 10
Bassanio told him he would make some speed
Of his return. Antonio said, ‘Do not;° 11 / No, no
Rush not your heart° for my sake, Bassanio, 12
13
But stay until the time has fully ripened.° / ripening of time
As for the Jew’s bond which he hath of me,
Let it not enter in your mind or heart:° {of love}
Be joyous° and employ° your chiefest° thoughts 14 {merry} // engage /// highest

8. / England and France
9. / I thought it might be good Antonio’s ship
10. Thus, Salarino was present at Bassanio’s departure while Salanio was not.
11. {Of his return. He answered, ‘Do not so’}
/ Bassanio told him he’d return with haste. | To which Antonio said, “Do not do so’;
12. {Slumber not business for my sake, Bassanio}
Q1 has the term slumber which Q2, F, and virtually all modern editors emend as slubber.
slubber: to perform with haste and/or with lack of care; sully, spoil, ruin
slubber not business: don’t rush or hurry with your affairs
slumber not business: ‘don’t sleep on the job’; be attentive to the task at hand. In modern English, the term
slumber is readily recognized (and would be understood in the context of Antonio’s statement) whereas the term
slubber is not readily recognized and might bring up amiss associations with slobber or blubber.
13. {But stay the very riping of the time}
14. / Be joyous; let your only° concern be / foremost