_Por_. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, To part so slightly with your wife's first gift: A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And so riveted with faith unto your flesh. I gave my love a ring, and made him swear Never to part with it; and here he stands,-- I dare be sworn for him, he would not leave it, Nor pluck it from his finger, for the wealth That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief; An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it. _Bas_. Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear, I lost the ring defending it. [_Aside_. _Gra_. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed, Deserv'd it, too; and then the boy, his clerk, That took some pains in writing, he begg'd mine: And neither man, nor master, would take aught But the two rings. _Por_. What ring gave you, my lord; Not that, I hope, which you receiv'd of me. _Bas_. If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it; but you see, my finger Hath not the ring upon it, it is gone. _Por_. Even so void is your false heart of truth. By heaven, I will ne'er come in your sight Until I see the ring. _Ner_. Nor I in yours, Till I again see mine. _Bas_. Sweet Portia, If you did know to whom I gave the ring, If you did know for whom I gave the ring, And would conceive for what I gave the ring, And how unwillingly I left the ring, When nought would be accepted but the ring, You would abate the strength of your displeasure. _Por_. If you had known the virtue of the ring, Or half her worthiness that gave the ring, Or your own honour to contain the ring, You would not then have parted with the ring. What man is there so much unreasonable, If you had pleas'd to have defended it With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty To urge the thing held as a ceremony? Nerissa teaches me what to believe; I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring. _Bas_. No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul, No woman had it, but a civil doctor, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him, And suffer'd him to go displeas'd away; Even he that had held up the very life Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was enforc'd to send it after him. Had you been there, I think you would have begg'd The ring of me to give the worthy doctor. _Por_. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house: Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd, And that which you did swear to keep for me, I will become as liberal as you. _Ant_. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. _Por_. Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding. _Bas_. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; And in the hearing of these many friends, I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes, I never more will break an oath with thee. _Ant_. I once did lend my body for his wealth;[121] Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, [_To_ PORTIA.