Gob. I have here a difh of doves, that I would bestow upon your worship; and my fuit is

Laun. In very brief, the fuit is impertinent to my felf, as your worship fhall know by this honeft old man; and, though I fay it, though old man, yet poor man my father.

Ball. One speak for both.
Laun. Serve you, fir.

What would you?

Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, fir. Baff. I know thee well. Thou haft obtain'd thy fuit: Shylock, thy mafter, spoke with me this day, And hath preferr'd thee; if it be preferment To leave a rich Jew's service to become The follower of fo poor a gentleman.

Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my master Shylock and you, fir; you have the grace of God, fir, and he hath enough.

Baff. Thou speak'ft it well. Go, father with thy

fon:

Take leave of thy old mafter, and enquire
My lodging out.-Give him a livery,

[To his followers. More guarded than his fellows: fee it done, Laun. Father, in. I cannot get a fervice, no ;I have ne'er a tongue in my head.-- Well, [looking on his palm] if any man in Italy have a fairer table,

3

which

-more guarded.] i. e. more ornamented. STEEVENS.

3 Well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth offer to fwear upon a book.] The pofition of the words makes the fentence fomewhat obfcure: Their natural order should be this : Well, if any man in Italy, which doth offer to fear upon a book, have a fairer table, I shall have good luck. And the humour of the paffage feems this: Launcelot, a joker, and defignedly a blunderer, fays the reverse of what he fhould do: which is, That if no man in Italy, who would offer to take his oath upon it, bath a fairer table than he, he shall have good fortune. The banter may, partly, be on chiromancy in general: but it is very much in character for Launcelot, who is a hungry ferving-man,

to

which doth offer to fwear upon a book, I shall have good fortune.-Go to, here's a fimple line of life! Here's a fmall trifle of wives: alas, fifteen wives is nothing; eleven widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one man. And then, to 'fcape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed.-Here are fimple 'fcapes! Well,

to confider his table before his line of life, or any other points of fortune. THEOBALD.

Fairer Table.] The chiromantic term for the lines of the hand. So Ben Jonfon in his Mask of gipfies to the lady Elizabeth Hatton : Miftrefs of a fairer table,

Hath not hiftory nor fable.

Which doth offer to wear upon a book, &c.] This nonfenfe feems to have taken its rife from the accident of a loft line in tranfcribing the play for the prefs; fo that the paffage, for the future, fhould be printed thus,-Well, if any man in Italy, have a fairer table, which doth ****** offer to fwear upon a back I shall bave good fortune. It is impoffible to find, again, the loft line: but the loft fenfe is eafy enough-if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which dath [promife luck, I am mistaken. I durft almoft] offer to fwear upon a book, I fhall have good fortune. WARBURTON.

Mr. Theobald's note is as obfcure as the paffage. It may be read more than once before the complication of ignorance can be completely difentangled. Table is the palm expanded. What Mr. Theobald conceives it to be cannot eafily be discovered, but he thinks it fomewhat that promises a full belly.

Dr. Warburton understood the word, but puzzles himself with no great fuccefs in the pursuit of the meaning. The whole matter is this: Launcelot congratulates himfelf upon his dexterity and good fortune, and, in the height of his rapture, infpects his hand, and congratulates himself upon the felicities in his table. The act of expounding his hand puts him in mind of the action in which the palm is fhewn, by raifing it to lay it on the book, in judicial atteftations. Well, fays he, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, that doth offer to fwear upon a bookHere he ftops with an abruptnefs very common, and proceeds to particulars. JOHNSON.

In peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed.] A cant phrafe to fignify the danger of marrying.- A certain French writer ufes the fame kind of figure, O mon Ami, j'aimerois mieux étre tombée sur la pointe d'un Oreiller, & m' être rompu le Cou.WARBURTON.

if fortune be a woman, fhe's a good wench for this geer. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye.

[Exeunt Laun. and Gob. Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this: These things being bought and orderly bestow'd, Return in hafte, for I do feaft to-night

My best-esteem'd acquaintance: hie thee, go.
Leon. My best endeavours fhall be done herein.
Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Where is your master ?

Leon. Yonder, fir, he walks.
Gra. Signior Baffanio,--

Baff. Gratiano!

Gra. I have a fuit to you.
Baff. You have obtain❜d it.

[Exit Leonardo.

Gra. You must not deny me, I must to Belmont.

go with you

Ball. Why, then you must :-But hear thee, Grá

tiano,

Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice;-
Parts, that become thee happily enough,

And in fuch eyes as ours appear not faults;
But where thou art not known, why, there they fhew
Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain
To allay with fome cold drops of modefty

Thy fkipping fpirit; left, through thy wild behaviour,
I be mifconftru'd in the place I go to,
And lofe my hopes.

Gra. Signior Baffanio, hear me:
If I do not put on a fober habit,

Talk with respect, and fwear but now and then; Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely;

5 Something too liberal.] Liberal I have already fhewn to be mean, grofs, coarfe, licentious. JOHNSON.

Nay

Nay more, while grace is faying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh, and fay, Amen;
Ufe all the obfervance of civility,

Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent"

To please his grandam, never truft me more.
Ball. Well, we fhall fee your bearing.

Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night; you fhall not gage

me

By what we do to-night.

Baff. No, that were pity:

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest fuit of mirth, for we have friends
That purpose merriment: But fare you well,
I have fome business.

Gra. And I must to Lorenzo, and the rest:
But we will vifit you at fupper-time.

[Exeunt.

Jef. I am forry thou wilt leave my father fo;
Our houfe is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Didft rob it of fome tafte of tediousness:
But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, foon at fupper fhalt thou see
Lorenzo, who is thy new mafter's gueft:
Give him this letter; do it fecretly,

And fo farewel: I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

Laun. Adieu!-Tears exhibit my tongue. [afide. Most beautiful Pagan,-moft fweet Jew! if a Chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much

fad oftent.] Grave appearance; fhew of ftaid and fe

rious behaviour. JOHNSON.

deceiv'd.

[Exit.

deceiv'd. But, adieu! these foolish drops do fome
what drown my manly fpirit: adieu !
Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot.-
Alack, what heinous fin is it in me,
To be asham'd to be my father's child!
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,

If thou keep promife, I fhall end this ftrife;
Become a christian, and thy loving wife.

SCENE IV.

THE STREET.

[Exit.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio.

Lor. Nay, we will flink away in fupper-time, Difguife us at my lodging, and return All in an hour.

Gra. We have not made good preparation.

Sal. We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers?. Sola. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered; And better, in my mind, rot undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four a-clock; we have two hours To furnish us.

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Laun. An' it shall please you to break up this, it fhall feem to fignify.

Lor. I know the hand in faith, 'tis a fair hand; And whiter than the paper it writ on, Is the fair hand that writ.

7-torch-bearers.] See the note in Rom. & Jul. a&t I. fc.4. We have not spoke as yet, &c. i. e. we have not yet bespoke us, &c. Thus the old copies. Mr. Pope reads-" spoke as yet.'

STEEVENS,

Gra.