have (6) a fairer table, which doth offer to fwear upon a book, I fhall 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 fimple 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, if fortune be a woman, the's a good wench for this geer. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Feru in the twinkling [Ex. Laun. and Gob.

of an eye.

Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this.
Thefe things being bought and orderly bestowed,
Return in hafte, for I do feast to night

My best-esteem'd acquaintance; hie thee, go.
Leon. My beft endeavours fhall be done herein.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Where is your mafter?

Leon. Yonder, Sir, he walks ;

Gra. Signier Baffanio,

Baff. Gratiano!

Gra. I have a fuit to you.

Baff. You have obtain❜d it.

[Ex. Leonardo.

Gra. You must not deny me, I must go with you to Belmont.

Baff. Why, then you muft: but hear thee, Gratiano, Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice;

(6) Well, if any Man in Italy have &c.] The Pofition of the Words makes the Sentence fomewhat obfcure: Their na tural Order should be This. Well, if any Man in Italy, which doth offer to wear upon a Book, have a fairer Table, I shall have good Luck. And the Humour of the Paffage feems This. Launcelot, a Joaker, and defignedly a Blunderer, fays the very Reverse of what he should do: which is, That if no Man in Italy, who would offer to take his Oath upon it, hath a fairer Table than He, he hall have good Fortune. The Banter may, partly, be on Chiromancy in general: but it is very much in Cha

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
T'allay with fome cold drops of modesty

Thy skipping 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 refpect, and fwear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pockets, look demurely;
Nay more, while grace is faying, hood mine
eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh, and fay, Amen;
Use all th' obfervance of civility,

Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent

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

Gra. Nay, but I bar to night, you shall not gage me By what we do to night.

Baff. No, that were pity.

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends
That purpofe merriment: but fare you well,

I have forme business.

Gra. And I muft to Lorenzo and the reft: But we will vifit you at fupper-time.

[Exeunt

SCENE changes to Shylock's Houfe.

Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.

M forry, thou wilt leave my father fo;
Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness ;
But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, foon at fupper fhalt thou fee
Lorenzo, who is thy new mafter's guest ;
Give him this letter, do it fecretly,
And fo farewel: I would not have my father

See:

See me talk with thee.

Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue; moft beautiful Pagan, moft fweet Jew! if a chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd; but, adieu! thefe foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly fpirit: adieu !

Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot..
Alack, what heinous fin is it in me,
To be afham'd to be my father's child
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners: O Lorenzo,

[Exit.

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

[Exit.

SCENE, the STREET.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio. TAY, we will flink away in fupper-time, difguife us at my lodging, and return all in an

Lor. N guife

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 not undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four a-clock, we have two hours' To furnish us. Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

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

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.

Gra. Love-news, in faith..

Laun. By your leave, Sir.

Lor. Whither goest thou?

Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old mafter the Jew tor

fun to night with my new mafter the chrifion

The Merchant of VENICE. not fail her; fpeak it privately.

113

Gentlemen, will you prepare for this mafque to

night?

provided of a torch-bearer.

[Exit Laun.

Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it ftrait.

7. And fo will I.

. Meet me, and Gratiano,

atiano's lodging fome hour hence.

'Tis good, we do fo.

7. Was not that letter from fair

. I must needs tell thee all; fhe hath directed,

I fhall take her from her father's house;

gold and jewels fhe is furnish'd with; page's fuit fhe hath in readiness.

r the Jew her father come to heav'n,
1 be for his gentle daughter's fake:
ever dare misfortune cross her foot,
fhe do it under this excufe,
fhe is iffue to a faithless Jew.

go with me; perufe this, as thou goeft;

effica fhall be my torch-bearer.

SCENE, Shylock's House.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt.

7ELL, thou fhalt fee, thy eyes shall be thy

WE judge,

ifference of old Shylock and Baffanio.

Jeffica! thou shalt not gormandize, u haft done with me →→→→ what, Jeffica! eep and fnore, and rend apparel out. Feffica! I fay.

n. Why, Jeffica!

Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call.

n. Your worship was wont to tell me, that I do nothing without bidding.

Enter Jeffica.

Call you? what is your will?

Shy

Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, Jeffica;
There are my keys: but wherefore fhould I go?
I am not bid for love; they flatter me :
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon

The prodigal chriftian. Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my houfe; I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a brewing towards my reft,
For I did dream of mony-bags to night.

Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young mafter doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have confpired together, I will not fay, you fhall fee a mafque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nofe fell a bleeding on black monday laft, at fix a clock i'th morning, falling out that year on Afh-Wednesday was four year in the af

ternoon.

Shy. What! are there mafques? hear you me, Jeffica. Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, And the vile fqueaking of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber not you up to the cafements then, Nor thrust your head into the publick street, To gaze on christian fools with varnish'd faces: But ftop my houfe's ears; I mean, my cafements; Let not the found of fhallow foppery enter My fober house. By Jacob's ftaff, I swear, I have no mind of feafting forth to night: But I will go; go you before me, firrah:

Say, I will come.

Laun. I will go before, Sir.

Miftrefs, look out at window, for all this;

There will come a christian by,

Will be worth a Jewess' eye.

[Exit Laun.

Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's off-fpring, ha ? Jef. His words were, farewel, miftrefs; nothing else. Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder: Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day

More than the wild