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Therefore, [I pray you,] lead me to the caskets,
To try my fortune. By this scimitar,)
25 That slew the Sophy, and a Persian prince! |
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman, |
I would out-stare the sternest eyes) that look, |
Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth,]
Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear,]
30 Yea, mock the lion) when he roars for prey, |
To win thee, lady.) But, [alas the while!]
If Hercules and Lichas play at dice |

Which is the better man, the greater throw May turn by fortune from the weaker hand :| 35 So is Alcides beaten by his page ;|

And so may I, blind fortune leading me,
Miss that which, one unworthier may attain, ]
And die with grieving.]

Por.

You must take your chance;

And either not attempt to choose at all,]

40 Or swear) before you choose,- if you choose wrong, |

Never to speak to lady afterward

In way of marriage ;) therefore be advised. |

Mor. Nor will not ;] come,] bring me unto my chance.]
Por. First, forward to the temple ;] after dinner

45 Your hazard shall be made. |

Mor.

Good fortune then

[Cornets.

[Exeunt.

To make me bless'd, or cursed'st among men.]

The Second Scene of this Act takes us back to Venice, where there is a most ludicrous conversation going on between Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock's servant, and his poor old blind father. Launcelot wishes to leave the Jew's service, where he is but ill fed, and worse paid; and his father has been trying to get him a better place in Bassanio's household. In the midst of the conversation, Bassanio, with Leonardo and others, comes in, and Launcelot is formally engaged by him, and told to go and assist in making ready the зupper which he is about to give to his friends. Scene Third opens in Shy

25. Sophy.-A title of the kings of Persia.

29. The rhythm in this line is defective.

Twice the arsis or rhythmical accent is on the weak, unemphatic the, and the last foot is a spondee instead of an iambus.

lock's house, where Launcelot is taking leave of Jessica, who seizes the opportunity of despatching a letter by him to Lorenzo-arranging the time and manner of her elopement.

SCENE III.

Venice. A Room in SHYLOCK's House.

Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT.

Jess. I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so ; |
Our home 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 :|
5 And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest: |
Give him this letter ;] do it secretly,]

10

And so farewell;| I would not have my father
See me in talk with thee.

Most beauti

Laun. Adieu !-tears exhibit* my tongue. ful pagan,—most sweet Jew! If a Christian do not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceived: But, adieu ! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu !

Jess. Farewell. good Launcelot. I

Alack, what heinous sin is it in me,

To be asham'd to be my father's child !|

[Exit.

But though I am a daughter to his blood, |
I am not to his manners :] O Lorenzo,

15 If thou keep promise, | I shall end this strife ;] Become a Christian, and thy loving wife.]

[Exit.

SCENE IV.

Venice.-A Street.

Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SOLANIO.

Lor. Nay, we will slink away in supper-time ;|

5. Shalt thou see, for wilt thou see. See Act 1. Scene 3, 83, note.

Exhibit-Used in the sense of pro

hibit, and with the intention of conveying the idea of Launcelot being an illiterate person.

5

10

Disguise us at my lodging,] and return.

All in an hour.]

Gra. We have not made good preparation. I
Salar. We have not spoke us yet of torchbearers.
Solan. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd ; |
And better, in my mind, not undertook.]

Lor. 'Tis now but four o'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 shall seem to signify.

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.

Laun. By your leave, sir.

Lor. Whither goest thou?

Love-news, in faith.

Laun. Marry, sir, to bid my old master the Jew to sup 15 to-night with my new master the Christian.

20

Lor. Hold here, take this :-tell gentle Jessica

I will not fail her ;-speak it privately: go, [Exit Laun.
Gentlemen,

Will you prepare you for this masque to-night?
I am provided of a torchbearer.

Salar. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.
Solan. And so will I.

Lor.

Meet me and Gratiano
hour hence.

At Gratiano's lodging some

4. Spoke us.-Observe here first the old form of the participle spoke for spoken; and, secondly, the reflective use of the verb speak, equivalent to discuss.

5. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd.-The subject of discussion here is making ready for some freak during the masquerade, and Solario thinks, it had better not be undertaken at all than done

badly. In the midst of this Jessica's letter arrives and alters the plan. Fair Jessica is now to be the torch-bearer.

18. Will you prepare you.-The simple Personal Pronoun was used formerly where we now employ the Reflective Pronoun. In poetry the archaism is not unfrequent. See Goldsmith's Deserted Village, 86, "to lay me down."

Salar. 'Tis good we do so.

[Ex. SALAR. and SOLAN.

25

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica ?| Lor. I must needs tell thee all :| She hath directed | How I shall take her from her father's house; | What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with ; | What page's suit she hath in readiness. |· If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven, | 30 It will be for his gentle daughter's sake :| And never dare misfortune cross her foot, | Unless she do it under this excuse,

That she is issue to a faithless Jew. |

Come,] go with me ;] peruse this] as thou goest: 35 Fair Jessica shall be my torchbearer. |

SCENE V.

Venice.-Before SHYLOCK's House.

Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT.

[Exeunt.

Shy. Well, thou shalt see ;) thy eyes shall be thy judge ;| The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio :)

[What, Jessica !]-Thou shalt not gormandize, |

As thou hast done with me; | [What, Jessica !]— 5 And sleep] and snore,] and rend apparel out ;-] Why, Jessica, I say!

Laun.

Why, Jessica !

Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me I could do nothing without bidding. I

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But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
15 The prodigal Christian.-Jessica, my girl,
Look to my house :-I am right loth to go;
There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun. I beseech you, sir, go; my young master doth 20 expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have conspired together,—I will not say, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on Black-Monday last, at six o'clock i' the morning, falling out that year on AshWednesday was four year in the afternoon.

:

Shy. What are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica:
Lock up my doors and,) when you hear the drum,
And the vile squealing of the wry-neck'd fife, |
Clamber not you up to the casements then,)
25 Nor thrust your head into the public street,

To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces :]
But stop my house's ears,] [I mean my casements ;]
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house. -- By Jacob's staff I swear,
30 I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:
But I will go.-Go you before me, sirrah;
Say, I will come.

35

Laun.

I will go before, sir.-
Mistress, look out at window, for all this;

There will come a Christian by,
Will be worth a Jewess' eye.

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[Exit LAUN.

Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha?
Jess. His words were, Farewell, mistress; nothing else.
Shy. The patch is kind enough; but a huge feeder,

20. Reproach.-Used by Launcelot for approach. See Act II. Scene 3, note *.

21. Shylock takes reproach in its right sense. 35. Will be worth a Jewess' eye.-The relative who is left out, contrary to tho present usage of the English Grammar,

which only admits of leaving out the objective case of the relative pronouns.

37. Patch.-A name given to a domestic fool, probably from his patched dress. It came afterwards to be an ordinary term of contempt.

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