MERCHANT OF VENICE.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

DUKE OF VENICE,

PRINCE OF MOROCCO, Suitors to PORTIA.

PRINCE OF ARRAGON,

ANTONIO, the Merchant of Venice.
BASSANIO, his kinsman and friend.
GRATIANO,

SOLANIO,

SALARINO,

LORENZO, in love with JESSICA.

SHYLOCK, a Jew.

TUBAL, a Jew, his friend.

LAUNCELOT GOBBO, a Clown, servant to SHYLOCK,

Friends to ANTONIO and BASSANIO.

afterwards to BASSANIO.

Old GOBBO, Father to LAUNCELOT.
LEONARDO, Servant to BASSANIO.
BALTHAZAR, Servants to PORTIA.

STEPHANO,

PORTIA, a rich Heiress.

NERISSA, her Waiting-maid.

JESSICA, daughter to SHYLOCK.

Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler, Servants, and other Attendants.

SCENE,-Partly at VENICE, and partly at BELMONT, the seat of Portia, on the Continent.

MERCHANT OF VENICE.

ACT I.

SCENE I-VENICE. A Street.

Enter ANTONIO, SALARINO, and SOLANIO.

Ant. In sooth, I know not why I am so sad :
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;

And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.

Salar. Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail,-
Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood,
Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea,—
Do overpeer the petty traffickers,
That court'sy to them, do them reverence,
As they fly by them with their woven wings.

Solan. Believe me, Sir, had I such venture forth,
The better part of my affections would
Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still
Plucking the grass, to know where sits the wind;
Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads;
And every object that might make me fear
Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt
Would make me sad.

Salar. My wind, cooling my broth, Would blow me to an ague, when I thought What harm a wind too great might do at sea.

I should not see the sandy hour-glass run,
But I should think of shallows and of flats;
And see my wealthy Andrew dock'd in sand,
Vailing her high top lower than her ribs,
To kiss her burial. Should I go to church,
And see the holy edifice of stone,
And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks,
Which, touching but my gentle vessel's side,
Would scatter all her spices on the stream;
Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks;
And, in a word, but even now worth this,
And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought
To think on this; and shall I lack the thought,
That such a thing bechanc'd would make me sad?
But tell not me; I know, Antonio

Is sad to think upon his merchandize.

Ant. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it,
My ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate
Upon the fortune of this present year :
Therefore, my merchandize makes me not sad.
Salar. Why, then you are in love.
Ant.

Fie, fie!

Salar. Not in love neither? Then let's say, you are sad, Because you are not merry: and 'twere as easy For you to laugh, and leap, and say you are merry, Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath fram'd strange fellows in her time: Some that will evermore peep through their eyes, And laugh, like parrots, at a bag-piper;

And other of such vinegar aspèct,

That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile,
Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

Solan. Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman,

Gratiano, and Lorenzo. Fare you well:

We leave you now with better company.

Salar. I would have stay'd till I had made you merry, If worthier friends had not prevented me.

Ant. Your worth is very dear in my regard.
I take it, your own business calls on you,
And you embrace the occasion to depart.

Enter BASSANIO, LORENZO, and GRATIANO. Salar. Good morrow, my good lords.