Gra. You must not deny me; with you to Belmont, I m Bass. Why, then you must;-But thee, Gratiano; Thou art too wild, too rude, and b voice; Parts, that become thee happily enough And in such eyes as ours appear not faul But where thou art not known, why, they shew Something too liberal ;5-pray thee, tak To allay with some cold drops of modes Thy skipping spirit; lest, through thy behaviour, I be misconstrued in the place I go to, And lose my hopes. Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear If I do not put on a sober habit,7 5 Something too liberal;] Liberal I have a shewn to be mean, gross, coarse, licentious, JOH So, in Othello: "Is he not a most profan liberal counsellor ?" STEEVENS. 6 -allay with some cold drops of modesty So in Hamlet: 7 66 Upon the heat and flame of thy diste put on a sober habit, &c.] Ha imagine, is here to be understood as conduct haviour, &c. Talk with respect, and swear but now and then, Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look de murely; Nay more, while grace eyes 8 is saying, hood mine Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say, Amen; Use all the observance of civility, Like one well studied in a sad ostent 9 To please his grandam, never trust me more. Bass. Well, we shall see your bearing.1 8 Gra. -hood mine eyes] Alluding to the manner of covering a hawk's eyes. So, in the Tragedy of Cræsus, 1604: 9 "And like a hooded hawk," &c. STEEVENS, -sad ostent] Grave appearance; shew of staid and serious behaviour. JOHNSON. Ostent is a word very commonly used for show among the old dramatic writers. So, in Heywood's Iron Age, 1632 : 66 -you in those times "Did not affect ostent." Again, in Chapman's translation of Homer, edit. 1598, b. vi. 66 -did bloodie vapours raine "For sad ostent," &c. STEEVENS. -your bearing.] Bearing is carriage, de portment. So, in Twelfth-night: "Take and give back affairs, and their dispatch "With such a smooth, discreet and stable bearing." Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night; you shall not gage me 2 By what we do to-night. Bass. No, that were pity; I would entreat you rather to put on Your boldest suit of mirth, 3 for we have friends That purpose merriment: But fare you well, I have some business. Gra. And I must to Lorenzo, and the rest; But we will visit you at supper-time. [Exeunt. -you shall not gage me, &c.] You shall not estimate what I am capable of: To gage is "to measure; to take the contents of any vessel; of liquids particularly," according to Dr. Johnson's definition. E. 3 Your boldest suit of mirth,] A metaphorical allusion, it is probable, to that part of Gratiano's speech just before; 66 If I do not put on a sober habit," &c. and seeming to confirm the sense in which that line has been explained. E. SCENE SCENE II.* A Room in Shylock's House. Enter Jessica and Launcelot. Jes. I am sorry, thou wilt leave my father so; Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil, And so farewell; I would not have my father Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue.IMost beautiful pagan,-most sweet Jew! if a Christian did not play the knave, and get thee, * SCENE II. In former editions, Scene 3.-The time is a part of the same day, and may be supposed to follow shortly after that of the preceding. Launcelot in that, upon being taken into Bassanio's service, had been desired by him to " go, and take leave of " his old master ;" He now appears with Jessica in Shylock's house, and, no doubt, comes there for that purpose. E. I -tears exhibit my tongue.] My tears serve to express what my tongue should, if sorrow would permit it. E. thee, I am much deceiv'd: but adieu foolish drops do somewhat drown my spirit; adieu! Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot.Alack, what heinous sin is it in me, To be asham'd to be my father's child! 2 If a Christian do not play the knave, thee, &c.]" If a Christian" (says Launce receiving a love-letter for Lorenzo)" do not p 66 knave, and carry thee away from thy "house, I am much deceived." I should n attempted to explain so easy a passage, ignorant editor of the second folio, thinkin bably the word get must necessarily mean beg not altered the text, and substituted did in th of do, the reading of all the old and au editions; in which he has been copied by subsequent editor. Launcelot is not talking Jessica's father, but about her future husba am aware that, in a subsequent Scene, he Jessica, Marry, you may partly hope your got you not," but he is now on another su 66 66 M From the general censure expressed in the H ing note I take leave to exempt Mr. Reed; w following the first folio, was no sharer in the piable guilt of the second. STEEVENS. Of modern editions the reading of the o copies, which I conceive to have been erro was, there is reason to believe, first introduce that conducted by Mr. Reed, and publish 1785. With all due respect to the accuracy o Malone's taste in points of this nature, I canno being of opinion that, whatever general ign |