And fay, there is much kindness in the Jew.
BASS. You shall not feal to fuch a bond for me,
I'll rather dwell in my neceffity.

ANT. Why, fear not man; I will not forfeit it;
Within these two months, that's a month before
This bond expires, I do expect return

Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

SHY. O father Abraham, what these Christians are ;
Whose own hard dealings teaches them fufpect
The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this;
If he should break his day, what fhould I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture ?

A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not fo estimable, profitable neither,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I fay,.
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship:
If he will take it, fo; if not, adieu;

And, for my love, I pray you, wrong me not.
ANT. Yes, Shylock, I will feal unto this bond.
SHr. Then meet me forthwith at the notary's;
Give him direction for this merry bond,

And I will go and purse the ducats straight;

See to my house, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave; and presently

ANT. Hie thee, gentle Jew.

This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows

[Exit.

kind.

BASS. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind. ANT. Come on; in this there can be no difmay, My ships come home a month before the day. [Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I. Belmont. A Room in PORTIA'S House.

Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of MOROCCO, and his train; PORTIA, NERISSA, and other of her attendants.

MOR. Mislike me not for my complexion,
The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phoebus' fire fcarce thaws the ificles,
And let us make incifion for your love,
Το prove whose blood is reddeft, his, or mine.
I tell thee, lady, this afpéct of mine
Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love, I swear,
The best-regarded virgins of our clime

Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen.
POR. In terms of choice I am not folely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes:
Besides, the lottery of my destiny

Bars me the right of voluntary choofing:
But, if my
father had not fcanted me,

And hedg'd me by his wit, to yield myself

His wife, who wins me by that means I told you,
Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair,

MOR. Even for that I thank you ;

Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets,
To try my fortune. By this fcimitar,—
That flew the Sophy, and a Perfian prince,
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,-
I would out-ftare the fternest eyes that look,
Out-brave the heart most daring on the earth,
Pluck the young fucking cubs from the she bear,

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 :
So is Alcides beaten by his page;

And fo may I, blind fortune leading me,
Mifs that which one unworthier may attain,
And die with grieving.

And either not attempt to choose at all,
Or fwear, before you choose,-if you choose
Never to speak to lady afterward

In way of marriage; therefore be advis'd.

wrong,

MOR. Nor will not; come, bring me unto my chance.

POR. First, forward to the temple; after dinner

Your hazard fhall be made.

MOR. Good fortune then!

To make me blefs't, or curfed'ft among men.

[Cornets. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. Venice. A Street.

Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO.

LAUN. Certainly, my confcience will ferve me to run from this Jew my master: The fiend is at mine elbow ; and tempts me, faying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, ufe your legs, take the fart, run away: My confcience fays,— no; take heed, honeft Launcelot; take heed, honeft Gobbo; or, as aforefaid, honeft Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; fcorn running with thy heels: Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; via! fays the fiend; away! fays the fiend, for the heavens; roufe up a brave mind, fays the fiend, and run. Well, my confcience, hanging about the neck of my

heart, says very wifely to me, my boneft friend Launcelot, being an honest man's fon,—or rather an honest woman's fon ;—for, indeed, my father did fomething fmack, fomething grow to, he had a kind of tafte;-well, my confcience fays, Launcelot, budge not; budge, fays the fiend; budge not, fays my confcience: Conscience, say I, you counsel well; fiend, fay I, you counsel well: to be ruled by my confcience, I should stay with the Jew my mafter, who, (God bless the mark!) is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I fhould be ruled by the fiend, who, faving your reverence, is the devil himself: Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and, in my confcience, my confcience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew: The fiend gives the more friendly counfel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment, I will run. Enter old GOBBO, with a basket.

GOB. Master, young man, you, I pray you; which is the way to master Jew's?

LAUN. [afide.] O heavens, this is my true begotten father! who, being more than fand-blind, high-gravel blind, knows me not:-I will try conclufions with him.

GOB. Mafter young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's?

LAUN. Turn up on your right hand, at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's house.

GOB. By God's fonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit. Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?

LAUN. Talk you of young master Launcelot ?— Mark me now; [afide.] now will I raise the waters :VOL. II.

H

Talk you of young mafter Launcelot ?

GOB. No mafter, fir, but a poor man's fon; his father, though I say it, is an honest exceeding poor man, and, God be thanked, well to live.

LAUN. Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young mafter Launcelot.

GOB. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, fir.

LAUN. But I pray you ergo, old man, ergo, I befeech you; Talk you of young mafter Launcelot ?

GOB. Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership.

LAUN. Ergo, mafter Launcelot; talk not of master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman (according to fates and deftinies, and fuch odd fayings, the fifters three, and fuch branches of learning,) is, indeed, deceafed; or, as you would fay, in plain terms, gone to heaven. GOB. Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very ftaff of my age, my very prop.

LAUN. Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovel-poft, a staff, or a prop?-Do you know me, father?

GOB. Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman: but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy, (God reft his foul!) alive, or dead?

LAUN. Do you not know me, father?

GOB. Alack, fir, I am fand-blind, I know you not. LAUN. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wife father, that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your fon Give me your bleffing: truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long, a man's fon may; but, in the end, truth will out.

GOB. Pray you, fir, ftand up; I am fure, you are not Launcelot, my boy.

LAUN. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it,