Duke. Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner, Por. I humbly do defire your Grace of pardon; I muft away this night to Padua, And it is meet, I prefently fet forth.

Duke. I'm forry, that your leifure ferves you not. Anthonio, gratify this gentleman; For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. [Exit Duke and his train. Baff. Moft worthy gentleman! I and my friend Have by your wifdom been this day acquitted Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof, Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew, We freely cope your courteous pains withal.

Ant. And ftand indebted, over and above,
In love and service to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid, that is well fatisfy'd;
And I, delivering you, am fatisfy'd,
And therein do account my felf well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;
I wish you well, and fo I take my leave.

Baff Dear Sir, of force I must attempt you further.
Take fome remembrance of us, for a tribute,
Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield. Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your fake, And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you. Do not draw back your hand, I'll take no more; And you in love fhall not deny me this.

Baff. This ring, good Sir, alas, it is a trifle; I will not fhame my felf to give you this.

Por. I will have nothing else but only this, And now, methinks, I have a mind to it,

τάγων τὰ ̓Αθίωαίων ἤθη εις Τροίαν. And fo Ariftophanes, in his Frogs, when the Scene is in the Infernal Regions, makes Eacus talk of an Edict pass'd in Hell for granting Artists a Subfiftence out of the Prytaneum. In This, fays the Scholiaft, a Cuftom is transferr'd to the Lower Regions, which was establish'd in Athens. Tauτa METαgéper ἀπὸ ~ ἐν ̓Αττικῇ ἐξῶν, εἰς τὰ καθ ̓ ἅδο. A Number of Inftances more, of this fort, might be amafs'd from the antient Stage-writers.

Ball

Baff. There's more depends on this, than is the value.
The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,
And find it out by proclamation;
Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Por. I fee, Sir, you are liberal in offers;
You taught me firft to beg, and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar fhould be answer'd.

Baff. Good Sir, this ring was giv'n me by my wife.
And, when the put it on, the made me vow,
That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lose it.

Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts, And if your wife be not a mad woman, And know how well I haye deferv'd the ring, She wou'd not hold out enmity for ever, For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you! [Exit with Nerissa.

Anth. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainft your wife's commandement.
Baff, Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'ft,
Unto Anthonio's houfe: away, make hafte.
Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont; come, Anthonio.

[Exit Gra.

[Exeunt.

Re-enter Portia and Neriffa.

Por. Enquire the Jew's house out, give him this Deed, And let him fign it; we'll away to night, And be a day before our husbands home: This Deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Fair Sir, you are well o'erta'en:
My lord Baffanio, upon more advice,
Hath fent you here this ring, and doth intreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be.

This ring I do accept most thankfully,
And fo, I pray you, tell him; furthermore,

I pray you, fhew my Youth old Shylock's house.

Gra. That will I do.

[To Por.

Ner. Sir, I would fpeak with you. I'll fee if I can get my husband's ring: Which I did make him fwear to keep for ever. Por. Thou may'ft, I warrant. We fhall have old fwearing,

That they did give the rings away to men; But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too: Away, make hafte, thou know'ft where I will tarry. Ner. Come, good Sir, will you fhew me to this house? [Exeunt,

A C T V.

SCENE, BELMONT. A Grove, or Green place before Portia's House.

Enter Lorenzo and Jeffica.

LORENZ o.

T

HE moon fhines bright: In fuch a night as this,

When the fweet wind did gently kifs the trees, And they did make no noise; in such a night, Troylus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall; And figh'd his foul toward the Grecian tents, Where Creffid lay that night.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew;
And faw the lion's fhadow ere himself,
And ran difmayed away.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
Upon the wild fea-banks, and way'd her love
To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs,
That did renew old fon.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Did Jeffica fteal from the wealthy Jew,
And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,
As far as Belmont.

Jef. And in fuch a night,

Did young Lorenzo fwear, he lov'd her well;
Stealing her foul with many vows of faith,
And ne'er a true one.

Lor. And in fuch a night,
Did pretty Jeffica (like a little fhrew)
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

Jef. I would out-night you, did no body come:
But hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter Stephano.

Lor. Who comes fo faft, in filence of the night? Mef. A friend.

+

Lor. What friend? your name, I pray you, friend? Mef. Stephano is my name, and I bring word, My mistress will before the break of day Be here at Belmont: fhe doth ftray about By holy Croffes, where the kneels, and prays, For happy wedlock hours.

Lor. Who comes with her?

Mef. None, but a holy hermit, and her maid. I pray you, is my mafter yet return'd?

Lor. He is not, nor have we yet heard from him ;

But go we in, I pray thee, Jeffica,

And ceremoniously let us prepare

Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

Enter Launcelot.

Laun. Sola, fola; wo ha, ho, fola, fola!
Lor. Who calls?

Laun. Sola! did you fee mafter Lorenzo and mistress Lorenza? fola, fola!

Lor. Leave hollowing, man: here.

Laun.

Laun. Sola! where? where?

Lor. Here.

Laun. Tell him, there's a poft come from my master, with his horn full of good news. My mafter will be here ere morning.

Lor. Sweet love, let's in, and there expect their coming. And yet no matter: why fhould we go in? •My friend Stephano, fignific, I pray you, Within the house, your mistress is at hand; [Exit Stephano.

And bring your mufick forth into the air.
How fweet the moon-light fleeps upon this bank!
Here will we fit, and let the founds of mufick
Creep in our ears; foft ftillness, and the night
Become the touches of fweet harmony.
Sit, Jeffica: look, how the floor of heav'n
Is thick inlay'd with patterns of bright gold;
There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,
But in his motion like an angel fings,
Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims;
Such harmony is in immortal founds! (31)
But whilst this muddy vefture of decay
Doth grofly clofe us in, we cannot hear it.
Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn;
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,
And draw her home with mufick.

(31) Such Harmony is in immortal Souls ;] But the Harmony here defcribed is That of the Spheres, fo much celebrated by the Antients. He fays, the malleft Orb fings like an Angel; and then fubjoins, Such Harmony is in immortal Souls: But the Harmony of Angels is not here meant, but of the Orbs. Nor are we to think, that here the Poet alludes to the Notion, that each Orb has its Intelligence or Angel to direct it; for then with no Propriety could he fay, the Orb fung like an Angel: he fhould rather have faid, the Angel in the Orb fung. We must therefore correct the Line thus ;

Such Harmony is in immortal Sounds:

i. e. in the Mufick of the Spheres. Mr. Warburton.

Macrobius, I remember, accounts for our not hearing that Mufick, which is produc'd by the conftant Volubility of the Heavens, from the Organs in the human Ear not being capable, thro' their Straitness, of admitting fo vehement a Sound. Muficam perpetuâ cæli volubilitate nafcentem ideò claro non fentimus auditu, quia major Sonus eft quàm ut humanarum aurium recipiatur angufliis.

Jef.