20

1 Fearful guard means a guard that is not to be trusted, but gives cause of fear, i. e. hath. made the valiant afraid.

Laun. [aside.] O heavens, this is my true-begotten father! who, being more than sand-blind high-gravel blind, knows me not:-I will try coclusions with him.

Gob. Master, young gentleman, I pray you which is the way to mister Jews?

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

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

Gob. Lord, how thou art chang'd! How dost thou and thy master agree? I have brought him ola present: How agree you now?

Laun. Well, wil; but for mine own part, as I have set up my rest to run away, so I will not rest 'till I have run some ground: "My master's a very Jew; give him a present! give him a halter:

Laun. Talk you of young ma ter Launcelot ?Mark me now, [aside.] now will I raise the wa-51 am famish'd in his service; you may tell every ters:-Talk you of young master Launcelot ?

Gob. No, master, sir, but a poor man's son; 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 20 talk of young master Launcelot.

Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, sir. Laun. But I pray you ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you; Talk you of young master Launcelot?

23

Gob. Of Launcelot, an' please your mastership. Laun. Ergo, master Launcelot, talk not of master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman (according to fates and destinies,and such odd sayings, the sisters three, and such branches of learn-30 ing) is, indeed, deceased; or, as you would say, in plain terms, gone to heaven.

Gob. Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop.

Laun. Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovel-post, 35 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 rest his soul !) alive, or dead ?

Laun. Do you not know me, father?
Gob. Alack, sir, I am sand-blind, I know you

not.

inger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come; give your present to one master Bassanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I serve not him, I will run as far as God has any ground.-O rare fortune! here comes the man-to him, father; for I am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer.

Enter Bassanio, with Leonardo, and a follower

or two more.

Buss. You may do so:-but let it be so hasted, that supper be ready at the farthest by five of the clock. See these letters deliver'd; put the liveries to making; and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging.

Laun. To him, father.

Gob. God bless your worship!

Bass. Gramercy; Wouldst thou aught with me?
Gob. Here's my son, sir, a poor boy,

Laun. Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man; that would, sir, as my father shall specify,— Gob. He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve

Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew, and have a desire as my father shall spe40 cify,

Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will 45 tell you news of your son: Give me your blessing: truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long, a man's son may ; but, in the end, truth will

out.

Gob. Pray you, sir, stand up; I am sure, you are not Launcelot, my boy.

Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but give me your blessing; I am Launcelot,| your boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall be.

Gob. I cannot think, you are my son. Laun. I know not what I shall think of that: but I am Launcelot, the Jew's man; and, I am sure, Margery, your wife, is my mother.

Gob. His master and he (saving your worship's reverence) are scarce cater-cousins:

Laun. To be brief, the very truth is, that the, Jew having done me wrong, doth cause me, as my father, being I hope an old man, shall frutify unto |you,

Gob. I have here a dish of doves, that I would bestow upon your worship; and my suit is,

Laun. In very brief, the suit is impertinent to 50myself, as your worship shall know by this honest old man; and though I say it, though old man, yet poor man, my father.

55

Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be 60 sworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art my own flesh and blood. Lord worshipp'd might he be! what

Bass. One speak for both;-What would you?
Laun. Serve
you, sir.

Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, sir.
Bass. I know thee well, thou hast obtain'd thy

suit:

Shylock, thy master, spoke with me this day,
And hath preferr'd thee; if it be preferment,
To leave a rich Jew's service to become
The follower of so poor a gentleman.
Laun. The old proverb is very well parted be-

That is, I will try experiments with him. 2 Thill, or fill, means the shafts of a cart or waggon.

tween

Jes. I am sorry, thou wilt leave my father so; Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil, Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness:

And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou sce
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest:
Give him this letter; do it secretly,
And so farewell; I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

teen wives is nothing; eleven widows, and nine[15]But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee.
maids, is a simple coming-in for one man: and
then, to 'scape drowning thrice; and to be in pe-
l of my life with the edge of a feather-bed';-
here are simple 'scapes! Well, if fortune be a wo-
man, she's a good wench for this geer. -Father, 20
come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twink-
King of an eye.

[Exeunt Launcelot and old Gobbo.
Bass. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this;
These things being bought, and orderly bestow'd,
Return in haste, for I do feast to-night
My best esteem'd acquaintance; bie thee, go.
Leon. My best endeavours shall be done herein.
Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Where's your master?

Gra. You must not deny me; I must go with you to Belmont.

Bass. Why, then you must;-But hear thee,}
Gratiano:

25

Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue.-
Most beautiful pagan,-most sweet Jew! if a
Christian did not play the knave, and get thee, I
am much deceiv'd: but adieu! these foolish drops
do somewhat drown my manly spirit; adieu!
[Erit.

Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot.-
Alack, what heinous sin is it in me,
To be asham'd to be my father's child!
30 But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners: 0 Lorenzo,
If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife:
Become a Christian, and thy loving wife. [Exit.
SCENE IV.
The Street.

35

Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice;-40
Farts, that become thee happily enough,
And in such eyes as ours appear not faults:
But where thouart not known, why, there they shew
Something too liberal-pray thee, take pain
Toallay with some cold drops of modesty
Thy skipping spirit; lest, through thy wild beha
I be misconstru'd in the place I go to,

And lose my hopes.

Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear me:

If I do not put on a sober habit,

[viour, 45

Talk with respect, and swear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely;
Nay, more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say, amen;
Use all the observance of civility,

50

55

Lik one well studied in a sad ostent

Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night; you shall not gage By what we do to-night.

That is, more ornamented.

Enter Gratians, Lorenzo, Salarino, and Salanio,
Lor. Nay, we will slink away in supper-time;
Disguise us at my lodging, and return
All in an hour.

Gra. We have not made good preparation.
Sal. We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers.
Sala. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered;
And better, in my mind, not undertook.
[hours
Lor. "Tis now but four o'clock: we have two
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 signity.

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. Love-news, in faith.

Laun. By your leave, sir.

Lor. Whither goest thou?

Laun. Marry, sir, to bid my old master the Jew to sup to-night with my new master the 60 Christian.

2 The chiromantic term for the lines of the hand.

phrase to signify the danger of marrying. * That is, too gross, licentious. pearance. To break up was a term in carving.

3 A cant That is, grave apLor.

Lor. Hold here, take this:-tell gentle Jessica,
I will not fail her;-Speak it privately; go.-
Gentlemen,

Will you prepare you for this mask to-night?
I am provided of a torch-bearer. [Ex. Laun.
Sal. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.
Sala. And so will I.

Lor. Meet me, and Grafiano,
At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence.

And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public street,
To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces:
5 But stop myhouse's ears, I mean my casements;
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house.-By Jacob's staff, I swear,
I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:
But I will go.-Go you before me, sirrah:
Say, I will come.
Laun. I will go before, sir.
Mistress, look out at window, for all this;
There will come a Christian by,

Sal. 'Tis good we do so. [Ex. Salar. and Satan. 10
Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica?

Lor. I must needs tell thee all: she hath di-
rected,

How I must take her from her father's house;
What gold, and jewels, she is furnish'd with;
What page's suit she hath in readiness.
Ife'er the Jew her father come to heaven,
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;
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

SCENE V.

Shylock's House.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt.

Jes. Call you? what is your will?

thing else.

Will be worth a Jewess' eye. [Exit Laun 15 Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? Jes. His words were, Farewell, mistress; no[feeder, Shy. The patch is kind enough; but a huge Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day 20 More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me: Therefore I part with him; and part with hum To one that I would have him help to waste His borrow'd purse.-Well, Jessica, go in; Perhaps, I will return immediately;

25 Do, as I bid you.

30

35

Shut the doors after you: Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind, [Exit.
Jes. Farewel; and if my fortune be not crost,
I have a father, you a daughter, lost. [Exit

Desir'd us to make stand.

Sal. His hour is almost past.

Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour,

40 For lovers ever run before the clock.

Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica;
There are my keys:-But wherefore should I go?
I am not bid for love; they flatter me:
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
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 mas-50
ter doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Sal. O, ten times faster Venus' pigeons fly
To seal love's bonds new made, than they are wont
To keep obliged faith unforfeited!

Gra. That ever holds: Who riseth from a feast
45 With that keen appetite that he sits down?
Where is the horse, that doth untread again
His tedious measures with the unbated fire
That he did pace them first? All things that are
Are with more spirit chased than enjoy'd.
How like a younker, or a prodigal,

Laun. And they have conspired together,-1
will not say, you shall see a masque; but if you
do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell 55
a-bleeding on Black-Monday last', at six o'clock
i' the morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wed-
nesday was four in the afternoon.

Shy. What are there masques? Hear you me,
Jessica:

Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,

The skarfed bark puts from her native bay,
Hugg'd and embraced by the strumpet wind!
How like a prodigal doth she return;
With over-weather'd ribs, and ragged sails,
Lean, rent, and beggar'd by the strumpet wind!
Enter Lorenzo.

Sal. Here comes Lorenzo:-more of this here-
after.
[abode;
Lor. Sweet friends, your patience for my long
60 Not I, but my affairs, have made you wait:
When you shall please to play the thieves for wives,

1 Black-Monday, according to Stowe, means Easter-Monday, and was so called from Edward III. having lost a part of his army, then besieging Paris, by cold on that day, which was also remarkably dark and misty. ? i. e. the fool.

I'll watch as long for you then.-Approach;
Here dwells my father Jew: Ho! who's within?
Jessica above, in boy's cloaths.
Jes. Who are you? tell me, for more certainty,
Albeit I'll swear that I do know
5
your tongue.

Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love.
Jes. Lorenzo, certain; and my love indeed;
For who love I so much? and now who knows,
But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours?

that thou art.

Lor. Heaven, and thy thoughts, are witness 10
[pains.
Jes. Here, catch this casket; it is worth the
I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me,
For I am much asham'd of my exchange:
But love is blind, and lovers cannot see
The pretty follies that themselves commit;
For if they could, Cupid himself would blush
To see me thus transformed to a boy.

How shall I know if I do chuse the right?

Por. The one of them contains my picture,prince:
If you chuse that, then I am yours withal.

Mor.Some god direct my judgment: Let me see,
I will survey the inscriptions back again :
What says this leaden casket?

Who chuseth me, must give and hazard all he "hath." [lead? 15 Must give-For what? for lead? hazard for This casket threatens: Men, that hazard all, Do it in hope of fair advantages: A goiden mind stoops not to shows of dross; I'll then nor give, nor hazard aught for lead. What says the silver, with her virgin hue? "Whochuseth me, shall get as much as he deserves." As much as he deserves?-Pause there, Morocco, And weigh thy value with an even hand: If thou be'st rated by thy estimation,

Lor. Descend, for you must be my torch-bearer.
Jes. What, must I hold a candle to my shames? 20
They in themselves, good socth, are too too light.
Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love;
And I should be obscur'd.

Lor. So you are, sweet,

Even in the lovely garnish of a boy.

But come at once:

For the close night doth play the run-away,
And we are staid for at Bassanio's feast.

Jes. I will make fast the doors, and gild myself With some more ducats, and be with you straight. 30 [Exit from above.

Gra. Now, by my hood, a Gentile', and no Jew.
Lor. Beshrew me, but I love her heartily:
For she is wise, if I can judge of her;
And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true;
And true she is, as she hath prov'd herself;
And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true,
Shall she be placed in my constant soul.

Enter Jessica, below.
What, art thou come?-On, gentlemen, away;
Our masquing mates by this time for us stay.
[Exit with Jessica, &c.
Enter Anthonio.

Anth. Who's there?
Gra. Signior Anthonio?

Anth. Fie, fie, Gratiaño! where are all the rest? 'Tis nine o'clock; our friends all stay for you:No masque to-night; the wind is come about, Bassanio presently will go aboard:

I have sent twenty out to seek for you.

Gra. I am glad on't; I desire no more delight, Than to be under sail, and gone to-night.

25 Thou dost deserve enough; and yet enough
May not extend so far as to the lady;
And yet to be afeard of my deserving,
Were but a weak disabling of myself.
As much as I deserve!-Why, that's the lady;
I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes,
In graces, and in qualities of breeding;
But, more than these, in love I do deserve.
What if I stray'd no farther, but chose here?—
Let's see once more this saying grav'd in gold.
35 Whochuseth me, shall gain what many men desire.'
Why, that's the lady; all the world desires her:
From the four corners of the earth they come,
To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint.
The Hyrcanian deserts, and the vasty wilds
40 Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For princes to come view fair Portia :
The watry kingdom, whose ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To stop the foreign spirits; but they come,
45 As o'er a brook, to see fair Portia.

One of these three contains her heavenly picture.
Is't like, that lead contains her? "Twere damna-

Our author here quibbles upon Gentile, which signifies one that is well born, as well as a heathen.

2i. e. engraved upon.

Mor.