Ar. Still more fool I fhall appear, By the time I linger here: With one fool's head I came to woo, Sweet, adieu !-I'll keep my oath, [Exit. Por. Thus hath the candle fing'd the moth. Enter a Servant. Serv. Where is my lady? Por. Here; what would my lord? A day in April never came so sweet, Por. No more, I pray thee; I am half afraid, Thou spend'ft fuch high-day wit in praifing him.- [Exe. ACT III. SCENE I. A Street in Venice. Enter SALANIO, and SOLARINO. Solarino. NOW, what news on the Rialto? Sal. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd, that Anthonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow feas, the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very danVOL. II. D gerous flat, and fatal, where the carcafes of many a tall fhip lie buried, as they fay, if my goffip Report be an honeft woman of her word. Sola. I would fhe were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knapt ginger; or made her neighbours believe the wept for the death of a third husband: But it is true,without any flips of prolixity, or croffing the plain highway of talk,—that the good Anthonio, the honest Anthonio,-O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company ! Sal. Come, the full ftop. Sola. Ha,-What say'st thou ?—Why, the end is, he hath loft a fhip. Sal. I would it might prove the end of his loffes! Sola. Let me fay amen betimes, left the devil cross thy prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.Enter SHYLOCK. How now, Shylock? what news among the merchants? Shy. You knew, none fo well, none fo well as you, of my daughter's flight. Sal. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings the flew withal. Sola. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledg'd; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam. Shy. She is damn'd for it. Sal. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge. Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel! Sola. Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at thefe years? Shy. I fay, my daughter is my flesh and blood. Sal. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers, than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods, than there is between red wine and rhenish :But tell us, do you hear, whether Anthonio have had any lofs at fea or no? Shy. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare fcarce fhew his head on the Rialto; -a beggar, that us'd to come fo fnug upon the mart: -let him look to his bond: he was wont to call me ufurer:-let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Chriftan courtesy :-let him look to his bond. Sal. Why, I am fure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flefh: What's that good for? Shy. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath difgrac'd me, and hinder'd me of half a million; laugh'd at my loffes, mock'd at my gains, fcorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies: And what's his reafon? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimenfions, fenfes, affections, pasfions? fed with the fame food, hurt with the fame weapons, fubject to the fame difeafes, heal'd by the fame means, warm'd and cool'd by the fame winter and fummer, as a Christian is? if you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poifon us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, fhall we not revenge? if we are like you in the reft, we will refemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Chriftian, what is his humility? revenge. If a Chriftian wrong a Jew, what should his fufferance be by Chriftian example? why, revenge. The villany, you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard, but I will better the inftruction. Enter a Servant. Serv. Gentlemen, my mafter Anthonio is at his house, and defires to fpeak with you both. Sal. We have been up and down to seek him. Enter TUBAL. Sola. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be match'd, unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt SAL. and SOLA. Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? haft thou found my daughter? Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her. Shy. Why there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, coft me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! the curfe never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now: -two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! O, 'would fhe were hears'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them?-Why, fo :-and I know not what's spent in the fearch: Why, thou lofs upon lofs ! the thief gone with fo much, and fo much to find the thief; and no fatisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill luck stirring, but what lights o' my shoulders; no fighs, but o' my breathing; no tears, but o' my shedding. Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Anthonio, as I heard in Genoa Shy. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck? Tub. Hath an argofy caft away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God, I thank God :-Is it true? is it true? Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck. Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal :-Good news, good news ha ha!-Where? in Genoa ? Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats. Shy. Thou ftick'st a dagger in me: I fhall never see my gold again: Fourfcore ducats at a fitting! fourscore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Anthonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that fwear he cannot choose but break. Shy. I am glad of it. I'll plague him; I'll torture him. I am glad of it. Tub. One of them shewed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her! Thou tortureft me, Tubal :—It was my turquoife; I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor [8] I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkies. Tub. But Anthonio is certainly undone. Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true: Go, Tubal, fee me an officer, bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandize I will. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our fynagogue; go, good Tubal, at our fynagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt. [8] As Shylock had been married long enough to have a daughter grown up, it is plain he did not value this Turquoife on account of the money for which he might hope to fell it, but merely in refpect of the imaginary virtues formerly afcribed to the ftone. It was faid of the Turky-ftone, that it faded or brightened in its colour, as the health of the wearer increased or grew lefs. To this B. Jonfon refers in his Sejanus : "And true as Turkife is my dear lord's ring; Other fuperftitious qualities are imputed to it, all of which were either monitory or preservative to the wearer. STEEV. SCENE II. Belmont. Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, and Por. I pray you tarry ;-pause a day or two, But left you should not understand me well, I fpeak too long; but 'tis to piece the time, Baff. Let me choose; For, as I am, I live upon the rack.. Por. Upon the rack, Baffanio? then confefs What treason there is mingled with your love. Baff. None, but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear the enjoying of my love : There may as well be amity and life "Tween fnow and fire, as treafon and my love. Por. Ay, but, I fear, you speak upon the rack, Baff. Promise me life, and I'll confefs the truth. Baff. Confefs, and love, Had been the very fum of my confeffion. D 2 |