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To please his grandam, never trust me more.
Bass. Well, we shall see your bearing.5

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

Bass.

No, that were pity;

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest suit of mirth, 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.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

The same. A Room in Shylock's House.

Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT.

father so;

Jes. I am sorry, thou wilt leave my
Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness:
But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see
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.

Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue.

Most beautiful pagan,-most sweet Jew! If a Christian do not play the knave, and get thee, I am much deceived: But, adieu! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit; adieu!

5 Carriage, deportment.

[Exit.

Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot.-
Alack, what heinous sin is it in me,
To be asham'd to be my father's child!
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners: O Lorenzo,

If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife;
Become a Christian, and thy loving wife.

SCENE IV.

1 The same. A Street.

[Exit.

Enter GRATIANO, 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.

Salar. We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers. Salan. "Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd; And better, in my mind, not undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four a-clock; we have two hours 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 signify.

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 Christian. Lor. Hold here, take this :-tell gentle Jessica, I will not fail her ;-speak it privately; go.— Gentlemen, [Exit LAUNCELOT. Will you prepare you for this masque to-night? I am provided of a torch-bearer.

Salar. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight. Salan. And so will I.

Lor.

Meet me, and Gratiano,

At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence.
Salar. 'Tis good we do so.

[Exeunt SALAR, and SALAN.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica ?

Lor. I must needs tell thee all: She hath directed,
How I shall take her from her father's house;
What gold, and jewels, she is furnish'd with;
What page's suit she hath in readiness.
If e'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;
Fair Jessica shall be.
my

peruse this, as thou goest:
torch-bearer.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The same. Before Shylock's House,

Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT.

Shy. Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy
judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio :-
What, Jessica!-thou shalt not gormandize,

As thou hast done with me;

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What, Jessica! And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out ;— Why, Jessica, I say!

Laun.

Why, Jessica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call. Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, I could do nothing without bidding.

Enter JESSICA.

Jes. Call you? What is your will?

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 master doth expect your reproach.

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Shy. So do I his.

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

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

Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the publick street,
To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces :
But stop my house'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,

Will be worth a Jewess' eye.

[Exit LAUN.

Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? Jes. His words were, Farewell, mistress; nothing

else.

Shy. The patch is kind enough; but a huge feeder. Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me; Therefore I part with him; and part with him To one that I would have him help to waste

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