EXCELLENT
History of the Mer-
chant of Venice.

With the extreme cruelty of Shylocke
the Iew towards the faide Merchant,in cut-
ting a iust pound of his flesh. And the obtaining
of Portia, by the choyse of
three Caskets.

Written by W.SHAKESPEARE.

Printed by F. Roberts, 1600.

The Comical History of the Merchant of Venice.

Enter Antbonio, Salaryno, and Salanio.

Nthonie. Infooth I know not why I am so fad,
Ic wearies me, you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What ftuffe tis made off, whereof it is borne,

I am to learne : & fuch a want-wit fadnes makes

of me,
That I haue much adoe to know my felfe.

Salarino. Your minde is toffing on the Ocean,
There where your Argofies with portly fayle,
Like Signiors and rich Burgars on the flood,
Or as it were the Pageants of the fea,
Doe ouer-peere the petty traffiquers
That curfie to them,do them reuerence
As they flie by them with their wouen wings.
Salanio, Beleeue me fir, had I fuch venture foorth,

The better part of my affections would
Be with my hopes abroad, I should be still
Plucking the graffe,to know where fits the winde,
Piering in Maps, for Ports, for Peeres and Rodes;
And euery obiect that might make me feare.
Misfortune to my ventures,out of doubt
Would make me fad.

A 2

Salar.

Sater. My winde cooling my broth,
Would blow me to an Ague, when I thought
What harme ä winde too great at fea, might dö.
Ifhould not fee the fandy howre-glaffe runne,
But I Thould thinké of fhallowes, and of flats,
And fee my wealthy Andrew dockes in fand,
Veyling her high top lower then her ribs,
Tokiffe her buriall. Should I goto Clunch,
And fee the holy edifice of stone,

And not bethinke me Araight of dangerousrockes,
Which touching but my gentle veffels fide,
Would scatter all the fpices on the ftreamne,
Enrobe the roaring waters with my filkes;
And in a word, but euen now worth this,
And now worth nothing? Shall I haue the though
To thinke on this, and fhall I lacke the thought,
That fuch a thing be-chanc'd would make me fad t
But tell not me, I know Anthonie

Is fad to thinke vpon his merchandize.

Anth, Beleeue me no: I thanke my fortune forit,
My ventures are not in one bottome trufted,
Nor to one place; nor is my whole eftate
Vponthe fortune of this prefent yeare:
Therefore my merchandize makes me not fad.
Salar. Then y'are in loue,

Anth. Fie,fic.

Salar. Not in loue neither? Then let vs fay you are fad, Because you are not merry: and 'twere as cafie

Yanı,

For you to laugh and leape, and say you are merry,
Because you are not fad. Now by two-headed Tanno,
Nature hath fram❜d ftrange fellowes in her times
Some that will euetmore peepe through their cies,
And laugh like Parrats at a bag-piper.

And other of fuch vinegar afpect,

That they'l not fhew their teeth in way of fmile,
Though Neftor fweare the jeft be laughable.