Enter Gratiano. Gra. Fair Sir, you are well o'erta'en: Por. That cannot be. This ring I do accept moft thankfully, Ner. Sir, I would speak with you. I'll fee if I can get my husband's ring: [To Por. We shall have old Which I did make him swear to keep for ever. 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. ACT V. SCENE I. Belmont. A Grove, or green Place, before Portia's House. Enter Lorenzo and Jeffica. LORENZO. THE moon fhines bright: In fuch a night as this, When the sweet wind did gently kifs the trees, J And And figh'd his foul toward the Grecian tents, Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew; Lor. In fuch a night, Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Jef. In fuch a night, Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs, Lor. In fuch a night, Did Feffica steal from the wealthy Jew, Jef. And in fuch a night, Did young Lorenzo fwear, he lov'd her well; Lor. And in fuch a night, Did pretty Jeffica, (like a little fhrew) Jef. I would out-night you, did no body come: But hark, I hear the footing of a man. Enter Stephano. Lor. Who comes so fast, in filence of the night? Lor. What friend? your name, I pray you, friend? Lor. Who comes with her? Mef. f 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 miftrefs of the house, Enter Launcelot. Laun. Sola, fola, wo ha, ho, fola, fola! Lor. Who calls? Laun. Sola! did you fee mafter Lorenzo and miftrefs Lorenza? fola, fola! Lor. Leave hollowing, man: here. Laun. Sola! where? where? Lor. Here. Laun. Tell him, there's a poft come from my mafter, with his horn full of good news. My master will be here ere morning. Lor. Sweet love, let's in, and there expect their And yet no matter: why fhould we go in? [Exit Stephano. And bring your musick forth into the air. How sweet the moon-light fleeps upon this bank! Sit, Jeffica: look, how the floor of heav'n Is thick inlay'd with patens of bright gold; There's not the fmalleft orb, which thou behold'ft, • But in his motion like an angel fings, Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims; 1 with PATTERNS of bright gold ] We should read PATENS: a round broad plate of gold born in heraldry: the cover of the facramental-cup. VOL. II. N • Such 2 Such harmony is in immortal founds! • But whilft this muddy vesture of decay • Doth grofly close 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. Jef. I'm never merry, when I hear fweet mufick. [Mufick. Lor. The reafon is, your fpirits are attentive; For do but note a wild and wanton herd, "Or race of youthful and unhandled colts, Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud, C (Which is the hot condition of their blood) If they perchance but hear a trumpet found, By the sweet power of mufick. Therefore, the Poet Since nought so stockish, hard and full of rage, • But mufick for the time doth change his nature. • 3 The man that hath no mufick in himself, • Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, • Is 2 Such harmony is in immortal fouls;] But the harmony here described is that of the fpheres, fo much celebrated by the antients. He fays, the fmalleft orb fings like an angel; and then fubjoins, fuch harmony is in immortal fouls: 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 founds: i. e. in the mufick of the spheres. 3 The man that hath no mufick in himself, Nor is not mov'd with concord of feet founds,] The thought here is extremely fine: As if the being affected with mufick was only Is fit for treafons, ftratagems, and spoils • The motions of his fpirit are dull as night, •And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no fuch man be trufted Mark the mufick." Enter Portia and Neriffa. Por. That light we fee, is burning in my hall: Ner. When the moon fhone, we did not fee the candle. Por. So doth the greater glory dim the lefs; [Mufick.. Ner. It is the mufick, Madam, of your houfe. Ner. Silence beftows the virtue on it, Madam. How many things by season season❜d are [Mufick ceafes. only the harmony between the internal [mufick in himself] and the external mufick [concord of fweet founds;] which were mutually affected like unifon ftrings. This whole fpeech could not chute but please an English audience, whofe great paffion, as well then as now, was love of mufick. Jam verò video naturam (fays Erafmus in praise of Folly) ut fingulis nationibus, ac pene civi tatibus, communem quandam infeviffe Philautiam: Atque hine fieri, ut BRITANNI præter alia, Formam, MUSICAM, & lautas Menfas propriè fibi vindicent. |