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Sela. My lord Beffanio, fince you've found Anthonio,
We two will leave you; but at dinner-time,

I pray you, have in mind where we must meet.
B. I will not fail you.

[Exeunt Solar and Sala.
Gra. You look not well, Signior Anthonio;
You have too much refpect upon the world:
They lose it, that do buy it with much care.
Believe me, you are marvellously chang'd.

Anth. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano,
A ftage, where every man must play his part,
And mine a fad one.

Gra. Let me play the fool;"

With mirth, and laughter, let old wrinkles come;
And let my liver rather heat with wine,

Than my heart cool with mortifying groans.
Why fhould a man, whofe blood is warm within,
Sit like his grandfire cut in Alabaster?

Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice
By being peevish? I tell thee what, Anthonio,
(I love thee, and it is my love that speaks :)
There are a fort of men, whofe vifages
Do cream and mantle like a ftanding pond;
And do a wilful illness entertain,
With purpose to be dreft in an opinion
Of wildom, gravity, profound conceit;
As who fhould fay, I am Sir Oracle,
And when I ope my lips, let no dog bark!
O my Anthonie, I do know of thofe,
That therefore only are reputed wife,
For faying nothing; who, I'm very fure,

If they fhould fpeak, would almoft damn thofe ears, 7

7

Which

WARBURTON.

6 Let me play the fool] A- the phrafe, to play the Fool. luding to the common comparifon of human life to a ftage play. So that he defires his may be the fool's or buffoon's part, which was a conflant character in the old farces: from whence came

- would almost damn thofe Ears.] Several old Editions have it dam, damme, and duunt. Some more correct Copies damn. The Author's meaning is this; That

fome

Which, hearing them, would call their brothers fools.
I'll tell thee more of this another time:
But fish not with this melancholy bait,
For this fool's gudgeon, this opinion.
Come, good Lorenzo; fare ye well a while;
I'll end my exhortation after dinner. 8

Ler. Well, we will leave you then 'till dinner-time. I must be one of these fame dumb wife men;

For Gratiano never lets me fpeak.

Gra. Well, keep me company but two years more, Thou shalt not know the found of thine own tongue. Anth. Fare well; I'll grow a talker for this gear. Gra. Thanks, i'faith; for filence is only commendable

In a neats tongue dry'd, and a maid not vendible. [Exeunt Gra. and Loren.

Anth. Is that any thing now??

Baff. Gratiano peaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice: his reafons are as two grains or wheat hid in two bufhels of chaff; you fhall feek all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the search.

Anth. Well, tell me now, what lady is the fame, To whom you fwore a fecret pilgrimage, That you to-day promis'd to tell me of? Ball. 'Tis not unknown to you, Anthonio, How much I have difabled mine eftate,

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By fhewing fomething a more fwelling port,
Than my faint means would grant continuance;
Nor do I now make moan to be abridg'd
From fuch a noble rate; but my chief care
Is to come fairly off from the great debts,
Wherein my time, fomething too prodigal,
Hath left me gaged. To you, Anthonio,
I owe the most in mony, and in love;
And from your love I have a warranty
T' unburden all my plots and purposes,
How to get clear of all the debts I owe,

Anth. I pray you, good Baffanio, let me know it;
And if it ftand, as you yourself ftill do,
Within the eye of honour; be affur'd,
My purfe, my perfon, my extreameft means
Lye all unlock'd to your occafions.

Baff. In my fchool-days, when I had loft one shaft, Ifhot his fellow of the felf-fame flight

The felf-fame way, with more advised watch,
To find the other forth; by vent'ring both,
I oft found both. I urge this child-hood proof,
Because what follows is pure innocence.
I owe you much, and, like a wilful youth, '
That which I owe is loft; but if you please
To fhoot another arrow that felf way

I

Which you did fhoot the first, I do not doubt,
As I will watch the aim, or to find both,
Or bring your latter hazard back again,

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And thankfully reft debtor for the first.

Anth. You know me well; and herein fpend but time,

To wind about my love with circumstance;

And, out of doubt, you do me now more wrong,
In making question of my uttermoft,

Than if you had-made wafte of all I have.
Then do but fay to me, what I should do,
That in your knowledge may by me be done,
And I am preft unto it: therefore speak.
Baff. In Belmont is a lady richly left,
And he is fair, and fairer than that word,
Of wond'rous virtues; fometimes from her eyes 2
I did receive fair fpeechlefs meffages;
Her name is Portia nothing undervalu'd
To Cato's daughter Brutus Portia :

Nor is the wide world ign'rant of her worth;
For the four winds blow in from ev'ry coast
Renowned fuitors; and her funny locks
Hang on her temples like a golden fleece;
Which makes her feat of Belmont, Colchos ftrand;
And many Jafons come in queft of her.
O my Anthonio, had I but the means
To hold a rival place with one of them.
I have a mind prefages me fuch thrift,
That I fhould queftionless be fortunate.

Anth. Thou know'ft, that all my fortunes are at fea,

Nor have I mony, nor commodity

To raise a prefent fum; therefore, go forth;

Try what my credit can in Venice do;

That fhall be rack'd even to the uttermoft,
To furnish thee to Belmont, to fair Portia.

2-fometimes from her Eyes.] So all the Editions; but it certainly ought to be, fometime, i. e. formerly, fome time ago, at a certain time; and it appears by the

fubfequent Scene, that Bafanio was at Belmont with the Marquis de Montferrat, and saw Portia in her Father's life-time.

CC 4

THEOBALD.

Go,

Go, prefently enquire, and fo will I,
Where money is; and I no question make,
To have is of my truft, or for my fake.

S. CE NE II.

Changes to BELMONT.

[Exeunt.

Three Cafkets are fet out, one of gold, another of Silver, and another of lead.

Enter Portia and Neriffa.

Por. B of this great world.

Y my troth, Neriffa, my little body is weary

Ner. You would be, fweet madam, if your miferies were in the fame abundance as your good fortunes are. And yet, for aught I fee, they are as fick, that furfeit with too much, as they that farve with nothing; therefore it is no mean happiness to be feated in the mean; fuperfluity comes fooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer.

Por. Good fentences, and well pronounc’d.

Nor. They would be better, if well follow'd.

Per. If to do, were as eafie as to know what were good to do, chappels had been churches; and poor -mens cottages, Princes palaces. He is a good divine, that follows his own inftructions; I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than to be one of the twenty to follow my own teaching. The brain may devife laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree; fuch a hate is madnefs the youth, to fkip o'er the meshes of good counfel the cripple. But this reafoning is not in fafhion to chufe me a huf band: O me, the word, chufe! I may neither chufe whom I would, nor refufe whom I diflike; fo is the will of a living daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Neriffa, that I cannot chufe one, nor refufe none?

Ner,

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