I am fent, with broom, before, Enter King and Queen of Fairies, with their Train. Every elf, and fairy fprite, Hop as light as bird from brier; Sing and dance it trippingly. SONG and DANCE. Ob. Now, until the break of day, And the blots of nature's hand j. c. portentous. Despised in nativity, Shall upon their children be.- And each feveral chamber bless, And the owner of it bleft. Trip away; Meet me all by break of day. [Exeunt King, Queen, and Tram Now to 'fcape the ferpent's tongue, So, good night unto you all. Senators of Venice, Officers, Jailer, Servants, and other Attendants. ACTI. SCENE Į. A Street in Venice. Enter Anthonio, Salarino, and Salanis. footh, I know not why I am fo fad ; And fuch a want-wit fadness makes of me, Sal. Your mind is toffing on the ocean: with my hopes abroad. I should be still Packing the grafs, to know where fits the wind; Prong in maps, for ports, and piers, and roads ; And every object that might make me fear Msfortune to my ventures, out of doubt, Would make me fad. Sal. My wind, cooling my broth, And not bethink me ftraight of dangerous rocks? [it, Anth. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this prefent year ; Therefore my merchandize makes me not fad. Sala. Why then you are in love? Anth. Fie, fie! 1 Ships, fo named from Ragufa. 2 The name of the ship. 3 To vail, means to put off the hat, to the fail, to give fign of fubmiffion. 03 Sela. Sala. Not in love neither? Then let's fay, you That therefore only are reputed wife, are fad, Because you are not merry: and 'twere as easy That they'll not fhew their teeth in way of fmile, Enter Baffanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano. Sala. I would have ftaid till I had made you merry, Anth. Your worth is very dear in my regard. Sal. Good morrow, my good lords. You grow exceeding strange; Muft it be fo We two will leave you; but at dinner-time, Gra. You look not well, fignior Anthonio; Anth. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;| Gra. Let me play the fool: With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come; [tools 2. For faying nothing; who, I am very fure, [ears, [time. [mendable gear. Gra. Thanks, i'faith; for filence is only comIn a neat's tongue dry'd, and a maid not vendible. [Exeunt Gra. and Lor. Anth. Is that any thing now? Anth. Well; tell me now, what lady is the fame, Baff. "Tis not unknown to you, Anthonio, [fhaft, B. In my fchool-days, when I had loft oue I owe you much; and, like a wilful youth, 1 This alludes to the common comparison of human life to a ftage-play. So that he defires his may be the tool's or butloon's part, which was a conftant character in the old farces; from whence came the phiale, to play the fool. 2 Our author's meaning is, that fome people are thought wife whitt they keep filence; who, when they open their mouths, are fuch ftupid praters, that the hearers cannot help calling them fools, and to incur the judgment denounced in the gofpel. 3 The humour of this confias in its being an allufion to the practice of the puritan preachers of thofe times; who being generally very long and tedious, were often forced to put off that part of their fermon called the exhoitation, till after dinner. That The which I owe is loft: but if you please [time, |blood; but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree : fuch a hare is madnefs the youth, to skip o'er the methes of good counfel the cripple. But this reafoning is not in the fashion to chufe me a husband: O me, the word chufe! I may neither chufe whom I would, nor refuse whom I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father:-Is it not hard, Neriffa, that I can not chufe one, nor refufe none? Ner. Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men, at their death, have good infpirations; there. fore, the lottery, that he hath devifed in these three chetts, of gold, filver, and lead, (whereof who chufes his meaning, chufes you) will, no doubt, never be chofen by any rightly, but one who you fhall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection Of wondrous virtues: fometimes 2 from her eyes towards any of thefe princely fuitors that are al I did receive fair fpeechlefs meilages: Her name is Portia; nothing undervalu'd To Cao's daughter, Bratus' Portia. Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth; I have a mind prefages me fuch thrift, That I thould queftionless be fortunate. ready come? Por. I pray thee, over-name them; and, as thou nam'ft them, I will defcribe them; and, according to my defcription, level at my affection. Ner. First, there is the Neapolitan prince. --Por. Ay, that's a colt 3, indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horfe; and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts, that he can fhoe him hinfelf: I am much afraid my lady his mother play'd falfe with a fmith. Ner. Then, there is the County Palatine. Por. He doth nothing but frown; as, who fhould fay, An if you will not have me, chuje: he hears 4. Thou know'ft, that all my fortunes are at fea; merry tales, and fmiles not: I fear, he will prove Nor have I money, nor commodity To raife a prefent fum: therefore go forth, SCENE II. [Exeunt A Ream in Portia's Houfe at Belmont. Enter Portia and Neriffa. P. By my troth, Neriffa, my little body is aweary of this great world. the weeping philofopher when he grows old, being fo full of unmannerly fadnefs in his youth. I had rather be married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth, than to either of these. God defend me from thefe two! Ner. How fay you by the French lord, Monfieur Le Bon? Por. God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man. In truth, I know it is a fin to be a mocker; But, he! why, he hath a horfe better than the Neapolitan's; a better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine: he is every man in no man; if a throttle fing, he fails ftrait a-capering; he will fence with his own fhadow: if I should marry him, I fhould marry twenty husbands: If he would despise me, I would forgive him; for if he love me to mad nefs, I fhall never requite him. Ner. You would be, fweet madam, if your miferes were in the fame abundance as your good fatmes are: And yet, for aught I fee, they are as fack, that furfeit with too much, as they that ftarve with nothing: It is no mean happinefs therefore, Por. You know, I fay nothing to him; for he to be feated in the mean; fuperfluity comes fooner understands not me, nor I him: he hath neither by white hairs, but competency lives longer. Latin, French, nor Italian; and you will come Por. Good fentences, and well pronounc'd. into the court and fwear, that I have a poor pennyNr. They would be better, if well follow'd. worth in the English. He is a proper man's pic Per. If to do, were as eafy as to know what ture, But, alas! who can converfe with a dumb were good to do, chapels had been churches, and how? How oddly he is fuited! I think, he poor men's cottages, princes' palaces. It is a good bought his doublet in Italy, his round hofe in evine, that follows his own inftructions. I can France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour taher teach twenty what were good to be done, every-where.. Ner. What fay you then to Faulconbridge, the young baron of England? than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching. Ner. What think you of the Scottish lord, his The brain may devife laws for the neighbour? That is, ready to do it. 2 Sometimes here means formerly. 3 i. e. a thoughtless, giddy, gay youngker, Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him; for he borrow'd a box of the ear of the Englishman, and fwore he would pay him again, when he was able: I think, the Frenchman became his furety, and feal'd under for another. Ner. How like you the young German, the duke of Saxony's nephew? Por. Very vilely in the morning, when he is fober; and moft vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk: when he is beft, he is a little worfe than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beaft: an the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I fhall make shift to go without him. Shy. For three months,-well. Baf. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio fhall be bound. Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound,-well. Shy. Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Anthonio bound. Baff. Your answer to that. Baff. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? Shy. Ho, no, no, no, no;-my meaning, in fay Ner. If he should offer to chufe, and chufe the ing he is a good man, is, to have you understand right cafket, you should refufe to perform your fa-me, that he is fufficient: yet his means are in fupther's will, if you should refufe to accept him. pofition: he hath an argofy bound to Tripolis, anoPor. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, ther to the Indies; I understand moreover upon fet a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for cafket; for, if the devil be within, and that tempt-England,--and other ventures he hath, fquander'd ation without, I know he will chufe it. I will abroad: But ships are but boards, failors but men; do any thing, Neriffa, ere I will be marry'd to a there be land-rats, and water-rats, water-thieves, fpunge. and land-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then, there Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks: The man thefe lords; they have acquainted me with their is, notwithstanding, fufficient :-three thousand dudeterminations: which is, indeed, to return to their cats ;-I think, I may take his bond. home, and to trouble you with no more fuit; un- Baff. Be affur'd, you may. lefs you may be won by fome other fort than your father's impofition, depending on the caskets. Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chafte as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner of my father's will: I am glad this parcel of wooers are so very reasonable; for there is not one among them but I dote on his very abfence, and I pray God grant them a fair departure. Ner. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a scholar, and a foldier, that came hither in company of the marquis of Montferrat I [affin'd, Shy. I will be affur'd, I may; and, that I may be will bethink me: May I fpeak with Anthonio? Baff. If it please you to dine with us. Shy. Yes, to fmell pork; to eat of the habita tion which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into: I will buy with you, fell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and fo following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto?-Who is he comes here? Enter Anthonio. Baff. This is fignior Anthonio. Por. Yes, yes, it was Baffanio; as I think, fo he Shy.[Afide.] How like a fawning publican he looksł was call'd. Ner. True, madam; he, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the best deferving a fair lady. Por. I remember him well; and I remember him worthy of thy Iraife.-How now! what news? Enter a Servant. I hate him for he is a Chriftian: Ser. The four ftrangers feek for you, madam, to Even there where merchants most do congregate, take their leave: and there is a fore-runner come On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift, from a fifth, the prince of Morocco; who brings Which he calls intereft: Curfed be my tribe, word, the prince, his mafter, will be here to-night. If I forgive him! Baff. Shylock, do you hear? Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with fo good heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I Shy. I am debating of my present store; fhould be glad of his approach: if he have the And, by the near guess of my memory, condition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I cannot inftantly raise up the grofs I had rather he should fhrive me than wive me. Of full three thousand ducats: What of that? Come, Neriffa. Sirrah, go before.-Whiles we Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at Will furnish me: But foft; How many months the door. [Exeunt. Do you defire?-Rest you fair, good fignior; SCENE III. A publick Place in Venice. Shy. Three thoutand ducats,-well. [To Antbonio Your worship was the laft man in our mouths. Anth. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow, By taking, nor by giving of excess, Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend, 1 This is a phrase taken from the practice of wrestlers. |