a cold decree; fuch a hare is madness the youth, to fkip o'er the methes of good counsel the cripple! But this reafoning is not in fashion to chuse me a husband: O me, the word, chufe! I may neither chufe whom I would, nor refuse 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. Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their death have good infpirations: therefore the lottery that he hath devifed in thefe three chefts of gold, filver, and lead, (whereof who chufes his meaning, chufes you), will no doubt never be chofen by any rightly, but one whom you fhall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of thefe princely fuitors that are already come?

Por. I pray thee, over-name them; and as thou nam't them, I will defcribe them; and, according to my defeription, level at my affection.

Ner. First, there is the Neapolitan Prince.

Por. Ay, that's a colt 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 himself. I am much afraid my Lady his mother play'd falfe with a smith.

If

Ner. Then, there is the Count Palatine.

Por. He doth nothing but frown, as who fhould fay, you will not have me, chufe. He hears merry tales, and fmiles not; I fear he will prove the weeping philofopher when he grows old, being fo full of unmannerly fadnets in his youth. I had rather be married to a death's head with a bone in his mouth, than to either of thefe. God defend me from thefe two!

Ner. How fay you by the French Lord, Monfieur Le Poun?

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 throftle fing, he falls ftrait a capering; he will fence with his own fhadow. If I fhould marry him, I should marry twenty hufbands.

husbands. If he would defpife me, I would forgive for if he love me to madnefs I fhall never requite him.

him;

Ner. What fay you then to Faulconbridge, the young Baron of England?

Por. You know I fay nothing to him, for he underftands not me, nor I him; he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian; and you may come into the court, and fwear, that I have a poor pennyworth in the English. He is a proper man's picture: but, alas who can converse with a dumb fhow? how oddly he is suited! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hofe in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour every where.

Ner. What think you of the Scottish Lord, his neighbour?

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 fealed under for another.

Ner. How like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony's nephew?

For. Very vilely in the morning when he is fober, and most vilely in the afternoon when he is drunk; when he is beft, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worft, he is little better than a beast; and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I fhall make shift to go without him.

Ner. If he fhould offer to chufe, and chufe the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father's will, if you should refufe to accept him.

Por. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, fet a deep glafs of Rhenifh wine on the contrary casket; for if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I know he will chute it. I will do any thing, Neriffa, I will be marry'd to a spunge.

ere

Ner. You need not fear, Lady, the having any of thefe lords: they have acquainted me with their determinations, which is, indeed, to return to their home, and to trouble you with no more fuit; unless you may

.be

be won by fome other fort than your father's imposition, depending on the caskets.

Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chafte as Diana, unless I be obtain'd by the manner of my father's will. I am glad this parcel of wooers are fo reasonable; for there is not one among them but I doat on his very abfence, and wifh 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 Mountferrat? Por. Yes, yes, it was Baffanio; as I think he was fo call'd.

Ner. True, Madam; he, of all the men that ever: my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the best deserving a fair lady.

Por. I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praife. How now? what news.

Enter a Servant.

Ser The four ftrangers feek for you, Madam, to take their leave; and there is a forerunner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word, the Prince his master will be here to-night.

Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with fo good heart as I can bid the other four farewel, I fhould be glad of his approach; if he have the condition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he fhould fhrive me, than wive me. Come, Neriffa. Sirrah, go before; while we fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. [Exeunt. SCENE III. A public place in Venice. Enter Baffanio and Shylock.

Shy. Three thousand ducats? well.
Baff. Ay, Sir, for three months.

Shy. For three months? well.

Baf. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio fhall be bound.

Shy. Anthonio shall become bound? well.

Ba. May you ftead me? will you pleasure me? fhall I know your antwer?

Shy.

Shy. Three thousand ducats for three months, and Anthonio bound.

Baff. Your answer to that.

Shy. Anthonio is a good man.

Baf. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary. Shy. No, no, no, no; my meaning, in faying he is a good man, is to have you understand me, that he is fufficient. Yet his means are in fuppofition: he hath an Argofie bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Ryalto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England; and other ventures he hath squander'd abroad. But fhips are but boards, failors but men; there be land-rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, I mean pirates; and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, fufficient; three thoufand ducats? I think I may take his bond.

Ba. Be affur'd you may.

Shy. I will be affur'd I may; and that I may be affur'd, I will bethink me. May I fpeak with Anthonio? Baf. If it please you to dine with us.

Shy. Yes, to fmell pork; to eat of the habitation which your Prophet the Nazarite conjur'd 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 Ryalto? -who is he comes here?

Enter Anthonio.

Baff. This is Signior Anthonio.

Shy. [Afide.] How like a fawning Publican he looks! I hate him, for he is a Chriftian:

But more, for that in low fimplicity

He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of ufance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our facred nation; and he rails,
Ev'n there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls intereft. Curfed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

Baf

Baff. Shylock, do you hear?

Shy. I am debating of my present store,
And by the near guefs of my memory,
I cannot inftantly raife up the grofs

Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?
Tuball, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
Will furnish me; but foft, how many months
Do you defire? Reft you fair, good Signior;

[To Anth. Your Worship was the laft man in our mouths.

Anth. Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow, By taking, nor by giving of excefs;

Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a cuftom.Is he yet poffefs'd,
How much you would ?

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

Anth. And for three months.

Shy. I had forgot, three month's you told me fo; Well then, your bond; and let me fee, but hear you, Methought you faid you neither lend nor borrow Upon advantage.

Anth. I do never ufe it.

Shy. When Jacob gras'd his uncle Laban's sheep,— This Jacob from our holy Abraham was

(As his wife mother wrought in his behalf)

The third poffeffor; ay, he was the third.

Anth. And what of him? did he take intereft ? Shy. No, not take int'reft; not, as you would say, Directly, int'reft; mark what Jacob did.

When Laban and himself were compromis'd,
That all the yeanlings, which were ftreak'd and pied,
Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes, being rank,.
In th' end of autum turned to the rams;
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The fkilful thepherd peel'd me certain wands
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He ftuck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in yeaning time
Fall party-colour'd lambs, and thofe were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was blefs'd;
And thrift is bleffing, if men steal it net.

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Anths