Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, Sir. Baff. I know thee well, thou haft obtain'd thy Suit; Shylock, thy mafter, spoke with me this day, And hath preferr'd thee; if it be preferment To leave a rich Jew's fervice to become The follower of fo poor a gentleman.

Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my mafter Shylock and you, Sir; you have the grace

of God, Sir, and he hath enough,

Baff. Thou fpeak'ft it well; go, father, with thy fon:

Take leave of thy old mafter, and enquire
My lodging out; give him a livery,
More guarded than his fellows: fee it done.

5

Layn. Father, in; I cannot get a fervice, no? I have ne'er a tongue in my head? well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth ****** offer to fwear upon a book, I fhall have good fortune; go to, here's a fimple line of life; here's a small trifle of wives; alas, fifteen wives is nothing, eleven widows and nine maids is a fimple coming-in for one man! and then to 'fcape drowning thrice, and to

3 Thou Speak' ft it well;] I fhould choose to read, Thou SPLIT'ST it well, i. e divideft the two parts of the proverb between thy master and me.

4 fairer table.] The chiromantic term for the lines of the hand. So Ben Johnson in his Mask of Gipfies to the lady Elizabeth Hatton;

Miftrefs of a fairer table,

Hath not hiftory nor fable.

5 which doth offer to wear upon a book, &c.] This nonfenfe feems to have taken its rife from the accident of a loft line in tranfcribing the play for the prefs; fo that the paffage, for the future, fhould be printed thus, Well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth ****** offer to fwear upon a book I shall have good fortune. It is impotlible to find, again, the loft line; but the loft fenfe is eafy enough- if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth [promife good luck, I am mistaken. I durft almoft] offer to fwear upon a book, I fhall have good fortune.

be

be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed, here are fimple 'fcapes! well, if fortune be a woman, the's a good wench for this geer. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. [Exeunt Laun. and Gob. Ball. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this. Thefe things being bought and orderly beftowed, Return in hafte, for I do feaft to night My best-esteem'd acquaintance; hie thee, go. Leon. My beft endeavours fhall be done herein.

III.

SCENE

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Where is your master?
Leon. Yonder, Sir, he walks.
Gra. Signior Bassanio,
Baff. Gratiano!

Gra. I have a fuit to you.
Ball. You have obtain❜d it.

go

Gra. You must not deny me, I must to Belmont.

Baff. Why, then you muft: but hear thee, Gratiano, Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice; Parts, that become thee happily enough, And in fuch eyes as ours appear not faults; But where thou art not known, why, there they fhew Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain T'allay with fome cold drops of modefty Thy skipping fpirit; left, through thy wild behaviour, I be mifconftru'd in the place I go to, And lofe my hopes.

[Ex. Leonardo.

with you

6 in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed,] A cant phrase to fignify the danger of marrying. A certain French writer ufes the fame kind of figure, O mon Ami, j'aimerois mieux être tombée fur la pointe d'un Oreiller, & m' être rompu le Cou.

Gra

Gra. Signior Baffanio, hear me. If I do not put on a fober habit, Talk with refpect, and swear but now and then, Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely; Nay more, while grace is faying, hood mine eyes Thus with my hat, and figh, and fay, Amen; Ufe all th' obfervance of civility,

Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent

To please his grandam; never truft me more.
Baff. Well, we shall see your bearing.

Gra. Nay, but I bar to night, you shall not gage me By what we do to night.

Baff. No, that were pity.

I would entreat you rather to put on
Your boldeft fuit of mirth, for we have friends
That purpose merriment: but fare you well,
I have fome business.

Gra. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest: But we will visit you at fupper-time.

SCEN

E IV.

[Exeunt.

Changes to Shylock's Houfe.

Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.
father fo;

Jef. I'M forry, thou wilt leave my

Our houfe is hell, and thou, a merry devil, Didft rob it of some taste of tediousness; But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee. And, Launcelot, foon at fupper faalt thou fee Lorenzo, who is thy new mafter's guest; Give him this letter, do it fecretly, And fo farewel: I would not have my father See me talk with thee.

Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue; most beautiful Pagan, moft fweet Jew! if a chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd;

but,

but, adieu! these foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu!

[Exit.

Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot,
Alack, what heinous fin is it in me,
To be afham'd to be my father's child?
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners: O Lorenzo,
If thou keep promife, I fhall end this ftrife,
Become a chriftian, and thy loving wife.

SCENE

V.

The STREET.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio. AY, we will flink away in fupper-time, dif

Lor. quife us at my lodging, and return all in

[Exit.

an hour.

Gra. We have not made good preparation. Sal. We have not fpoke us yet of torch-bearers. Sola. 7 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered, And better in my mind not undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four a-clock, we have two hours To furnish us. Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Laun. An' it fhall please you to break up this, it fhall feem to fignifie.

+%

Lor. I know the hand; in faith, 'tis a fair hand; And whiter than the paper, it writ on, Is the fair hand that writ.

Gra. Love-news, in faith.
Laun. By your leave, Sir.

7 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered,]
Ut gratas inter menfas Symphonia difcors,

Et craffum unguentum, & Sardo cum melle papaver
Offendunt; poterat duci quia Cœna fine iftis.

Hor Lor.

Lor. Whither goest thou?

Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old mafter the Jew
to fup to night with my new master the christian.
Lor. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle feica,
I will not fail her; speak it privately.

Go. Gentlemen, will you prepare for this masque
to night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

Sal. Ay marry, I'll be gone about it ftrait.
Sola. And fo will I.

Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano,

Exit Laun.

At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence.
Sal. 'Tis good, we do fo.

[Exit.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Feffica?
Lor. I muft needs tell thee all; fhe hath directed,
How I fhall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels fhe is furnish'd with;
What page's fuit fhe hath in readiness.
If e'er the Jew her father come to heav'n,
It will be for his gentle daughter's fake:
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless fhe doth it under this excufe,
That fhe is iffue to a faithlefs Jew.
Come, go with me; perufe this, as thou goeft;
Fair Jeffica fhall be my torch-bearer.

[Exeunt.

S

CENE

Shylock's Houfe.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

Sky.WELL, thou shalt fee, thy eyes shall be

thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio.
What, Jeffica! thou fhalt not gormandize,
As thou haft done with me what, Jeffica!-
And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.

VI.

Why,