Why, Jeffica! I fay.

Laun. Why, Jeffica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, that I could do nothing without bidding.

Enter Jeffica.

Jef. Call you? what is

your will?

Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, Jessica ;
There are my keys: but wherefore should I go?
I am not bid for love; they flatter me:
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
The prodigal chriftian. Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my houfe; I am right loth to go;
There is some ill a brewing towards my reft,
For I did dream of mony-bags to night.

Laun. I befeech you, Sir, go; my young mafter doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have confpired together, I will not fay, you fhall fee a mafque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nofe fell a bleeding on black monday laft, at fix a clock i'th' morning, falling out that year on Afh-Wednesday was four year in the afternoon.

Shy. What are there mafques? hear you me,
Feffica.

Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile fqueaking of the wry-neck'd fife,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thruft your head into the publick street,
To gaze on chriftian fools with varnish'd faces:
But stop my houfe's ears; I mean, my cafements;
Let not the found of fhallow foppery enter
My fober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear,
I have no mind of feafting forth to night:
But I will go; go you before me, firrah:

Say,

Say, I will come.

Laun. I will go before, Sir.

Mistress, look out at window, for all this;
There will come a christian by,
Will be worth a Jewess' eye.

[Exit Laun. Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's off-fpring, ha? Jef. His words were, farewel, mistress; nothing else. Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder: Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day

More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me,
Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To one, That I would have him help to wafte
His borrow'd purse. Well, Jeffica, go in ;
Perhaps, I will return immediately;

Do, as I bid

you.

Shut the doors after you; faft bind, faft find;
A proverb never ftale in thrifty mind.

[Exit.

Jef. Farewel; and if my fortune be not croft,

I have a father, you a daughter, loft.

[Exit.

Enter Gratiano and Salanio in masquerade.

Gra. This is the pent-house, under which Lorenzo defired us to make a stand.

Sal. His hour is almost past.

Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour,

For lovers ever run before the clock.

Sal. O, ten times fafter Venus' Widgeons fly

To

80, ten times fafter Venus' Pidgeons fly] This is a very odd image, of Venus's Pidgeons flying to feal the bonds of Love. The fenfe is obvious, and we know the dignity due to Venus's Pidgeons. There was certainly a joke intended here, which the

ignorance

To feal love's bonds new made, than they are wont To keep obliged faith unforfeited!

Gra. That ever holds. Who rifeth from a feast, With that keen appetite that he fits down? Where is the horse, that doth untread again His tedious measures with th' unbated fire, That he did pace them firft? all things that are, Are with more spirit chafed than enjoy'd. How like a younker, or a prodigal, The skarfed bark puts from her native bay, Hugg'd and embraced by the ftrumpet wind! How like the prodigal doth fhe return, With over-weather'd ribs and ragged fails, Lean, rent, and beggar'd by the ftrumpet wind! Enter Lorenzo.

Sal. Here comes Lorenzo: more of this hereafter.

Lor. Sweet friends, your patience for my long abode; Not I, but my affairs, have made you wait; When you shall please to play the thieves for wives, I'll watch as long for you then; come, approach; Here dwells my father Jew. father Jew. Hoa, who's within?

ignorance or boldness of the first tranfcribers have murder'd: I doubt not, but Shakespear wrote the line thus:

O, ten times fafter Venus' Widgeons Ay

To feal, &c.

For Widgeon is not only one fpecies of Pidgeons, but fignified likewife, metaphorically, a filly fellow, as Goofe, or Gudgeon, does now.. The joke confifts in the ambiguity of the fignification. And the calling love's votaries, Venus's Widgeons, is in high humour. Butler ufes the fame joke in fpeaking of the presbyterians.

Th' apoftles of this fierce religion,

Like Mahomet's, were afs and Widgeon.

Mahomet's afs or rather mule was famous: and the monks in their fabulous accounts of him faid, he taught a pidgeon to pick peas out of his ears to carry on the ends of his imposture.

Jeffica

Jeffica above, in boy's cloaths.

Jef. Who are you? tell me for more certainty, Albeit I'll fwear, that I do know your tongue. Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love.

Jef. Lorenzo certain, and my love, indeed; For who love I fo much? and now who knows, But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours?

Lor. Heav'n and thy thoughts are witness, that thou art.

Jef. Here catch this casket, it is worth the pains. I'm glad, 'tis night, you do not look on me; For I am much asham'd of my exchange; But love is blind, and lovers cannot fee The pretty follies that themselves commit; For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To fee me thus transformed to a boy.

Lor. Defcend, for you must be my torch-bearer. Jef. What muft I hold a candle to my fhames? They in themselves, goodfooth, are too, too, light. Why, 'tis an office of difcovery, love, And I fhould be obscur'd.

Lor. So are you, fweet,

Ev'n in the lovely garnish of a boy.

But come at once

For the close night doth play the run-away,

And we are ftaid for at Bassanio's feast.

Jef. I will make faft the doors, and gild my felf With fome more ducats, and be with you ftrait. [Exit from above. Gra. Now by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jew. Lor. Befhrew me, but I love her heartily;

For fhe is wife, if I can judge of her;
And fair fhe is, if that mine eyes be true;
And true fhe is, as fhe hath prov'd her felf;

And therefore like her felf, wife, fair, and true,
Shall fhe be placed in my conftant foul.

Enter

Enter Jeffica, to them.

What, art thou come? on, gentlemen, away;
Our mafquing mates by this time for us ftay. [Exit,
Enter Anthonio.

Anth. Who's there?

Gra. Signior Anthonio,

anth. Fie, Gratiano, where are all the reft? 'Tis nine o'clock, our friends all stay for you; No mafque to night; the wind is come about, Baffanio prefently will go aboard;

I have fent twenty out to feek for you.

Gra. I'm glad on't; I defire no more delight Than to be under fail, and gone to night. [Exeunt.

Enter Portia with Morochius, and both their trains.

Por.GO, draw afide the curtains, and discover
Por G The fev'ral caskets to this noble Prince.
Now make your choice. [Three caskets are difcover'd.
Mor. The firft of gold, which this infcription bears,
Who chufeth me, shall gain what many men defire.
The fecond filver, which this promise carries,
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves.
This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,
Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath.
How fhall I know, if I do chufe the right?

Por. The one of them contains my picture, Prince; If you chufe that, then I am yours withal.

Mor. Some God direct my judgment! let me fee, I will furvey th' infcriptions back again;

What fays this leaden casket?

VOL. II.

K

Who