Ner. How fay you by the French Lord, Mounfieur Le Boun ?

Por. God made him, and therefore let him pafs for a man; in truth, I know, it is a fin to be a mo.ker; but he! why, he hath a horfe better than the Neapo litan'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 should marry him, I fhould marry twenty hufbands. If he would defpife me, I would forgive him; for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite 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 Englib. He is a proper man's picture, but alas! who can converfe with a dumb fhow? how odly he is fuited! 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? (5)

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 sealed under for another. (6)

Ner.

(5) of the Scottish lord, his neighbour?] Thus the old 4to's and thus the poet certainly wrote. Mr. Pope takes notice of a various reading; (viz. What think you of the other lord-which is in the firft Folio;) but has not accounted for the reafon of it, which was this. Our author exhibited this play in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when there was no occafion for any reftraint in fatirizing the Scotch. But upon the acceffion of King James the First, the Union taking place, and the court swarming with people of that nation, the players, thro a fear of giving disguft, thought fit to make this change.

(6) I think, the Frenchman became his furety, and feal'd under for another.] This was a severe sarcasm on the French nation; and, no VOL. II.

E

doubt,

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 worft, he is little better than a beaft; and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I shall make shift to go without him.

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

if

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

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 won by fome other fort than your father's impofition depending on the cafkets.

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 wish them a fair departure.

Ner. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a fcholar, and a foldier, that came hither in company of the Marquifs of Mountferrat?

Por. Yes, yes, it was Baffanio, as I think, he was so call'd.

Ner. True, madam; he, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the beft deferving a fair lady. doubt, a very pleafing one to the audiences, when this play was first brought on. To make the Frenchman, jointly with the Scot, take a box on the ear at the Englishman's hands, is very humorously, and fatirically, alluding to the conftant affiftance the French always used to give the Scots in their quarrels with the English, both in and before Our author's time: and in which alliance, they generally came by the worst of it. Mr. Warburton.

Por.

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 fore-runner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the Prince, his mafter, 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, a publick Place in VENICE.

Shy.

T

Enter Baffanio and Shylock.

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

Shy. For three months? well.

Ba. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio shall be bound.

Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound? well.

Baff. May you ftead me? will you pleasure me? fhall I know your answer?

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

Baff. Your answer to that.

Shy. Anthonio is a good man.

Baff. 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 Argofy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I underftand moreover upon the Ryalto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England; and other ventures he hath fquander'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.

Baff. 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 speak 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 moft do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls intereft. Curfed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

Baff. Shylock, do you hear?.

Shy. I am debating of my prefent ftore, And by the near guefs of my memory,

I cannot inftantly raise up the grofs

Of full three thoufand 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 excess,

Yet,

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

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

Anth. And for three months.

Shy. I had forgot, three months, 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 graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep, 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 interet? Shy. No, not take int'reft; not, as you would fay, Directly, int'reft; mark, what Jacob did.

When Laban and himself were compromis'd,

That all the yeanlings, which were freak'd and picd,
Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes being rank,
In th' end of autumn turned to the rams;
And when the work of generation was
Between thefe woolly breeders in the act,
The fkilful fhepherd peel'd me certain wands;
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He fuck 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 bleft;
And thrift is bleffing, if men fteal it not.

Anth. This was a venture, Sir, that Jacob ferv'd for; A thing not in his pow'r to bring to pafs,

But fway'd, and fafhion'd, by the hand of heav'n.
Was this inferted to make int'reft good?
Or is your gold, and filver, ewes and rams?
Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast;
But note me, Signior.

Anth. Mark you this, Bafanio?
The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.