Gob. God bless your worship!

Baff. Gramercy, would'ft thou ought with me?
Gob. Here's my fon, Sir, a poor boy,

Laun. Not a poor boy, Sir, but the rich Jew's man. that would, Sir, as my father fhall specify.

Gob. He hath a great infection, Sir, as one would fay, to ferve.

Laun. Indeed, the fhort and the long is, I ferve the Jew, and have a defire as my father fhall specify.

Gob. His mafter and he, faving your worship's reverence, are scarce cater-coufins.

Laun. To be brief, the very truth is, that the Jew, having done me wrong, doth caufe me, as my father, being I hope an old man, fhall frutify unto you.

Gob. I have here a dish of doves, that I would bestow upon your worship; and my fuit is

Laun. In very brief, the fuit is impertinent to myfelf, as your worship fhall know by this honeft old man; and though I fay it, though old man, yet poor man my father. Baff. One fpeak for both, what would you?

Laun. Serve you, Sir.

Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, Sir. Baff. I know thee well, thou haft obtain'd thy fuit; Shylock, thy mafter fpoke 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.

Laun. Father, in; I cannot get a fervice, no? I have ne'er a tongue in my head? well, if any man in Italy have (11) à fairer table, which doth offer to fwear upon

a

(11) Well, if any man in Italy have &c.] This ftubborn piece of nonfenfe feems to have taken its rife from this accident. In tranfcrib

a book, I shall have good fortune; go to, here's a fimple line of life; here's a fmall 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 be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather bed, here are fimple 'fcapes! well, if fortune be a woman, fhe's a good wench for this geer. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the few in the twinkling of an eye. [Ex. Laun. and Gob.

Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this.
Thefe things being bought and orderly bestowed,
Return in hafte, for I do feast to-night

My beft efteem'd acquaintance; hie thee, go.
Leon. My beft endeavours fhall be done herein.

Baff. You have obtain❜d it.

Gra. You must not deny me, I must

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, ing the play for the prefs, there was certainly a line loft; fo that the pallage for the future should be printed thus;

*

Well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which *

* offer to fear upon a book, I fall bave good fortune. 'Tis impoffible to find out the loft line, but the loft fente is ealy enough; as thus,

Well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth [promife good luck, I am mifteken, I durft almot] offer to fwear upon a book, I fball bave good fortu e. Mr. Warburton.

I be mifconftru'd in the place I go to,
And lofe my hopes.

Gra. Signior Baffanio, hear me.

If I do not put on a fober habit,

Talk with refpect, and fwear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pockets, look demurely;
Nay more, while grace is faying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh and fay, Amen;
Ufe all the obfervance of civility,

Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent

To pleafe his grandam; never truft me more.
Baff. Well, we fhall fee 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 reft:
But we will vifit you at fupper-time.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Shylock's houfe.

Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.

Jef.'M forry, thou wilt leave my father fo

I

;

Our houfe is hell, and thou, a merry devil,

Didft rob it of fome tafte of tedioufnefs;

But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee.
And Launcelot, foon at fupper fhalt 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; moft beautiful Pagan, moft fweet Jew! if a chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd; but adieu! thefe foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly fpirit: adieu!

Jef.

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.

Lor.

SCENE, the Street.

[Exit.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio.

NAY; we will flink away in fupper-time, difguife us at my lodging, and return all in

an hour.

Gra. We have not made good preparation. Sal. We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers. Sola. 'Tis vile, unlefs 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 pleafe you to break up this, it shall feem to fignify.

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.

Lor. Whither goest thou?

Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old mafter the few to fup to-night with my new mafter the chriftian.

Lor. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle Jeffica,

I will not fail her; fpeak it privately.

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

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

[Exit Laun.

Sal. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it ftrait.

Sola. And fo will I.

Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano,

At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence.

Sal.

Sal. 'Tis good, we do fo.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jeffica?

[Exit.

Lor. I muft needs tell thee all; fhe bath directed,
How I fhall take her from her father's houfe;
What gold and jewels fhe is furnith'd with ;
What page's fuit she hath in readiness.
If e'er the few her father come to heav'n,
It will be for his gentle daughter's fake:
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unlefs fhe do it under this excufe,
That he is iffue to a faithlefs Jew.

Come, go with me; perufe this, as thou goeft;
Fair Jeffica fhall be my torch-bearer.

SCENE, Shylock's houfe.

Shy W

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt.

ELL, thou shalt fee, thy eyes shall be thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Baffanio.

What, Fefica!-thou shalt not gormandize,

As thou haft done with me

-what, Jefica

And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.

Why, Jefica! 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, Jelica;
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 chriflian. Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my houfe, I am iight loth to go;
There is fome ill a brewing towards my reft
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun.