Lor. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle Jeffica, I will not fail her; fpeak it privately.

Go.

Gentlemen, will you prepare for this masque to-night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

[Exit. Laun.

Sal. Ay, Marry, I'll be gone about it trait.
Sola. And fo will I.

Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano,

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

[Exit.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jeffica ?
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,
Unlefs fhe doth it under this excufe,
That she is iffue to a faithless Jew.

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

SCENE VI.

[Exeunt.

Shylock's houfe.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

Shy. Well, thou fhalt fee, thy eyes fhall be thy

judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Baffanio.

What, Jeffica!

-thou fhalt not gormandize, As thou haft done with me- what, Jeflica!

And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.

Why, Jeffica! I fay.

Laun. Why, Jeffica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. Laun. Your Worthip 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, Jeffica;

There are my keys. But wherefore fhould I go

?

I am

I am not bid for love; they flatter me:
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
The prodigal Chriftian. Jeflica, my girl,
Look to my houfe; I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a-brewing towards my reft,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun. I befeech you, Sir, go; my young master 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 last, at fix o'clock i' th' morning, falling out that year on Afh-Wednesday was four year in the af

ternoon.

Shy. What? are there mafques? hear you me, Jeffica 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 cafements then, Nor thrust your head into the public street, To gaze on Chriftian fools with varnish'd faces. But flop my houfe's ears; I mean, my cafements; Let not the found of fhallow foppery enter My fober house. By Jacob's ftaff, I fwear, I have no mind of feasting forth to-night. But I will go; go you before me, firrah. Say, I will come.

Laun. I will go before, Sir.

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

[Exit. Laun: Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? Jef. His words were, Farewel, Mistress; nothing elfe. 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 purfe. Well, Jeffica, go in ;
Perhaps I will return immediately;

Do, as I bid you.

Shut

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.

SCENE VII. The Street.

Enter Gratiano and Salanio in masquerade.

[Exit.

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 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 first? All things that are,
Are with more spirit chafed than enjoy'd.
How like a younker, or a prodigal,

The fcarfed 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 trumpet 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 fhall pleafe to play the thieves for wives, I'll watch as long for you then come, approach; Here dwells my father Jew. Hoa, who's within ?

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

For who love I fo much; and now who knows,
But you, Lorenzo, whether I am your's?

[art.

Lor. Heav'n and thy thoughts are witness that thou Jef. Here catch this cafket, it is worth the pains. I'm glad, 'tis night, you do not look on me; For I am much afham'd of my exchange; But love is blind, and lovers cannot fee The pretty follies that themfelves 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, must I hold a candle to my fhames? They in themfelves, good footh, are too, too light. Why, 'tis an office of difcovery, love, And I fhould be obfcur'd.

Lor. So are you, sweet,

Ev'n in the lovely garnish of a boy.

But come at once

For the clofe night doth play the run-away,
And we are ftaid for at Baffanio's feaft.

Jef. I will make faft the doors, and gild myfelf 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 the hath prov'd herself;
And therefore like herfelf, wife, fair, and true,
Shall fhe be placed in my conftant foul.

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; To 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.

SCENE VIII. Changes to Belmont.

Enter Portia with Morochius, and both their trains.

Por. Go, draw afide the curtains, and discover
The fev'ral cafkets to this Noble Prince.

Now make your choice. [Three cafkets are difcover'd.
Mor. The firft of gold, which this infcriptions bears,
Who chufeth me, fhall gain what many men defire.
The fecond filver, which this promife carries,
Who chufeth me, fall get as much as he deferves.
This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,
Who chufeth me, muft give and hazard all he hath.
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 your's withal.

Mor. Some God direct my judgment! let me fee,
I will furvey th' infcriptions back again;
What fays this leaden casket?

Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all he hath.
Mu give, for what? for lead? hazard for lead?
This cafket threatens. Men that hazard all,
Do it in hope of fair advantages.

A golden mind ftoops not to fhows of drofs;
I'll then not give, nor hazard aught for lead.
What fays the filver, with her virgin hue?
Who chafeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves.
As much as he deferves? paufe there, Morochius;
And weigh thy value with an even hand.
If thou be'ft rated by thy eftimation,
Thou doft deferve enough; and yet enough.
May not extend fo far as to the lady;
And yet to be afraid of my deferving,
Were but a weak difabling of myfelf.
As much as I deferve?-why, that's the lady:
I do in birth deferve her, and in fortunes,
In graces, and in qualities of breeding :
But more than thefe, in love I do deferve.
What if I ftray'd no farther, but chofe here?
VOL. II.

I.

Let's