have (6) a fairer table, which doth offer to swear upon a book, I shall 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 'scape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed, here are simple 'scapes! well, if fortune be a woman, she'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. Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this. These things being bought and orderly bestowed, Return in haste, for I do feast to-night My best-eftcem'd acquaintance; hie thee, go.

Leon. My best endeavours shall be done herein.

[Exit Leonardo.

Gra. Where is your master?

Leon. Yonder, Sir, he walks.

Gra. Signior Baffanio,

Baf. Gratiano!

Gra. I have a fuit to you.

Baf. You have obtain'd it.

Gra. You must not deny me, I must go with you to

Belmont.

Baff. Why, then you must: but hear thee, Gratiano, Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice; Parts, that become thee happily enough,

(6) Well, if any Man in Italy have, &c.] The Pofition of the Words makes the Sentence fomewhat obfcure: Their natural Order should be this. Well, if any Man in Italy, which doth offer to fwear upon a Fork, bave a fairer Table, I shall have good Luck. And the Humour of the Paffage seems this. Launcelot, a Joaker, and defignedly a Blunderer, says the very Reverse of what he should do : which is, That if no Man in Italy, who would offer to take bis Oath upon it, batb a fairer Table than be, be shall have good Fortune. The Banter may, partly, be on Chiromancy in general: but it is very much in Character for Launcelot, who is a hungry Serving-man, to confider his Table before his Line of Life, or any other Points of Fortune,

And

And in fuch eyes as ours appear not faults;..
But where thou art not known, why, there they shew
Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain
T'allay with fome cold drops of modesty:

Thy skipping spirit; left, through thy wild behaviour,

I be misconstru'd in the place I go to,

And lose my hopes.

Gra. Signior Baffanio, hear me.

If I do not put on a sober habit,

J

Talk with respect, and swear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pockets, look demurely;
Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh, and say, Amen;

Use all th' observance of civility,

Like one well studied in a fad oftent

To please his grandam; never trust me more.
Baff. Well, we shall 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 boldest suit 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 supper-time.

1

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Shylock's House.

Enter Jessica and Launcelot.

'M forry, thou wilt leave my father fo;

Our house is hell, and thou,

a merry devil,

Didit rob it of fome taste of tediousness;
But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelt, foon at supper shalt thou fee
Lorenzo, who is thy new mafter's gueft;
Give him this letter, do it secretly,
And fo farewel: I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

4

Laun.

Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue; most beautiful Pagan, most sweet Jew! if a Christian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd; 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 asham'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 promise, I shall end this strife,
Become a chriftian, and thy loving wife.

[Exit.

Lor.

SCENE, the STREET.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio.

hour.

N

1

AY, we will flink away in supper-time, dif-
guife us at my lodging, and return all in an

Gra. We have not made good preparation.
Sal. We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers.
Sola. '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 t

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Laun. An' it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem 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 master the Jew to

fup to-night with my new master the Chriftian.

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

I will not fail her; speak it privately.
Go,--Gentlemen, will you prepare for this masqueto-night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

[Exit Laun.

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

Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano,

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

[Exit

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Felica?
Lor. I must needs tell thee all; the hath directed,

How I shall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with;
What page's fuit she 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 she do it under this excufe,
That the is iffue to a faithless Jeaw.
Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goest
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

Sky-W

SCENE, Shylock's House.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt

ELL, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Baffanio.

What, Jeffica! - thou shalt not gormandize,
As thou hast done with me what, Jeffica!
And fleep and snore, and rend apparel out.
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 Jeffsica.

Jes. Call you? what is your will?

Shy.

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 christian. Jessica, my girl,
Look to my house; I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a brewing towards my reit,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

1

Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young mafter doth

expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have conspired together, I will, not fay, you shall fee a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on black monday last, at fix a clock i'th' morning, falling out that year on Afm-Wednesday was four year in the after

noon.

Shy. What! are there masques i hear you me, Jeffica Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber not you up to the cafements then, Nor thrust your head into the publick street, To gaze on christian fools with varnish'd faces: But ftop my houfe's ears; I mean, my casements Let not the found of shallow foppery enter My fober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear, I have no mind of feasting forth to-night: But I will go; go you before me, firrah: Say. I will come.

1.0

2

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 says that fool of Hagar's off-spring, ha? 7. 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 waste