who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be rul'd by the fiend, who, faving your reverence, is the devil himself: Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation: and, in my confcience, my conscience is but a kind of hard confcience, to offer to counsel me to ftay with the Jew: The fiend gives the more friendly counfel; I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment, I will run. Enter old GOBBO, with a basket. Gob. Mafter young man ; you, I pray you, which is the way to mafter Jew's? Laun. [Afide. O heavens, this is my true-begotten father! who, being more than fand-blind, high-gravel blind, knows me not.-I will try conclufions with him. Gob. Mafter young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to mafter Jew's? Laun. Turn up on your right hand, at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly unto the Jew's house. Gob. By God's fonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit.Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him, or no? Laun. Talk you of young mafter Launcelot ?—Mark me now, [afide,] now will I raise the waters :-Talk you of young mafter Launcelot ? Gob. No mafter, fir, but a poor man's fon. His father, though I fay it, is an honeft exceeding poor man, and God be thanked, well to live. Laun. Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young mafter Launcelot. Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, fir. Laun. But I pray you ergo, old man: ergo; I beseech you; talk you of young mafter Launcelot ? Gob. Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership. Laun. Ergo, mafter Launcelot; talk not of master Launcelot, father for the young gentleman (according to fates and deftinies, and fuch odd fayings, the fifters three, and fuch branches of learning) is, indeed, deceased; or, as you would say, in plain terms, gone to heaven. Gob. Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop. Laun. Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovel-post, a fstaff, or a prop ?-Do you know me, father? Gob. Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman: but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy (God reft his foul !) alive, or dead ? Laun. Do you not know me, father? Gob. Alack, fir, I am fand blind, I know you not. Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wife father that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your fon : Give me your bleffing: truth will come to light: Murder cannot be hid long; a man's fon may; but, in the end, truth will out. Gob. Pray you, fir, stand up; I am fure you are not Launcelot my boy. Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but give me your bleffing; I am Launcelot, your boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall be.[1] Gob. I cannot think you are my fon. Laun. I know not what I fhall think of that: but I am Launcelot, the Jew's man; and, I am fure, Margery, your wife, is my mother. Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed :-I'll be fworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art my own flesh and blood. Lord, worshipp'd might he be ! what a beard haft thou got! thou haft got more hair on thy chin, than Dobbin, my thill-horse, has on his tail. Laun. It fhould feem then, that Dobbin's tail grows backward; I am fure he had more hair on his tail than I have on my face, when I laft faw him. Gob. Lord, how thou art chang'd! How doft thou and thy mafter agree? I have brought him a prefent; how agree you now? Laun. Well, well; but, for mine own part, as I have fet up my reft to run away, fo I will not reft till I have run fome ground: My master's a very Jew. Give him a prefent! Give him a halter: I am famish'd in his fervice; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come; give me your prefent to one master Bassanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I ferve him not, I will run as far as God has any [1] Launcelot, by your child that shall be,' may mean, that his duty to his father fhall, for the future, thew him to be his child. It became neceffary for him to fay fomething of that fort, after all the tricks he had been playing him. STEEV. ground. O rare fortune! here comes the man ;-to him, father; for I am a Jew, if I ferve the Jew any longer. Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO, and a follower or tavo more. Baff. You may do fo;-but let it be fo hafted, that fupper be ready at the fartheft by five of the clock. See these letters delivered; put the liveries to making; and defire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. Laun. To him, father. Gob. God bless your worship! Baff. Gramercy; would'ft thou aught with me: Laun. Not a poor boy, fir, but the rich Jew's man; that would, fir, as my father fhall specify Gob. He hath a great infection, fir, as one would say, to ferve Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I ferve the Jew, and have a defire, as my father shall specify Gob. His mafter and he (faving your worship's reve rence) 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 difh of doves, that I would bestow upon your worship; and my fuit is- Laun. In very brief, the fuit is impertinent to myself, 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 speak for both :-What would you? Laun. Serve you, fir. Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, fir. And hath preferr'd thee; if it be preferment, The follower of fo poor a gentleman. Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my mafter Shylock and you, fir; you have the grace of God, fir, and he hath enough. Baff. Thou fpeak'ft it well: Go, father, with thy fon: Take leave of thy old mafter, and inquire My lodging out :-Give him a livery [To his Followers. 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, [looking on his palm] if any man in Italy have a fairer table,[1] which doth offer to fwear upon a book, I fhall 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 ;[2]-here are fimple 'scapes! Well, if fortune be a woman, fhe's a good wench for this gear.-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: Thefe things being bought, and orderly beftow'd, Return in hafte, for I do feast to-night My best efteem'd acquaintance: hie thee, go. 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 To allay with fome cold drops of modefty Thy skipping fpirit; left, through thy wild behaviour, 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 respect, and swear but now and then ; [1] The chiromantic term for the lines of the hand. WARB. [2] A cant phrafe to fignify the danger of marrying. VOL. II. C WARB, Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely; Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent[3] 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 Gra. And I must to Lorenzo, and the reft; SHYLOCK'S Houfe. SCENE III. [Exeunt Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT. Jef. I am forry thou wilt leave my father fo; And fo farewel: I would not have my father [Afide. Laun. Adieu !-tears exhibit my tongueMost beautiful Pagan, moft sweet Jew! if a Christian did not play the knave, and get thee, I am much deceiv'd: but, adieu! thefe foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu ! Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot.- [3] Grave appearance; fhew of ftaid and serious behaviour. [Exit. [Exit. JOHNS |