MERCHANT OF VENICE. ACT I. SCENE I. A Street in Venice. Enter ANTHONIO, SOLARINO, and SALANIO. Anthonio. Ν IN footh, I know not why I am fo fad :: It wearies me; you fay, it wearies you; And fuch a want-wit fadnefs makes of me, Sal. Your mind is toffing on the ocean; That curtfy to them, do them reverence, As they fly by them with their woven wings, Be with my hopes abroad. I fhould be ftill Sal. My wind, cooling my broth, Would blow me to an ague, when I thought [1]. Whether it be derived from Argo, I am in doubt. It was a name given in our author's time to fhips of great burthen, probably galleons, fuch as the Spaniards now use in their Weft-India trade. JOHNS. [2] By holding up the grafs, or any light body that will bend by a gentle blatt, the direction of the wind is found." This way I used in shooting. Betwixt the markes was an open place, there I take a fethere, or a lytle graffe, and fo learned how the wind ftood." Afcham. JOHNS, What harm a wind too great might do at fea. And not bethink me ftraight of dangerous rocks? Is fad to think upon his merchandizę. Anth. Believe me, no I thank my fortune for it My ventures are not in one bottom trufted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole eftate Upon the fortune of this prefent year: Therefore my merchandize makes me not fad. Anth. Fie, fie! Sola. Not in love neither? Then let's fay, you are fad, Because you are not merry and 'twere as eafy And other of fuch vinegar-afpect, That they'll not fhew their teeth in way of fmile,[6] Though Neftor fwear the jeft be laughable. [3] The name of the fhip. JOHNS. [4] Here Shakespeare thews his knowledge in the antique. By Twoheaded Janus is meant thofe antique bifrontine heads, which generally reprefent a young and fmiling face, together with an old and wrinkled one, being of Pan and Bacchus; of Saturn and Apollo, &c. These are not uncommon in collections of antiques: and in the books of the antiquaries, as Montfaucon, Spanheim, &c. WARB.. [5] This gives us a very picturefque image of the countenance in laughing, when the eyes appear half fhut. WARB. [6] Because such are apt enough to fhew their teeth in anger. WARE. Enter BASSANIO, LORENZO, and GRATIANO. Sal. Here comes Baffanio, your most noble kinsman, Gratiano, and Lorenzo: Fare you well: We leave you now with better company. Sola. I would have ftaid till I had made you merry, If worthier friends had not prevented me. Anth. Your worth is very dear in my regard. Baff. Good figniors both, when shall we laugh? fay, when? You grow exceeding ftrange; muft it be fo? Sal. We'll make our leifures to attend on yours. Sola. My lord Baffanio, fince you have found Anthonio, We two will leave you; but, at dinner-time, I pray you have in mind where we muft meet. Baff. I will not fail you. [Exeunt SAL. and SOLA. Gra. You look not well, fignior Anthonio; You have too much refpect upon the world: They lose it, that do buy it with much care. Believe me, you are marvellously chang'd. Anth. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; A ftage, where every man muft play his part; And mine a fad one. Gra. Let me play the fool:[7] With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come; Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice With purpose to be dreft in an opinion [7] Alluding to the common comparison of human life to a ftage-play. So that he defires his may be the fool's or buffoon's part, which was a con ftant character in the old farces: from whence came the phrafe, To play the fool. WARB. As who fhould fay, I am Sir Oracle, For faying nothing; who, I am very fure, If they fhould speak, would almost damn those cars, But fifh not, with this melancholy bait, Lor. Well, we will leave you then till dinner-time. Gra. Well, keep me company but two years more, Thou shalt not know the found of thine own tongue. Anth. Farewel: I'll grow a talker for this gear. Gra. Thanks, 'faith; for filence is only commendable In a neat's tongue dry'd, and a maid not vendible. [Exeunt GRA. and LOREN. Anth. Is that any thing now? Baff. Gratiano fpeaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice His reafons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; you shall seek all day ere you find them; and when you have them, they are not worth the fearch. Anth. Well; tell me now, what lady is the fame, To whom you fwore a fecret pilgrimage, That you to-day promis'd to tell me of? Baff. 'Tis not unknown to you, Anthonio, How much I have difabled mine eftate, By fhewing fomething a more swelling port Than my faint means would grant continuance ; Nor do I now make moan to be abridg'd From fuch a noble rate: but my chief care Is to come fairly off from the great debts, Wherein my time, fomething too prodigal, Hath left me gag'd: To you, Anthonio, I owe the moft, in money, and in love; And from your love I have a warranty [8] T humour of this confifts in its being an allufion to the practice of the puritan preachers of thofe times; who being generally very long and tedious, were often forced to put off that part of their fermon called the Exhortation, till after dinner. WARB. To unburthen all my plots, and purposes, Anth. I pray you, good Baffanio, let me know it; And, if it ftand, as you yourself ftill do, Within the eye of honour, be affur'd, My purse, my perfon, my extremeft means, Lie all unlock'd to your occafions. Baff. In my fchool-days, when I had loft one shaft, I fhot his fellow of the felf-fame flight The felf-fame way, with more advised watch, I owe you much; and, like a wilful youth, Which you did fhoot the first, I do not doubt, Or bring your latter hazard back again, Anth. You know me well; and herein spend but time,. To wind about my love with circumstance; And, out of doubt, you do me now more wrong, Than if you had made waste of all I have: Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth ; Which makes her feat of Belmont, Colchos' ftrand, |