Sola. Believe me, Sir, had I fuch venture forth, Be with my hopes abroad. I fhould be still Sal. My wind, cooling my broth, Would blow me to an ague, when I thought And not bethink me ftrait of dang'rous rocks? Is fad to think upon his merchandize. Anth. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, 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're fad, Because you are not merry; and 'twere as easy For you to laugh and leap, and fay, you're merry, Because you are not fad. Now by two-headed Janus, Nature hath fram'd strange fellows in her time: Some that will evermore peep through their eyes, And And laugh, like parrots, at a bag-piper ; That they'll not fhow their teeth in way of fmile, Enter Baffanio, Lorenzo and Gratiano. Sal. Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinfman, Gratiano and Lorenzo: fare ye well ; We leave ye now with better company. you merry, Sola. I would have ftaid 'till I had made Sal. Good morrow, my good lords. Baff. Good Signiors both, when shall we laugh? fay, when? You grow exceeding strange; must it be fo? Sal. We'll make our leifures to attend on yours. We two will leave you; but at dinner-time, I pray you, have in mind where we must meet. Baff. I will not fail you. [Exeunt Solar, and Sala Gra. You look not well, Signior Abonio; You have too much refpect upon the world: They lose it, that do buy it with much care. Believe me, you are marvelloufly chang'd. Anth. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, A ftage, where every man must play his part, And mine's a fad one. Gra. Let me play the fool; With mirth, and laughter, let old wrinkles come; Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice Do Do cream and mantle like a standing pond; If they should fpeak, would almost damn thofe ears, (1) But fish 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. Fare well; I'll talker for this gear. grow a Gra. Thanks, i'faith; for filence is only commendable In a neats 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 (1) would almost damn thofe Ears,] Several Old Editions have it, dam, damme, and daunt. Some more correct Copies, damn. The Author's Meaning is this; That fome People are thought wife, whilft they keep Silence; who, when they open their mouths, are fuch ftupid Praters, that their Hearers cannot help calling them Fools, and fo incur the Judgment denounc'd in the Gospel. The Allufion is to St. Matthew, Chap. v. ver. 22. And whosever shall say to his Brother, Raca, fhall be in danger of the Council: but whosoever shall Say, thou Fool, shall be in danger of Hell-fire. feek feek 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, Anth. I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it; And if it ftand, as you yourself still do, Within the eye of honour; be affur'd, My purfe, my perfon, my extreamest means Baff. In my fchool-days, when I had loft one shaft, I fhot his fellow of the self-fame flight The felf-fame way, with more advised watch, I owe Anth. You know me well; and herein spend but time, To wind about my love with circumftance; And, out of doubt, you do me now more wrong, Than Than if you had made waste of all I have. Nor is the wide world ign'rant of her worth; Anth. Thou know'ft, that all my fortunes are at fea Nor have I mony, nor commodity To raise a present fum; therefore, go forth; [Exeunt. (2) fometimes from her Eyes.] So all the Editions ; but it certainly ought to be, fometime, (which differs much more in Signification, than seems at first View :) i. e. former ly, fome time ago, at a certain time: and it appears by the subfequent Scene, that Baffanio was at Belmont with the Marquis de Mountferrat, and faw Portia in her Father's life-time. And our Author, in several other Places, uses the Word in fuch Acceptation, SCENE |