Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear | His wife, who wins me by that means I told This is kind I offer. Ant. This were kindness. [me: Shy. This kindness will I show:- And say, there is much kindness in the Jew. Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. [Exit. mind. Ant. Come on: in this there can be no dismay, My ships come home a month before the day." [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I.-Belmont.-A Room in PORTIA'S House. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF MO- Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion, Por. In terms of choice I am not solely led you, Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair, Mor. Even for that I thank you: Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey, Por. You must take your chance; chance. SCENE II-Venice.-A Street. Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO. Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master: The fiend is Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good at mine elbow; and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, no; take heed honest Launcelot; take heed, honest take the start, run away: My conscience says,Gobbo; or, as aforesaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy heels: Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; ria! says the fiend; away! says the fiend, for the heavens; rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. about the neck of my heart, says very wisely Well, my conscience, hanging to me, my honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son,-or rather an honest woman's son;-for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste; well, my conscience says, Launcelot, budge not; budge, says the fiend; budge not, says my conscience: Conscience, says I, you counsel well; fiend, says I, you counsel well: to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who, (God bless the mark!) is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself: Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew: The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment, I will run. Enter old GOBBO, with a Basket. which is the way to master Jew's? Gob. Master, young man, you, I pray you; *Not precipitate. Laun. [Aside.] O heavens, this is my true | hair on his tail, than I have on my face, when begotten father! who, being more than sand- I last saw him. blind, high-gravel blind, knows me not:-I will try conclusions* with him. Gob. Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to master 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 to the Jew's house. Gob. By God's sonties, '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 master Launcelot?-Mark me now; [aside.] now will I raise the waters:-Talk you of young master Launcelot? Gob. No master, Sir, but a poor man's son; his father, though I say it, is an honest exceeding poor man, and, God be thanked, well to live. Laun. Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young master Launcelot. Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, Sir. Laun. But I pray you ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you; Talk you of young master Launcelot ? Gob. Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership. Laun. Ergo, master Launcelot; talk not of master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman (according to fates and destinies, and such odd sayings, the sisters three, and such 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 hovelpost, a staff, 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 rest his soul!) alive, or dead? Laun. Do you not know me, father? Gob. Alack, Sir, I am sand-blind, I know you not. Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wise father, that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son: Give me your blessing: truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long, a man's son may; but, in the end, truth will out. Gob. Pray you, Sir, stand up; I am sure, you are not Launcelot, my boy. Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but give me your blessing; I am Launcelot, your boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall be. Gob. I cannot think, you are my son. Laun. I know not what I shall think of that: but I am Launcelot, the Jew's man; and, I am sure, Margery, your wife, is my mother. Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be sworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and blood. Lord worshipp'd might he be! what a beard hast thou got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin, than Dobbin my thillhorset has on his tail. Lawn. It should seem then, that Dobbin's tail grows backward; * Experiments. am sure he had more + Shaft-horse. Gob. Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou and thy master agree? I have brought him a present; How 'gree you now? Laun. Well, well; but, for mine own part, as I have set up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I have run some ground: my master's a very Jew: Give him a present! give him a halter: I am famish'd in his service; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come; give me your present to one master Bassanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I serve not him, I will run as far as God has any ground. -O rare fortune! here comes the man ;-to him, father; for I am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer. Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO, and other Followers. Bass. You may do so;-but let it be so hasted, that supper be ready at the farthest by five of the clock: See these letters deliver'd; put the liveries to making; and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. [Exit a Servant. Laun. To him, father. Gob. God bless your worship! Bass. Gramercy; Would'st thou aught with me? Gob. Here's my son, Sir, a poor boy, Laun. Not a poor boy, Sir, but the rich Jew's man; that would, Sir, as my father shall specify, Gob. He hath a great infection, Sir, as one would say, to serve Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew, and I have a desire, as my father shall specify, Gob. His master and he, (saving your worship's reverence,) are scarce cater-cousins: Laun. To be brief, the very truth is, that the Jew, having done me wrong, doth cause me, as my father, being I hope an old man, shall frutify unto you, Gob. I have here a dish of doves, that I would bestow upon your worship; and my suit is, Laun. In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as your worship shall know by this honest old man; and, though I say it, though old man, yet, poor man, my father. Bass. One speak for both;-What would you? Laun. Serve you, Sir. Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, Sir. Bass. I know thee well, thou hast obtain'd thy suit: Shylock, thy master, spoke with me this day, Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my master Shylock and you, Sir; you have the grace of God, Sir, and he hath enough. Bass. Thou speak'st it well: Go, father with Take leave of thy old master, and inquire My lodging out:-Give him a livery thy son: [To his Followers. More guarded* than his fellows': See it done. Laun. Father, in:-I cannot get a service, no;-I have ne'er a tongue in my head.-Well; [Looking on his palm.] if any man in Italy have à fairer table, which doth offer to swear upon And so farewell; I would not have my father a book. I shall have good fortune; Go to, here's a simple line of life! here's a small trifle of wives: Alas, fifteen wives is nothing; Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue.eleven widows, and nine maids, is a simple Most beautiful pagan,-most sweet Jew! If a coming-in for one man: and then, to 'scape Christian do not play the knave, and get thee, drowning thrice; and to be in peril of my life I am much deceived: But, adieu! these foolish with the edge of a feather-bed ;-here are sim-drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit; ple 'scapes! Well, if fortune be a woman, she's a good wench for this gear.-Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. [Exeunt LAUNCELOT and old GOBBO. Bass. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this: show Something too liberal:*-pray thee, take pain Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear me : Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine By what we do to-night. Buss. No, that were pity; I would entreat you rather to put on That Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends Gra. And I must to Lorenzo, and the rest; Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT. Jes. I am sorry, thou wilt leave my father so; * Gross, licentious. + Show of staid and serious demeanour. * Carriage, deportment. adieu! [Exit. Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot.- [Exit. SCENE IV.-The same.-A Street. Lor. Nay, we will slink away in supper-time; Gra. We have not made good preparation.. Salan. "Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly And better, in my mind, not undertook. Enter LAUNCELOT, with a letter. Lor. I know the hand: in faith, 'tis a fair Gra. Love-news, in faith. Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old master the sica, Lor. Hold here, take this :-tell gentle Jes- Salar. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it Salan. And so will I. Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano, At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence. [Exeunt SALAR. and SALAN. Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica? Lor. I must needs tell thee all: She hath directed, Now I shall take her from her father's house; Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT. The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:What, Jessica !-thou shall not gormandize, As thou hast done with me;-What, Jessica!And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out;Why, Jessica, I say! Laun. Why, Jessica! Shy. Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call. Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, I could do nothing without bidding. Enter JESSICA. Jes. Call you? What is your will? Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica; There are my keys:-But wherefore should I I am not bid for love; they flatter me: [go? But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon The prodigal Christian.-Jessica, my girl, Look to my house :-I am right loath to go; There is some ill a brewing towards my rest, For I did dream of money-bags to-night. Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach. Shy. So do I his. Laun. And they have conspired together,-I will not say, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on Black-Monday last, at six o'clock i'the morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in the after noon. me, Jessica: Shy. What are there masques? Hear you [drum, Lock up my doors; and when you hear the And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber not you up to the casements then, Nor thrust your head into the public street, To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces: But stop my house's ears, I mean my casements; Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter Luun. I will go before, Sir.- Will be worth a Jewess' eye. [Exit LAUN. Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? Jes. His words were, Farewell, mistress; nothing else. Shy. The patch is kind enough; but a huge feeder. Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me. Therefore I part with him; and part with him Shut doors after you: Fast bind, fast find; I have a father, you a daughter, lost. SCENE VI.-The same. [Exit. Enter GRATIANO and SALARNIO, masked. Gra. This is the pent-house, under which Desir'd us to make stand. [Lorenzo * Invited. Salar. His hour is almost past. Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour, For lovers ever run before the clock. Sular. O, ten times faster Venus' pigions fly To seal loye's bonds new made, than they are To keep obliged faith unforfeited! [wont, Gra. That ever holds: Who rises from a feast, With that keen appetite that he sits down? Hugg'd and embraced by the strumpet wind! Enter LORENZO. Salar. 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 shall please to play the thieves for wives, I'll watch as long for you then.-Approach; Here dwells my father Jew:-Ho! who's within. Enter JESSICA above, in boy's clothes. Jes. Who are you? Tell me, for more certainty, Albeit I'll swear that I do know your tongue. Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love. Jes. Lorenzo, certain; and my love, indeed; For who love I so much? And now who knows, But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours? Lor. Heaven, and thy thoughts, are witness that thou art. Jes. Here, catch this casket; it is worth the pains. I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, The pretty follies that themselves commit; Lor. Descend, for you must be my torchbearer. Jes. What, must I hold a candle to my shames? [light. They in themselves, good sooth, are too too Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love; And I should be obscur'd. lead? This casket threatens : Men, that hazard all, A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross ; sire. Why, that's the lady; all the world desires her: Is't like, that lead contains her? "Twere dam- A coin, that bears the figure of an angel Then I am yours. [He unlocks the golden casket. Often have you heard that told: sail: But there the duke was given to understand, Salan. I never heard a passion so confus'd, |