As who should say, I am sir Oracle, If they should speak, would almost damn those ears, Lor. Well, we will leave you then till dinner-time: Gra. Well, keep me company, but two years more, mendable In a neat's tongue dried, and a maid not vendible. [Exeunt GRATIANO and LORENZO. Ant. Is that any thing now? Bass. Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice: His reasons 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 search. Ant. Well; tell me now, what lady is this same To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage, That you to-day promis'd to tell me or? Bass. 'Tis not unknown to you, Antonio, By something showing a more swelling port To unburthen all my plots, and purposes, How to get clear af all the debts 1 owe. To raise a present sum: therefore go forth, Por. By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is a-weary of this great world. Ner. You would be, sweet madam, if your mi series were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are: And yet, for aught I see, they are as sick, that surfeit with too much, as they that starve with nothing: It is no mean happiness, therefore, to be seated in the mean; supertuity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. Por. Good sentences, and well pronounced. Ner. They would be better, if well followed. Por. If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men's cottages, princes' palaces. It is a good divine that follows his own instructions: can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to foliow mine own teaching. The brain may devise laws for the blood; but a hot temper leaps over a cod decree: such a hare is madness the youth, to skip oe'r the meshes of good counsel the cripple. But this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me a husband:- me, the word choose! I may neither choose whom I would, nor refuse whom I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father :Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none. Ner. Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men, at their death, have good inspirations; therefore, the lottery that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver, and lead, (whereof who chooseg his meaning, chooses you,) will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly, but one who you shall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection Ant. I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it; towards any of these princely suitors that are And, if it stand, as you yourself still do, Within the eye of honor, be assured, My purse, my person, my extremest means, Buss. In my school-days, when I had lost one shaft already come? Por. I pray thee over-name them; and as thou namest them, I will describe them; and, according to my description, level at my affection. Ner. First, there is the Neapolitan prince. Por. Ay, that's a colt, indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse; and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts, that he can shoe him himself: I am much afraid, my lady, his mother, played false with a smith. Ner. Then, is there the county Palatine. Por. He doth nothing but frown; as who should say, An if you will not have me, choose; he hears merry tales, and smiles not: I fear he will prove the weeping philosopher when he grows old, being so full of unmannerly sadness in his youth. I had rather be married to a death's head with a bone in Ant. You know me well; and herein spend but his mouth than to either of these. God defend me time, To wind about my love with circumstance; Ant. Thou know'st, that all my fortunes are at sea; from these two! Ner. How say you by the French lord, monsieur Le Bon? Por. God made him, and therefore, let him pass for a man. In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker: But, he! why, he hath a horse better than the Neapolitan's; a better bad habit of frowning than the count Palatine: he is every man in no man: if a throstle sing, he falls straight a capering; he will fence with his own shadow: If I should marry him, I should marry twenty husbands: If he would despise me, I would forgive him; for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite him. Ner. What say you then to Faulconbridge, the young baron of England? Por. You know I say nothing to him; for he understands not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian; and you will come into the court and swear, that i have a poor pennyworth in the English. He is a proper man's picture; But, alas! who can converse with a dumb show! How oddly he is suited! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behavior every where. Ner. What think you of the Scottish lord, his neighbor? • Count. Por. That he hath a neighborly charity in him; be assured, I will bethink me: May I speak with for he borrowed a box of the car of the English-Antonio? man, and swore he would pay him again, when he was able; I think, the Frenchman became his surety, and sealed under for another. Ner. How like you the young German, the duke of Saxony's nephew? Por. Very vilely in the morning when he is sober; and most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk: when he is best, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast: and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I shall make shift to go without hitn. Ner. If he should offer to choose, and choose the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father's will, if you should refuse to accept him. Por. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary casket; for, if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I know he will choose it. I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I will be married to a spunge. Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of these lords, they have acquainted me with their determinations: which is indeed, to return to their home, and to trouble you with no more suit; unless you may be won by some other sort than your father's imposition, depending on the caskets. Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner of my father's will: I am glad this parcel of wooers are so reasonable: for there is not one among them but I dote on his very absence, and I pray God grant them a fair departure. Ner. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a scholar, and a soldier, that came hither in company of the Marquis of Montferrat! Por. Yes, yes, it was Bassanio; as I think, so was he called. Ner. True, madam; he of all the men that ever my foolish eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a fair lady. Por. I remember him well; and I remember him worthy of thy praise.-How now! what news! Enter a Servant. Serv. The four strangers seck for you, inadam, to take their leave: and there is a fore-runner come from a fifth, the prince of Morocco; who brings word, the prince, his master, will be here to-night. Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good heart, as I can bid the other four farewell, I should be glad of his approach: if he have the condition, of a saint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me. Come, Nerissa,-Sirrah go before. Whiles we shut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. [Exeunt. SCENE III- Venice. A Public place. Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK. Shy. Three thousand ducats,- well. Bass. For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound. Shy. Antonio shall become bound,-well. Bass. May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer? Shy. Three thousand ducats, for three months and Antonio bound. Bass. Your answer to that. Shy. Antonio is a good man. Bass. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary! Shy. Ho, no,no, no, no;- my meaning, in saying he is a good man, is to have you understand me, that he is sufficient: yet his means are in supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England,and other ventures he hath, squander'd abroad: But ships are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats, and water-rats, water-thieves, and landthieves; I mean, pirates; and then, there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks: The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient;-three thousand ducats; -I think I may take his bond. Bass. Be assured you may. Shy. I will be assured, I may; and, that I may Temper, qualities. Buss. If it please you to dine with us. Shy. Yes, to smell pork; to eat or the habitation which your prophet, the Nazarite conjured the devil into: I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto?-Who is he comes here? Enter ANTONIO. Bass. This is signior Antonio. Shy. Aside. How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him, for he is a Christian : Shylock, do you hear? Bass. TO ANTONIO. Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. Ant. And for three months. Shy. I had forgot,-three months, you told me so. Well then, your bond; and, let me see, But hear you; Methought, you said, you neither lend nor borrow, Upon advantage. Ant. I do never use it. Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's sheep, This Jacob from our holy Abraham was (As his wise mother wrought in his behalf) The third possessor; ay, he was the third. Ant. And what of him? did he take interest? Shy. No, not take interest; not, as you would say, Directly interest: mark what Jacob did. When Laban and himself were compromis'd, That all the eanlings which were streak d, and pied, Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes, being rank, In the end of autumn turned to the rams: And when the work of generation was Between these woolly breeders in the act, The skilful shepherd peel'd me certain wands, And in the doing of the deed of kind, He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes; Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time Fall party-color'd lambs, and those were Jacob's. This was the way to thrive, and he was blest; And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not. Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv'd for; A thing not in his power to bring to pass, sum. • Informed. Shy. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft, A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last; Aut. I am as like to call thee so again, If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends; (for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend?) Who if he break, thou may st with better face Ant. This were kindness. This kindness will I show: Go with me to a notary, seal me there Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken Ant. Why, fear not, man: I will not forfeit it; Within these two months, that's a month before This bond expires, I do expect return Of thrice three times the value of this bond. Shy. O father Abraham, what these Christians are; A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, [Exit. Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. Bass. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind. Ant. Come on: in this there can be no dismay, My ships come home a month before the day. [Exeunt. ACT II. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco and his Train; PORTIA, NERISSA, and other of her Attendants. Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion, Have love'd it too: I would not change this hue, Bars me the right of voluntary choosing: But, if my father had not scanted me, And hedg'd me by his wit, to yield myself Mor. Allusion to the Eastern custom for lovers to testify their passion by cutting themselves in their mistresses' sight. • Terrified. Which is the better man, the greater throw Por. In way of marriage; therefore be advis'd. Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner Mor. Good fortune then! [Cornets. To make me bless't or cursed'st among men. SCENE II-Venice. A Street. Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO. [Exeunt. Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master: The fiend is at mine elbow; and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away: My conscience says,-no; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo; or, as aforesaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy heels: Well, the most courageous fiend, bids me pack; via! says the fiend; away! says the fiend, for the heavens; rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely 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, say I, you counsel well; fiend, say 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 office to counsel me to stay with the Jew: The end gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; iny heels are at your commandment, I will run. Enter old GOBBо, with a Basket. Gob. Master, young man, you, I pray you; which is the way to master Jew's? Laun. Aside.] O heavens, this is my true-begotten father! who, being more than sand-blind, high-gravel blind, knows me not:-1 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 wouk! 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 staff, or a prop?- Do you know me, father?" Gob. Alack, the day, 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 of 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 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 thill-horses has on his tail. Laun. It should seem, then, that Dobbin's tail grows backward; I am sure he had more hair on his tail, than I have on my face, when I last saw him. 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 Bassa• Experiments. Shaft-horse. nio, who inceed, gives rare new livenes; if I serve not him, I wil 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 lasted, that supper be ready at the farthest by five of the clock: See these letters deliver'd; put the liveries to making; and desire Gratiauo to come anon to my lodging. [Exit a Servant Laun. To him, father. Gob. God bless your worship! Bass. Gramercy; Wouldst 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 iny father shall specify,—Gob. Hath he a great inection, 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 old man; and, though I say it, though an old man, myself, as your worship shall know by this honest yet, poor man, my father. Bass. One speak for both;-What would you? Laun. Serve you, sir. suit: Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, sir. Buss. I know thee well, thou hast obtain'd thy Shylock, thy master, spoke with me this day, To leave a rich Jew's service, to become And hath preferr'd thee, if it be preferment, The follower of so poor a gentleman. tween my master Shylock and you, sir; you have Luun. The old proverb is very well parted bethe grace of God, sir, and he hath enough. Buss. Thou speak'st it well: Go, father, with thy son :Take leave of the old master and enquire My lodging out:-Give him a livery To his Followers. More guarded' than his fellows: See it done. Laun. Father, in:-1 cannot get a service, no; ing on his palm. if any man in Italy have a fairer -I have ne'er a tongue in my head.-Well; looktable, which doth offer to swear upon 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; eleven widows, and nine maids, is a simple 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 gear.-Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. [Exeunt LAUNCELOT and old GOBRO. Gra. Where is your master? Gra. Signior Bassanio,Bass. Gratiano! Yonder, sir, he walks. Exit LEONARDO. But where thou art not known, why, there they show I be misconstrued in the place I go to, Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear me : If I do not put on a sober habit, Talk with respect, and swear but now and then, Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely; Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say, amen; Use all the observance of civility, Like one well studied in a sad ostent To please his grandam, never trust me more. Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night; you shall not gage me By what we do to-night. Bass. 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 some business. Gra. And I must to Lorenzo, and the rest; But we will visit you at supper-time. [Exeunt. SCENE III-A Room in Shylock's House. Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT. Jes. I am sorry, thou wilt leave my father so; And so farewell; I would not have my father Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue,- SCENE IV.-A Street. [Exit. Love-news, in faith. Laun. By your leave, sir. Salur. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight. Meet me, and Gratiano, 2 Carriage, deportment. Salar. 'Tis good we do so, Ex unt SALAR. and SALAN. Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica? Lor. I must needs tell thee all: She hath directed, How I shall take her from her father's house; What gold, and jewels, she is furnish'd with; What page's suit she hath in readiness. If e'er the Jew, her father, come to heaven, It will be for his gentle daughter's sake: And never dare misfortune cross her foot, Unless she do it under this excuse,That she is issue to a faithless Jew. Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goest: Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer. Exeunt. SCENE V.-Before Shylock's House. The difference of old shylock and Bassanio :- 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 3 forth to supper, Jessica, There are my keys :-But wherefore should 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 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 afternoon, Shy. What! are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica: Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, Jes. His words were, Farewell mistress; nothing else. Shy. The patch is kind enough; but a huge feeder, Shut doors after you: Fast bind, fast find; |