Senators of Venice, Officers, Jailer, Servants, and other Attendants. Anth. A C T I. SCENE I. A Street in Venice. Enter Anthonio, Salarino, and Salanio. But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, And fuch a want-wit sadness makes of me, Sal. Your mind is toffing on the ocean; Do over-peer the petty traffickers, Sal. My wind, cooling my broth, Vailing 3 her high top lower than her ribs, And not bethink me ftraight of dangerous rocks? [it, Anth. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this prefent year; Therefore my merchandize makes me not fad. Sala. Why then you are in love? Anth. Fie, fie! Ships, fo named from Ragufa. 2 The name of the ship. 3 To vail, means to put off the hat, to frike fail, to give fign of fubmiffion. 03 Sala Sala. Not in love neither? Then let's fay, you, That therefore only are reputed wife, are fad, Because you are not merry: and 'twere as eafy That they'll not shew their teeth in way of smile, Enter Baffanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano. Sala. I would have ftaid till I had made you merry,| Anth. Your worth is very dear in my regard. Sal. Good morrow, my good lords. Baff. Good figniors both, when shall we laugh? You grow exceeding ftrange; Muft it be fo? We two will leave you; but at dinner-time, Gra. You look not well, fignior Anthonio ; Anth. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; Gra. Let me play the fool1: With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come; For faying nothing; who, I am very fure, [ears, Lor. Well, we will leave you then till dinner- more, Gra. Well, keep me company but two years [tongue. Thou shalt not know the found of thine own Anth. Fare well; I'll grow a talker for this [mendable gear. Gra. Thanks, i'faith; for filence is only comIn a neat's tongue dry'd, and a maid not vendible. [Exeunt Gra. and Lur. Anth. Is that any thing now? Anth. Well; tell me now, what lady is the fame, Baff. 'Tis not unknown to you, Anthonio, Anth. I pray you, good Baffanio, let me know it; [thaft, Beff. In my fchool-days, when I had loit one 1 This alludes 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 conftant character in the old farces; from whence came the phrafe, to ploy the fool. 2 Our author's caning is, that fome people are thought wife whilft they keep filence; who, when they open their mouths, are fuch ftupid praters, that the hearers cannot help calling them fools, and fo incur the judgment denounced in the gospel. 3 The humour of this confits 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 ex4ortation, till after dinner. That That which I owe is loft: but if you please [time, Anth. You know me well; and herein fpend but Baff. In Belmont is a lady richly left, blood; but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree : fuch a hare is madness the youth, to fkip o'er the meshes of good counfel the cripple. But this reafoning is not in the fashion to chufe me a husband: O me, the word chufe! I may neither chufe whom I would, nor refuse whom I diflike; fo is the will of a living daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father:-Is it not hard, Neritfa, that I cannot chufe one, nor refufe none? Ner. Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men, at their death, have good inspirations; therefore, the lottery, that he hath devised in thefe three chefts, of gold, filver, and lead, (whereof who chufes his meaning, chufes you) will, no doubt, never be chofen by any rightly, but one who you shall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection Of wondrous virtues: fometimes 2 from her eyes towards any of thefe princely fuitors that are al I did receive fair 1peechlefs metfages: Her name is Portia; nothing undervalu'd Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth; O my Anthonio, had I but the means To hold a rival place with one of them, I have a mind prefages me fuch thrift, That I fhould queftionlets be fortunate. ready come? Por. I pray thee, over-name them; and, as thou nam'ft them, I will defcribe them; and, according to my defcription, level at my affection. Ner. Firit, there is the Neapolitan prince. Por. Ay, that's a colt 3, indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horfe; and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts, that he can fhoe him himfelf: I am much afraid my lady his mother play'd false with a smith. Ner. Then, there is the County Palatine. Por. He doth nothing but frown; as, who fhould fay, An if you will not have me, chufe: he hears Anth. Thou know'ft, that all my fortunes are at fea; merry tales, and fmiles not: I fear, he will prove Nor have I money, nor commodity To raise a prefent fum: therefore go forth, Try what my credit can in Venice do ; [Excunt. A Room in Portia's Houfe at Belmont. Enter Portia and Nerissa. the weeping philofopher when he grows old, being fo full of unmannerly fadness in his youth. I had rather be married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth, than to either of these. God defend me from these two! Ner. How fay you by the French lord, Monsieur Le Bon ? Por. God made him, and therefore let him pafs for a man. In truth, I know it is a fin 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 throftle fing, he falls ftrait a-capering; he will fence Por. By my troth, Neriffa, my little body is 2- with his own fhadow: if I fhould marry him, I weary of this great world. Ner. You would be, sweet madam, if your miferies were in the fame abundance as your good fortunes are: And yet, for aught I fee, they are as fick, that furfeit with too much, as they that ftarve with nothing: It is no mean happiness therefore, to be feated in the mean; fuperfluity comes fooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. fhould marry twenty hufbands: If he would defpife me, I would forgive him; for if he love me to madnefs, I thall never requite him. Ner. What fay you then to Faulconbridge, the young baron of England? Por. You know, I fay nothing to him; for he understands not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian; and you will come Por. Good fentences, and well pronounc'd. into the court and fwear, that I have a poor pennyNer. They would be better, if well follow'd. worth in the English. He is a proper man's pic Por. If to do, were as eafy as to know what ture; But, alas! who can converfe with a dumb were good to do, chapels had been churches, and show? How oddly he is fuited! I think, he poor men's cottages, princes' palaces. It is a good bought his doublet in Italy, his round hofe in divine, that follows his own inftructions. I can France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour eafter teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may devife laws for the every-where. Ner. What think you of the Scottish lord, his neighbour? 1 That is, ready to do it. 2 Sometimes here means formerly. 3 i. e. a thoughtless, giddy, gay youngster. 04 Pare Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him ; for he borrow'd a box of the ear of the Englishman, and fwore he would pay him again, when he was able: I think, the Frenchman became his furety, and feal'd under for another. Shy. For three months,-well. Baf. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio shall be bound. Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound,—well. Ner. How like you the young German, the duke Shall I know your answer? of Saxony's nephew? Por. Very vilely in the morning, when he is fober; and most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk when he is beft, he is a little worfe than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beaft: an the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I fhall make shift to go without him. Ner. If he fhould offer to chufe, and chufe the right cafket, you should refuse to perform your father's will, if you should refuse to accept him. Shy. Three thoufand ducats, for three months, and Anthonio bound. Baff. Your anfwer to that. Shy. Anthonio is a good man. Baff. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? Shy. Ho, no, no, no, no;-my meaning, in faying he is a good man, is, to have you understand me, that he is fufficient: yet his means are in fuppofition: he hath an argofy bound to Tripolis, anoPor. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, ther to the Indies; I understand moreover upon fet a deep glafs of Rhenith wine on the contrary the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for cafket; for, if the devil be within, and that tempt- England,--and other ventures he hath, fquander'd ation without, I know he will chufe it. I will abroad: But fhips are but boards, failors but men: do any thing, Nerifla, ere I will be marry'd to a there be land-rats, and water-rats, water-thieves, fpunge. and land-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then, there Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks: The man thefe lords; they have acquainted me with their is, notwithstanding, fufficient :-three thousand dudeterminations: which is, indeed, to return to their cats ;-I think, I may take his bond. home, and to trouble you with no more fuit; unlefs you may be won by fome other fort than your father's impofition, depending on the caskets. Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chafte as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner of my father's will: I am glad this parcel of wooers are so very reasonable; for there is not one among them but I dote on his very abfence, 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 foldier, that came hither in company of the marquis of Montferrat ? Por. Yes, yes, it was Baffanio; as I think, fo he was call'd. Ner. True, madam; he, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the best deserving a fair lady. Por. I remember him well; and I remember him worthy of thy praife.-How now! what news? Enter a Servant. I Baff. Be affur'd, you may. [affur'd, Shy. I will be affur'd, I may; and, that I may be will bethink me: May I fpeak with Anthonio? Baff. If it please you to dine with us. Shy. Yes, to fmell pork; to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into: I will buy with you, fell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and fo 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 Anthonio. Baff. This is fignior Anthonio. Shy. [Afide.] How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Chriftian: But more, for that, in low fimplicity, He lends out money gratis, and brings down The rate of ufance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip', I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. He hates our facred nation; and he rails, Ser. The four ftrangers feek for you, madam, to Even there where merchants most do congregate, take their leave: and there is a fore-runner come On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift, from a fifth, the prince of Morocco; who brings Which he calls interest: Curfed be my tribe, word, the prince, his master, will be here to-night. If I forgive him! Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with fo good heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I Shy. I am debating of my prefent store; fhould be glad of his approach: if he have the And, by the near guefs of my memory, condition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I cannot inftantly raife up the grofs Baff. Shylock, do you hear? I had rather he should thrive me than wive me. Of full three thousand ducats: What of that? Come, Neriffa. Sirrah, go before. Whiles we Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at Will furnish me: Btt foft; How many months the door. [Exeunt. Do you defire?-Reft you fair, good fignior; SCENE III. [To Anthonio. Your worship was the laft man in our mouths. Anth. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow, By taking, nor by giving of excefs, Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend, This is a phrafe taken from the practice of wrestlers. I'll break a custom :-Is he yet poffefs'd, Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. Anth. And for three months. You, that did void your rheum upon my beard, Shy. I had forgot three months, you told me fo." Hath a dog money? Is it poflible Well then, your bond; and, let me fee, hear you; -But A cur can lend three thousand ducats?" or [row, Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key, Methoughts, you faid, you neither lend, nor bor-With 'bated breath, and whispering humbleness, Say this," Fair fir, you fpit on me on Wednesday ❝ juit; Upon advantage. Anth. I do never use it. Sby. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep," You fpurn'd me fuch a day; another time This Jacob from our holy Abraham was Anth. And what of him? did he take interest Directly intereft: mark what Jacob did. Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank, Shy, I cannot tell; I make it breed as faft: Anth. Mark you this, Baffanio. rate. "You call'd me-dog; and for thefe courtefies Anth. I am as like to call thee so again, Shy. Why, look you, how you storm ' Anth. This were kindness. Shy. This kindnefs will I fhow: Anth. Content, in faith; I'll feal to fuch a bond, Bal. You thall not feal to fuch a bond for me, Anth. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it: A goodly apple rotten at the heart: Shy. O father Abraham, what these Chriftians are; A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, 1 i. e. lambs juft dropt. 2 i. e. of nature. 3 Meaning, lafcivious, obfcene. 4 Use and ufince were both words formerly employed for ufury. 5 Agaberdine means a coarse frock. That is, intereft money bred from the principal. 7 To dwell, here feems to mean the fame as to continue. See |