ich trades to Venice: waste no time in words, get thee gone; I shall be there before thee. al. Madam, I go with all convenient speed. [Exit, L. Por. Come on, Nerissa, I have work in hand at you yet know not of: we'll see our husbands ore they think of us! Ver. Shall they see us? Por. They shall, Nerissa; t come, I'll tell thee all my whole device hen I am in my coach, which stays for us the park gate; and therefore haste away, or we must measure twenty miles to-day. [Exeunt, L. SCENE V.-The Garden at Belmont. Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT, L. Laun. Yes, truly for, look you, the sins of the father e to be laid upon the children; therefore, I promise you, fear you. I was always plain with you, and so now I peak my agitation of the matter: therefore be of good heer; for, truly, I think-you are damned. There is out one hope in it that can do you any good: and that is s but a kind of bastard hope neither. Jes. And what hope is that, I pray thee? Laun. Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew's daughter. Jes. That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed; so the sins of my mother should be visited upon me. Laun. Truly, then, I fear you are damned both by father and mother: thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother: well, you are gone both ways. Jes. I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me & Christian. Laun. Truly, the more to blame he: we were Christians enough before; e'en as many as could well live one by another. This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money. Jes. I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say; here he comes. [Crosses, L. Enter LORENZO, L. Lor. I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners. Jes. Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are out: he tells me flatly, there is no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter. Lor. [Crosses, c.] Go in, sirrah; bid them prepare for dinner. Laun. That is done, sir; they have all stomachs. Lor. Goodly lord, what a wit-snapper are you! then bid them prepare dinner. Laun. That is done, too, sir; only cover is the word. Lor. Will you cover, then, sir? Laun. Not so, sir, neither; I know my duty. Lor. Yet more quarrelling with occasion! wilt thou show the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain meaning; go to thy fellows; bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. Laun. (R.) For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for the meat, sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, sir, why, let it be as humours and conceits shall govern. [Exit, R. Lor. Oh, dear discretion, how his words are suited! The fool hath planted in his memory An army of good words: and I do know Lor. Even such a husband Hast thou of me, as she is for a wife. Jes. Nay, but ask my opinion, too, of that. Jes DUET.-LORENZO and JESSICA. In vows of everlasting truth, SCENE I.-A Court of Justice in Venice. e DUKE, Magnificoes, ANTONIO, BASSANIO, SOLANIO SALARINO, GRATIANO, and Attendants, discovered. Duke. [Seated, c.] What, is Antonio here? Ant. Ready, so please your grace. Duke. I am sorry for thee; thou art come to answer stony adversary, an inhuman wretch ncapable of pity, void and empty rom any dram of mercy. Ant. I have heard our grace hath taken great pains to qualify His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate, And that no lawful means can carry me Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose My patience to his fury; and am armed Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court. Enter SHYLOCK, R. Duke. Make room, and let him stand before our face. Shylock, the world, thinks, and I think so too, That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice To the last hour of act; and then, 'tis thought Thou'lt show thy mercy, and remorse, more strange Than is thy strange apparent cruelty: And, where thou now exact'st the penalty, We all expect a gentle answer, Jew. Shy. (R.) I have possessed your grace of what I pur pose; And by our holy sabbath have I sworn, As there is no firm reason to be rendered, Why he, a harmless necessary cat; More than a lodged hate, and a certain loathing A losing suit against him. A.e you answered? Bass. (L. c) This is no answer, thou unfeeling man, To excuse the current of thy cruelty. Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my answer. Bass. Do all men kill the things they do not love? Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill? Bass. Every offence is not a hate at first. hy. What, would'st thou have a serpent sting thee twice? Ant. (L. c.) I pray you, think you question with the u may as well go stand upon the beach, wag their high tops, and to make no noise. hen they are fretted with the gusts of heaven; ou may as well-do anything most hard, s seek to soften that (than which what's harder?) I would not draw them, I would have my bond. Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none} Because you bought them; shall I say to you, There is no force in the decrees of Venice: Come here to-day. Sala. (R.) My lord, here stays without |