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 readinesss.
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 III. Shylock's House, by a Bridge.

Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT.

Shylock.

ELL, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:What, Jessica!-thou shalt not gormandize, As thou hast done with me ;-What, Jessica!And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out ;— Why, Jessica, I say!

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.

Fes. Call you? What is your will?

Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica :

There are my keys :-But wherefore should I 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,
And the vile squealing 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
My sober house.—By Jacob's staff, I swear,
I have no mind of feasting forth to-night;
But I will go.-Go you before me, sirrah ;
Say, I will come.

Laun.

I will go before, sir.Mistress, look out at window for all this;

There will come a Christian by,

Will be worth a Jewess' eye. [Exit Launcelot. 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 To one that I would have him help to waste His borrow'd purse.-Well, Jessica, go in! Perhaps, I will return immediately;

Do as I bid you,

Shut doors after you: Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

C

[Exit.

Jes. Farewell: and if my fortune be not crost,

I have a father, you a daughter, lost.

[Exit.

Enter SALANIO, GRATIANO, and SALARINO, masqued.

Gra. This is the pent-house; under which Lorenzo Desir'd us to make stand.

Salar.

His hour is almost past.

Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour, For lovers ever run before the clock.

Salar. O, ten times faster Venus' pigeons fly To seal love's bonds new made, than they are wont, To keep obliged faith unforfeited!

Gra. That ever holds: Who riseth from a feast, With that keen appetite that he sits down? Where is the horse that doth untread again His tedious measures with the unbated fire That he did pace them first? All things that are, Are with more spirit chased than enjoy'd.

Enter LORENZO.

Salar. Here comes Lorenzo.

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?

JESSICA above, in boy's clothes.

Fes. 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.

Fes. Here catch this casket; it is worth the pains. I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, For I am much asham'd of my exchange; But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit; For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To see me thus transformed to a boy.

Lor. Descend, for you must be my torch-bearer. Fes. What, must I hold a candle to my shames? They in themselves, good sooth, are too, too light. Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love ;

And I should be obscur'd.

Lor.

So are you, sweet,

Even in the lovely garnish of a boy.

But come at once;

For the close night doth play the run-away,
And we are staid for at Bassanio's feast.

Fes. I will make fast the doors, and gild myself With some more ducats, and be with you straight. [Exit, from above.

Gra. Now, by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jew.
Lor. Beshrew me, but I love her heartily :

For she is wise, if I can judge of her ;

And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true;

And true she is, as she hath proved herself;
And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true,
Shall she be placed in my constant soul.

[Serenade.

Enter Fessica, below.

What, art thou come ?-On, gentlemen, away;
Our masquing mates by this time for us stay.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House.

Attendants on Portia and on the Prince of Morocco.

Flourish.

Enter the PRINCE of MOROCCO, PORTIA, NERISSA, and Attendants.

Morocco.

ISLIKE me not for my complexion,
The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd sun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward

Where Phoebus' fire scarce thaws the icicles,
And let us make incision for your love,
To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine.
Por. In terms of choice I am not solely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes:
Besides, the lottery of my destiny
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

His wife, who wins me by that means I told you,
Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair,

As any comer I have looked on yet,

For my affection.

Mor.

Even for that I thank you; Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets, To try my fortune.

Por. Draw aside the curtains, and discover