reason: but if she be less than an honest woman, she is indeed more than I took her for.

Lor. How every fool can play upon the word ! I think, the best grace of wit will shortly turn into filence, and discourse grow commendable in none but parrots. Go in, firrah, bid them prepare for dinner.

Laun. That is done, Sir ; they have all stomachs.

Lor. Good 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 shew 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. For the table, Sir, it shall be serv'd 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 Laun. Lor. O dear discretion, how his words are suited! The fool hath planted in his memory An army of good words; and I do know A many fools that stand in better place, Garnish'd like him, that for a trickfie word Defie the matter : how far'st thou, Jessica? And now, good sweet, say thy opinion, How dost thou like the lord Bassanio's wife?

Jes. Paft all expressing: it is very meet, The lord Basanio live an upright life. For, having such a Blessing in his lady, He finds the joys of heaven here on earth : And if on earth he do not merit it, In reason he should never come to heav'n. Why, if two Gods should play some heav'nly match, And on the wager lay two earthly women, And Portia one, there muft be something else Pawn'd with the other; for the poor rude world

Hach

Hath not her fellow.

Lor. Even such a husband
Haft thou of me, as she is for a wife.

Jef. Nay, but ask my opinion too of that.
Lor. I will anon: first, let us go to dinner.
Jes. Nay, let me praise you, while I have a sto-

mach.
Lor. No, pray thee, let it serve for table-talk ;
Then, howsoe'er thou speak'ít, 'mong other things,
I shall digest it.
Jef. Well, I'll set you forth. .

[Exeunt.

ACT

IV.

SCENE, the Senate-house in VENICE.

Enter the Duke, the Senators; Anthonio, Bassanio,

and Gratiano, at the Bar,

W:

DUKE.
HAT, is Anthonio here?

Ant. Ready, so please your Grace.

Duke. I'm sorry for thee; thou art
come to answer
A ftony adversary, an inhuman wretch
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.

Ant. I have heard,
Your Grace hath ta'en great pains to qualific
His rig'rous 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 arm'd

Ta

:

To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,
The very tyranny and rage of his. .

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the Court.
Sal. He's ready at the door: he comes, my lord.

Enter Shylock. 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 thew thy mercy and remorse more strange, Than is thy strange apparent cruelty. And, where thou now exact'st the penalty, Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh, Thou wilt not only lose the forfeiture, But, touch'd with human gentleness and love, Forgive a moiety of the principal ; Glancing an eye of pity on his losses, That have of late so hudled on his back, Enough to press a royal merchant down; And pluck commiseration of his state From braffy bosoms, and rough hearts of Alint; From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd To offices of tender courtesie. We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.

Shy. I have possess'd your Grace of what I purpose. And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn, To have the due and forfeit of my bond. If you deny it, let the danger light Upon your charter, and your city's freedom. You'll ask me, why I rather chuse to have A weight of carrion flesh, than to receive Three thousand ducats? I'll not answer that. But say, it is my humour, is it answer'd? What if my house be troubled with a rat, And I be pleas’d to give ten thousand ducats To have it bane'd? what, are you answer'd yet? Some men there are, love not a gaping pig; Some, that are mad, if they behold a cat ; And others, when the bag-pipe sings i' th' nose,

Cannor

Cannot contain their urine for affection. (24)
Masterless passion sways it to the mood
Of what it likes, or loaths. Now for your answer :
As there is no firm reason to be render'd,
Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;

(24) Cannot contain their Urine for Affection.

Masterless passion fways it to the Mood Of what it likes, or loaths.] Masterless Palion was first Mr. Rowe's Reading, (on what Authority, I am at a Loss to know ;) which Mr. Pope has since copied. And tho' I have not disturb’d the Text, yet, I muft observe, I don't know what Word there is to which this Relative [it, in the ad Line] is to be referr'd. The ingenious Dr. Thirlby, therefore, would thus adjust the Passage.

Cannot contain their Urine ; for Affe&tion,

* Mafter of. Passion, fways it &c Or, Mistress. And then it is governd of Pasion: and the 2 old Quarto's and Folio's read.

Mafters of Paffon, &c.
It may be objected, that Affection and Paffion are Synonomous Terms,
and mean the fame Thing. I agree, they do at this time. But I observe,
the Writers of our Author's Age made a sort of Distinction : considering
the One as the Cause, the Other as the Effect. And then, in this place,
Affection will stand for that Sympathy or Antipathy of Soul, by which
we are provok'd to fhew a Liking or Disgust in the Working of our
Paffions. B. Jonson, in his Sejanus, seems to apply the Terms thus:

He hath Audied
Affection's Passions, knows their Springs, their Ends,

Which way, and whither they will work.
So much, in support of Dr. Thirlby's Regulation of the Passage. My
ingenious Friend Mr. Warburton is for pointing, and writing it

, as in the Old Editions : but for giving it a different Turn in the Poet's Drift and Meaning. I come now to his Reading and Opinion.

Cannot contain their Urine for Affection.
Masters of Passion fway it to the Mood

Of what it likes, or loaths.
• Observe, he is here only speaking of the different Power of Sounds,
“ and the Influence they have upon the humane Mind : and then con-
“ cludes, the Masters of Pafion (for so he finely calls Musicians) fway
“ the Passions, or Affections, as they please : Our Poet then having, no
“ Doubt, in his Mind the great Effects that Timotheus, and other ancient

Musicians, are faid to have wrought by the Power of Musick. This

puts me in mind of a Passage of Collier, in his Essay on Musick; who “ supposes it poffible by a right chofen Composition (not, Concord) of « Sounds to infpirc Affright, Terror, Cowardise, and Confternation; “ in the fame Manner that, now, Chearfulness, and Courage, is affifted “ by contrary Compositions”.

Thus far Mr. Warburton. I shall submit the Passage, for the present, to the Opinion and Determination of the Publick; upon which, I may hereafter venture with more safety to ascertain ite

Why

Why he, a harmless necessary cat;
Why he, a woollen bag-pipe; but of force
Must yield to such inevitable shame,
As to offend, himself being offended;
So can I give no reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate and a certain loathing
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus
A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd?

Bal. This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,
T'excuse the current of thy cruelty.
Sby. I am not bound to please thee with my an-

swer.
Bal. Do all men kill the thing they do not love?
Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill ?
Ball. Ev'ry offence is not a hate at first.
Sby. What, would'st thou have a serpent fting thee

twice?
Ant. I pray you, think you question with a few,
You may as well go stand upon the beach,
And bid the main food bate his usual height.
You may as well use question with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb.
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops, and to make no noise,
When they are fretted with the gufts of heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,
As seek to soften that, (than which what's harder!)
His Jewish heart. Therefore, I do beseech you,
Make no more offers, use no farther means ;
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.

Bal. For thy three thousand ducats here is fix.

Sby. If ev'ry ducat in fix thousand ducats Were in six parts, and ev'ry part a ducat, I would not draw them, I would have my bond. Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring

none ? Shy. What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong? You have among you many a purchas'd flave, Which, like your asses, and your dogs, and mules,

You