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have (6) a fairer table, which doth offer to swear upon a book, I shall have good fortune; go to, here's a fimple line of life; here's a small trifle of wives; alas, fifteen wives is nothing, eleven widows and nine maids is a fimple 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 geer. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. [Exeunt Laun. and Gob. Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this. These things being bought and orderly bestowed, Return in haste, for I do feast to-night My best-eftcem'd acquaintance; hie thee, go.

Leon. My best endeavours shall be done herein.

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[Exit Leonardo.

Gra. Where is your master?

Leon. Yonder, Sir, he walks.

Gra. Signior Baffanio,

Baf. Gratiano!

Gra. I have a fuit to you.

Baf. You have obtain'd it.

Gra. You must not deny me, I must go with you to

Belmont.

Baff. Why, then you must: but hear thee, Gratiano, Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice; Parts, that become thee happily enough,

(6) Well, if any Man in Italy have, &c.] The Pofition of the Words makes the Sentence fomewhat obfcure: Their natural Order should be this. Well, if any Man in Italy, which doth offer to fwear upon a Fork, bave a fairer Table, I shall have good Luck. And the Humour of the Paffage seems this. Launcelot, a Joaker, and defignedly a Blunderer, says the very Reverse of what he should do : which is, That if no Man in Italy, who would offer to take bis Oath upon it, batb a fairer Table than be, be shall have good Fortune. The Banter may, partly, be on Chiromancy in general: but it is very much in Character for Launcelot, who is a hungry Serving-man, to confider his Table before his Line of Life, or any other Points of Fortune,

And

And in fuch eyes as ours appear not faults ;
But where thou art not known, why, there they fhew
Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain
T'allay with fome cold drops of modesty

Thy fkipping spirit; left, through thy wild behaviour,
I be mifconftru'd in the place I go to,
And lofe my hopes.

Gra. Signior Baffanio, hear me.

If I do not put on a fober habit,

Talk with respect, and fwear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pockets, look demurely;
Nay more, while grace is faying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh, and fay, Amen;
Ufe all th' obfervance of civility,

Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent

To please his grandam; never trust me more.
Baff. Well, we fhall fee your bearing.

Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night, you shall not gage me By what we do to-night.

Baff. No, that were pity.

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest fuit of mirth, for we have friends
That purpofe merriment: but fare you well,

I have fome business.

Gra And I muft to Lorenzo and the reft; But we will vifit you at fupper-time.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Shylock's Houfe.

Jef. I'M

Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.

Jef. 'M forry, thou wilt leave my father fo;
Our houfe is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Did rob it of fome tafte of tediousness;
But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, foon at fupper fhalt thou fee
Lorenzo, who is thy new mafter's gueft;
Give him this letter, do it fecretly,
And fo farewel: I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

Laun,

Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue; most beautiful Pagan, most sweet Jew! if a Christian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd; but, adieu! these foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly spirit:

adieu !

[Exit.

Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot. Alack, what heinous fin is it in me,

To be asham'd to be my father's child ?
But though I am a daughter to his blood,

I am not to his manners: O Lorenzo,
If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,
Become a chriftian, and thy loving wife.

[Exit.

Lor.

SCENE, the STREET.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio.

hour.

N

1

AY, we will flink away in supper-time, dif-
guife us at my lodging, and return all in an

Gra. We have not made good preparation.
Sal. We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers.
Sola. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered,
And better in my mind not undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four a clock, we have two hours To furnish us. Friend Launcelot, what's the news t

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Laun. An' it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem to fignify.

Lor. I know the hand; in faith, 'tis a fair hand;

And whiter than the paper, it writ on,

Is the fair hand that writ.

Gra. Love-news, in faith..

Laun. By your leave, Sir.

Lor. Whither goest thou ?

Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old master the Jew to

fup to-night with my new master the Chriftian.

Lor. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle Jeffica,

Sal. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it strait.

I will not fail her; speak it privately.
Go,--Gentlemen, will you prepare for this masqueto-night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

Sola. And fo will I.

[Exit Laun.

Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano,

At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence..
Sal. 'Tis good, we do fo.

[Exit

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica?

Lor. I must needs tell thee all; the hath directed,

How I shall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels the is furnish'd with;

What page's fuit she hath in readiness.

If e'er the Jew her father come to heav'n,
It will be for his gentle daughter's fake :
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,

Unless she do it under this excuse,
That she is issue to a faithless jeaw.
Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goeft;
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

Sky-W

SCENE, Shylock's House.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt

ELL, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Baffanio.

What, Jeffica! - thou shalt not gormandize,
As thou hast done with me what, Jeffica!
And fleep and snore, and rend apparel out.
Why, Jeffica! I fay.

• Laun. Why, Jeffica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. Laun. Your Worship was wont to tell me, that I could

do nothing without bidding.

Enter Jeffica.

Jes. Call you? what is your will?

Shy.

Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, Jeffica
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. Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my house; I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a brewing towards my relt,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young mafter doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have conspired together, I will, not fay, you shall fee a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on black monday last, at fix a clock i'th' morning, falling out that year on Am-Wednesday was four year in the after

noon.

12

Shy. What! are there masques i hear you me, Jessica.
Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,....
And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the publick street,
To gaze on christian fools with varnish'd faces:
But ftop my houfe's ears; I mean, my casements
Let not the found of shallow foppery enter
My fober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear,
I have no inind of feasting forth to-night:
But I will go; go you before me, firrah:
Say. I will come.

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

There will come a chriftian by,
Will be worth a Jewels' eye.

A

:

[Exit Laun.

Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's off-spring, ha? Jes. His words were, farewel, mistress; nothing elfe.

Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder:

Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps 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

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