be ruled by my confcience, I fhould stay with the Jew my mafter, who, blefs the mark! is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I fhould be ruled by the fiend, who, faving your reverence, is the very devil himself! Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and, in my confcience, my confcience is but a kind of hard confcience, to offer to counsel me to ftay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counfel; I will run; fiend, my heels are at your commandment, I will run. Enter old GOBBO, with a Basket. Gob. Mafter, young man, tell me, I pray you, which is the way to mafter Jew's ? Laun. Aside, O heavens! this is my true-begotten father! who, being more than fand blind, high-gravel blind, knows me not :-I will try conclufions with him. Gob. Mafter, young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to mafter Jew's? Laun. Turn up on your right hand, at the next turning; but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the jew's houfe. Gob. Twill be a hard way to hit! Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him, or no? Laun. Laun. Talk Talk you of young master Laun⚫ celot? Mark me now; [Aside.] now will I raise the waters-Talk you of young master Launcelot? Gob. No mafter, fir, but a poor man's fon; his father, though I fay it, is an honeft exceeding poor man, and, Heaven be thanked, well to live. Laun. Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young mafter Launcelot. Gob. Of Launcelot, an't pleafe your maftership. Laun. Ergo, mafter Launcelot;-talk not of mafter Launcelot, father; for the for the young gentleman (according to fates and destinies, and such odd fayings, the fifters three, and fuch branches of learning,) is, indeed, deceased; or, as you would fay in plain-terms, gone to heaven. Gob. Marry, Heaven forbid! the boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop. Laun. Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovel-poft, a staff, or a prop ?----Do you know me, father?.. Gob. Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman! but I pray you, tell me, is my boy (reft his foul !) alive or dead? Laun. Do you not know me, father? Gob. Alack, fir, I am fand blind, I know you not. Laun. Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wife father, that knows his own child. tell you news of your fon. Well, old man, I will (Falls on his knees.) Give me your bleffing: truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long, a man's fon may; but, in the end, truth will out. Gob. Pray you, fir, ftand up; I am fure, you are not Launcelot, my boy. Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but give me your blessing. I am Launcelot, your boy that was, your fon that is, your child that fhall be. Gob. I cannot think you are my fon. Laun. I know not what I shall think of that: but I am Launcelot, the Jew's man; and, I am fure, Margery, your wife, is my mother. Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be fworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and blood. What a beard haft thou got! thou haft got more hair on thy chin, than Dobbin my thill-horse has on his tail. Laun. It should seem then, that Dobbin's tail grows backward; I am fure, he had more hair on his tail, than I have on my face, when I laft faw him. E Gob Gob. Lord, how thou art changed! How doft thou and thy mafter agree? I have brought him a prefent. Laun. Give him a prefent! give him a halter: I am famished in his fervice; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come; give me your prefent to one master Baffanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I ferve him not, I will run as far as there is any ground.---O rare fortune! here comes the man to him, father; for I am a Jew, if I ferve the Jew any longer. Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO, and Bass. You may do fo;-See thefe letters delivered; put the liveries to making; and defire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. Laun. To him, father. Exit STEPHANO. Gob. Heaven blefs your worship! Bass. Gramercy; Would'ft thou aught with me? Gob. Here's my fon, fir, a poor boy. Laun. Not a poor boy, fir, but the rich Jew's man; that would, fir, as my father shall specify. Gob. Gob. He hath a great infection, fir, as one would fay, to ferve Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I ferve the Jew; and I have a defire, as my father shall Specify. Gob. His mafter and he (faving your worship's reverence,) are scarce cater-coufins. Laun. To be brief, the very truth is, that the Jew having done me wrong, doth cause me, as my father, being, I hope, an old man, fhall frutify unto you.. Gob. I have here a dish of doves, that I would bestow upon your worship; and my fuit is Laun. In very brief, the fuit is impertinent to myself, as your worship fhall know by this honeft old man; and, though I fay it, though old man, yet, poor man, my father. Bass. One fpeak for both; What would you? Laun. Serve you, fir. Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, fir. Bass. I know thee well, thou haft obtain'd thy fuit: Shylock, thy mafter, spoke with me this day, Laun. |