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Sola. I would fhe were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knapt ginger, or made her neighbours believe the wept for the death of a third hufband. But it is true, without any flips of prolixity, or croffing the plain high-way of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honeft Anthonio

O that I

had a title good enough to keep his name company!

Sal. Come, the full ftop.

Sola. Ha, what fay'ft thou? why, the end is, he hath loft a ship.

Sal. I would it might prove the end of his loffes.

Sola. Let me fay Amen betimes, left the devil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants?

Enter Shylock.

Shy. You knew (none fo well, none fo well as you) of my daughter's flight.

Sal. That's certain; I for my part knew the taylor that made the wings fhe flew withal.

Sola. And Shylock for his own part knew the bird was fledg'd, and then it is the complection of them all to leave the dam.

Shy. She is damn'd for it.

Sal. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.
Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel!

Sola. Out upon it, old carrion, rebels it at these years?
Shy. I fay, my daughter is my flesh and blocd.

Sal. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers, than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods, than there is between red wine and rhenish: but tell us, do you hear whether anthonio have had any lofs at fea or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares fcarce fhew his head on the Ryalto, a beggar that us'd to come fo fmug upon the mart! let him look to his bond; he was wont to call me ufurer; let him look to his bond; he was wont to lend mony for a chriftian courtefie; let him look to his bond.

Sal. Why, I am fure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh what's that good for?

Shy. To bait fish withal.

If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge; he hath difgrac'd me, and

hinder'd

hinder'd me half a million, laught at my loffes, mockt at my gains, fcorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reafon? I am a Jew. Hath not a few eyes? hath not a few hands, organs, dimenfions, fenfes, affections, paffions? fed with the fame food, hurt with the fame weapons, fubject to the fame difeafes, heal'd by the fame means, warm'd and cool'd by the fame fummer and winter as a chriftian is? if you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poifon us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, fhall we not re-.. venge? if we are like you in the reft, we will refemble you in that. If a few wrong a chriftian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a chriftian wrong a Jew, what fhould his fufferance be by chriftian example? why, Revenge. The villany you teach me I will execute, and it fhall go hard but I will better the instruction.

Enter a Servant from Anthonio.

Ser. Gentlemen, my master Antbonio is at his houfe, and defires to speak with you both.

Sal. We have been up and down to seek him.

Enter Tubal.

Sola. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be match'd, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

[Excunt Sala. and Solar. Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoua? haft thou found my daughter?

Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.

Shy. Why there, there, there, there! a diamond gone coft me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! the curse never fell upon our nation 'till now, I never felt it 'till now; two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels! I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear; O, would fhe were hers'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin. No news of them; why, fo! and I know not what spent in the fearch! why then lofs upon lofs; the thief gone with fo much, and fo much to find the thief; and no fatisfaction, no revenge,

nor

nor no ill luck ftirring, but what lights o'my shoulders, no fighs but o'my breathing, no tears but o'my fhedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Antbonio, as I heard in Genoua

Sby. What, what, ill luck, ill luck?

Tub. Hath an Argofie caft away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God, thank God; is it true? is it true? Tub. I fpoke with fome of the failors that escap'd the wreck.

Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal; good news, good news; ha, ha, where? in Genoua?

Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoua, as I heard, one night fourfcore ducats.

Shy. Thou ftick'ft a dagger in me; I shall never fee my gold again; fourscore ducats at a fitting, fourfcore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Anthonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that fwear he cannot chufe but break. Shy. I am glad of it, I'll plague him, I'll torture him; am glad of it.

I

Tub. One of them fhew'd me a ring that he had of your daughter for a monky.

Shy. Out upon her, thou tortureft me, Tubal; it was my Turquoise, I had it of Leab when I was a batchelor; I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkies.

Tub. But Anthonio is certainly undone.

Sby. Nay, that's true, that's very true; go, fee me an officer, befpeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandize I will: go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our fynagogue; go, good Tubal; at our fynagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt. Enter Baffanio, Portia, Gratiano, and attendants, The cafkets are fet out.

SCENE II. Belmont.

Por. I pray you, tarry, paufe a day or two Before you hazard; for in chufing wrong

I lofe your company; forbear a while.

There's fomething tells me, but it is not love,

I would not lose you; and, you know your felf,
Hate counfels not in fuch a quality.

But left you should not understand me well,
And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,
I would detain you here fome month or two,
Before you venture for me.
I could teach you
How to chufe right, but I am then forfworn;
So will I never be; fo may you miss me,
But if you do, you'll make me wish a fin,
That I had been forfworn.

Beshrew your eyes,
They have o'erlook'd me, and divided me ;
One half of me is yours, the other half
Mine own, I would fay: but if mine, then yours
And fo all yours. Alas! these naughty times
Put bars between the owners and their rights:
And fo tho' yours, not yours; but prove it fo,
Let fortune go to hell for it, not me.

I fpeak too long, but 'tis to peece the time,
To eche it, and to draw it out in length,
To stay you from election.

Bal. Let me chuse:

For as I am, I live upon the rack.

Por. Upon the rack, Baffanio? then confefs What treason there is mingled with your love? Baff. None but that ugly treafon of mistrust, Which makes me fear th' enjoying of my love: There may as well be amity and life

'Tween fnow and fire, as treafon and my love. Por. Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack, Where men enforced do fpeak any thing.

Baff. Promife me life, and I'll confefs the truth. Por. Well then, confefs and live.

Bal. Confefs and love

Had been the very fum of

my confeffion.

O happy torment, when my torturer
Doth teach me anfwers for deliverance!
But let me to my fortune and the caskets.

Por. Away then. I am lockt in one of them,
If you do love me, you will find me out.
Neriffa, and the reft, ftand all aloof,

Let mufick found while he doth make his choice; Then if he lofe, he makes a fwan-like end,

Fading in mufick. That the comparison
May ftand more juft, my eye fhall be the stream
And wat❜ry death-bed for him: he may win,
And what is mufick then? then mufick is
Even as the flourish, when true fubjects bow
To a new crowned monarch: fuch it is,
As are those dulcet founds in break of day,
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,
And fummon him to marriage. Now he goes
With no less prefence, but with much more love,
Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin-tribute paid by howling Troy
To the fea-monster: I ftand for facrifice;
The reft aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With bleared vifages come forth to view
The iffue of th' exploit. Go, Hercules,
Live thou, I live; with much, much more difmay
I view the fight, than thou that mak'ft the fray.

[Mufick within. A Song whilft Baffanio comments on the caskets to bimself, Tell me where is fancy bred,

Or in the beart, or in the bead?
How begot, bow nourished?

It is engender'd in the eyes,
With gazing fed, and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lyes:
Let us all ring fancy's knell.
I'll begin it.

Ding, dong, bell.

All. Ding, dong, bell.

[Reply

Baff. So may the outward fhows be least themselves: The world is ftill deceiv'd with Ornament,

In law what plea fo tainted and corrupt,
But being feafon'd with a gracious voice,
Obfcures the fhow of evil? in religion
What damned error, but fome fober brow
Will bless it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the groffness with fair ornament ?

There

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