Sola. I would she were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knapt ginger, or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any flips of prolixity, or crossing the plain high-way of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honest Anthonio had a title good enough to keep his name company!

Sal. Come, the full stop.

O that I

Sola. Ha, what say'st thou? why, the end is, he hath lost a ship.

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

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

Enter Shylock.

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

Sal. That's certain; I for my part knew the taylor that made the wings she 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 say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

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 thenish: 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 scarce shew his head on the Ryalio, a beggar that us'd to come so smug upon the mart! let him look to his bond; he was wont to call me usurer; 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 sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh: what's that good for?

Sby. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing elfe, it will feed my revenge; he hath disgrac'd me, and

hinder'd

hinder'd me half a million, laught at my losses, mockt at my gains, scorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a few hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, paffions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same summer and winter as a christian 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, shall we not re... venge? if we are like you in the rest, we will refemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a christian wrong a Jew, what should his fufferance be by christian example? why, Revenge. The villany you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Enter a Servant from Anthonio.

Ser. Gentlemen, my master Antbonio is at his house, 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? hast 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 she 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 search! why then loss upon loss; the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no fatisfaction, no revenge,

nor

nor no ill luck stirring, but what lights o'my shoulders, no ughs but o'my breathing, no tears but o'my shedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Anthonio, as

I heard in Ganoua

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

Tub. Hath an Argofie cast away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God, thank God; is it true? is it true? Tub. I spoke with some 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 fourscore ducats.

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

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

Shy. Out upon her, thou torturest 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, bespeak 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 synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. Belmont.
Enter Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, and attendants.
The caskets are fet out.

Por. I pray you, tarry, paufe a day or two

Before you hazard; for in chusing wrong
I lose your company; forbear a while.
There's fomething tells me, but it is not love,
I would not lose you; and, you know your self,
Hate counsels 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 some month or two,
Before you venture for me. I could teach you
How to chuse right, but I am then forsworn;
So will I never be; so may you miss me,
But if you do, you'll make me with a fin,
That I had been forsworn. 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 say: but if mine, then yours;
And so all yours. Alas! these naughty times
Put bars between the owners and their rights:
And so tho' yours, not yours; but prove it so,
Let fortune go to hell for it, not me.
I speak too long, but 'tis to peece the time,
To eche it, and to draw it out in length,
To stay you from election.
Baff. Let me chuse:

For as I am, I live upon the rack.

Por. Upon the rack, Bassanio? then confess What treason there is mingled with your love? Baff. None but that ugly treason of mistruft, Which makes me fear th' enjoying of my love: There may as well be amity and life 'Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. Por. Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack, Where men enforced do speak any thing. Baff. Promise me life, and I'll confefs the truth. Por. Well then, confess and live.

Baff. Confefs and love

Had been the very sum of my confeffion.
O happy torment, when my torturer
Doth teach me answers 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 rest, stand all aloof, Let musick found while he doth make his choice;

Then if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,

Fading in musick. That the comparison
May stand more just, my eye shall be the stream
And wat'ry death-bed for him: he may win,
And what is musick then? then musick is
Even as the flourish, when true subjects bow
To a new crowned monarch: such it is,
As are those dulcet sounds in break of day,
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,
And summon him to marriage. Now he goes
With no less presence, but with much more love,
Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin-tribute paid by howling Troy
To the sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice;
The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With bleared visages come forth to view
The ifsfue of th' exploit. Go, Hercules,
Live thou, I live; with much, much more dismay
I view the fight, than thou that mak'st 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?
Horu begot, borw 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 shows be least themselves: The world is still deceiv'd with Ornament, In law what plea so tainted and corrupt, But being season'd with a gracious voice, Obscures the show of evil? in religion What damned error, but some fober brow Will bless it, and approve it with a text, Hiding the grossness with fair ornament ?

There