Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO and STEPHANO, R. Bass. You may do so:-See these letters delivered; put the liveries to making: and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. [Exit STEPHANO, R.

Laun. To him, father.

Gob. Heaven bless your worship!

Bass. (R. c.) Gramercy; would'st thou aught with

me?

Gob. Here's my son, sir, a poor boy-

Laun. Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man; that would, sir, as my father shall specify

Gob. He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve——

Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew; and I have a desire, as my father shall specifyGob. His master and he (saving your worship's reverence) are scarce cater-cousins.

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, shall fructify unto you

Gob. I have here a dish of doves, that I would bestow upon your worship; and my suit is

Laun. In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as your worship shall know by this honest old man; and, though I say it, though old man, yet, poor man, my father.

Bass. One speak for both-What would you?
Laun. Serve you, sir.

Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, sir.

Bass. I know thee well, thou hast obtain'd thy suit: Shylock, thy master, spoke with me this day, And hath preferr'd thee; if it be preferment, To leave a rich Jew's service to become The follower of so poor a gentleman.

Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my master Shylock and you, sir; you have the grace of heaven, sir, and he hath enough.

Bass. Thou speak'st it well: go, father, with thy

son:

Take leave of thy old master, and inquire

My lodging out.-Give him a livery

More guarded than his fellows'; see it done.

[TO LEON.

[BASS. retires up the Stage with LEON.-OLD GOBBO goes in L. U. E.

Laun. (c.) Father, in: [Crosses to L.] I cannot get

:

a service, no;-I have ne'er a tongue in my head.Well, [Looking on his palm] if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth offer to swear upon a book.-I shall have good fortune; go to. here's a simple line of life! here's a small trifle of wives: alas, fifteen wives is nothing eleven widows, and nine maids, is a simple 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 gear.Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. [Exit LAUN. L. D. F. Bass. [Advancing with LEON. from back ground.` I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this; These things being bought, and orderly bestow'd, Return in haste, for I do feast to-night

My best esteem'd acquaintance: hie thee, go.

Gra. Signior Bassanio.

Bass. (L.) Gratiano!

Gra. I have a suit to you.

Bass. (L. c.) You have obtain❜d it.

[Exil, R.

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

Bass. (c.) Why then, you must:-but hear thee,
Gratiano:

Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice ;-
Parts, that become thee happily enough,

And in such eyes as ours appear not faults;

But where thou art not known, why, there they shew Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain

To allay with some cold drops of modesty

Thy skipping spirit; lest, through thy wild behaviour, I be misconstrued in the place I go to,

And lose my hopes.

Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear me :

If I do not put on a sober habit,

Talk with respect, and swear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely;
Nay, more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say, Amen :
Use all the observance of civility,

Like one well studied in a sad ostent

To please his grandam, never trust me more.
Bass. Well, we shall see your bearing.

Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night; you shall not gage

me

By what we do to-night.

Bass. No, that were pity;

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends

That purpose merriment: but fare you well,

I have some business.

[Exit, L.

Gra. And I must to Lorenzo, and the rest; But we will visit you at supper-time.

[Exit, R.

SCENE II.-Shylock's House.

Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT, L.

Jess. (c.) I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so; Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,

Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness:
But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest:
Give him this letter; do it secretly,

And so farewell; I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

Laun. (R. C.) Adieu !-tears exhibit my tongue. Most beautiful Pagan, most sweet Jew! (R.) If a Christian did not play the knave, and get thee, I am much deceiv'd:-but, adieu: these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit; adieu! [Exit, R. Jess. (R. c.) Farewell, good Launcelot.

Alack, what heinous sin 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 Christian, and thy loving wife.

SCENE III.-A Street in Venice.

[Exit, L.

Enter SALARINO, SOLANIO, GRATIANO, and
LORENZO, R.

Lor. (n.) Nay, we will slink away in supper-time;

Disguise us at my lodging, and return

All in an hour.

Gra. (c.) We have not made good preparation.

Sol. (c.) We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers. Sala. (R. c.) "Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered;

And better, in my mind, not undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four o'clock; we have two hours To furnish us:

Enter LAUNCelot, L.

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

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

[Gives LORENZO a letter;-retires, L. 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?

[Crossing.

Laun. (R.) Marry, sir, to bid my old master, the Jew, to sup to-night with my new master, the Christian. Lor. (R. c.) Hold here, take this: tell gentle Jessica, I will not fail her; (R.) speak it privately, go. [Turns round-exit LAUN. R.

Gentlemen,

Will you prepare you for this masque to-night?
I am provided of a torch-bearer.

Sol. (L.) Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.
Sala. And so will I.

Lor. (c.) Meet me and Gratiano,

At Gratiano's lodging, some hour hence.

Sala. (L.) 'Tis good we do so.

[Exeunt SALA. and SOL. L.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica?

Lor. I must needs tell thee all: she hath directed,
How I shall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with.
If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven,
It will be for his gentle daughter's sake;
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless she do it under this excuse,-
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me; peruse this as thou goest:
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

[Exeunt,. R.

SCENE IV.-Shylock's House.

SHYLOCK sitting at a Table and LAUNCELOT attending, discovered.

Shy. Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:-
What, Jessica!-thou shalt not gormandize,
As thou hast done with me ;-What, Jessica!-
And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out ;-
Why, Jessica, I say!

Laun. Why, Jessica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? [Rising.] I do not bid thee call.

Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, I could do nothing without bidding.

Enter JESSICA, L.

[Goes back.

Jess. (L. c.) Call you? What is your will?
Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica;
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.-Jessica, my girl,
Look to my house :-I am right loth to go;
There is some ill a brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun. [Advances, R. c.] I beseech you, sir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach.

Shy, So do I his.

Laun. (R. c.) And they have conspired together, I will not say, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on Black-monday last, at six o'clock i'the morning, falling out that year on Ash Wednesday was four year in the afternoon.

Shy. What are there masques? Hear you me, Jes

sica:

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 public street,
To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces:
But stop my house's ears, I mean, my casements;