me a husband: O me, the word chuse! I may neither chufe whom I would, nor refuse whom I dislike, so is the will of a living daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father: is it not hard, Neriffa, that I cannot chuse one, nor refuse none? Ner. Your father was ever virtuous, and holy men at their death have good infpirations; therefore the lottery that he hath devised in these three chefts of gold, filver, and lead (whereof who chufes his meaning, chufes you) will no doubt never be chofen by any rightly, but one whom you shall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these princely futers that are already come? Por. I pray thee over-name them, and as thou nam'st them I will defcribe them, and according to my description level at my affection. Ner. First there is the Neapolitan Prince. Por. Ay, that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse, and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts that he can fhoo him himself: I am much afraid my lady his mother play'd false with a smith. Ner. Then there is the Count Palatine. Por. He doth nothing but frown, as who fhould fay, if you will not have me, chufe: he hears merry tales, and fmiles not; I fear he will prove the weeping philosopher when he grows old, being fo full of unmannerly sadness in his youth. I had rather be married to a death's head with a bone in his mouth, than to either of these. God defend me from these two. Ner. How fay you by the French Lord, Monfieur Le Boun!· Por. God made him, and therefore let him pafs for a man; in truth I know it is a fin to be a mocker; but he! why he hath a horse better than the Neapolitan's, a better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine, he is every man in no man; if a throftle fing, he falls ftrait a capering; he will fence with his own shadow; if I should marry him, I fhould marry twenty husbands. If he would • taffel. would defpife me, I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness, I should never requite him. Ner. What say you then to Faulconbridge, the young Baron of England? Por. You know I fay nothing to him, for he understands not me, nor I him; he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian, and you may come into the court and swear, that I have a poor pennyworth in the English. He is a proper man's picture, but alas who can converse with a dumb show? how odly he is fuited! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour every where. Ner. What think you of the Scottish lord his neighbour? Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for he borrow'd a box of the ear of the English-man, and swore he would pay him again when he was able. I think the French-man became his furety, and sealed under for another. Ner. How like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony's nephew? Por. Very vilely in the morning when he is fober, and most vilely in the afternoon when he is drunk; when he is beft, he is a little worse than a man, and when he is worst, he is little better than a beaft; and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him. Ner. If he should offer to chufe, and chuse the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father's will, if you should refuse to accept him. Por. Therefore for fear of the worst, I pray thee fet a deep glafs of Rhenifh wine on the contrary casket, for if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I know he will chuse it. I will do any thing, Neriffa, ere I will be marry'd to a spunge. Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of these lords: they have acquainted me with their determinations, which is indeed to return to their home, and to trouble you with no more fuit, • other. fuit, unless you may be won by fome other fort than your father's impofition, depending on the caskets. Por. If I live to be as old as Sibilla, I will die as chafte as Diana, unless I be obtain❜d by the manner of my father's will: I am glad this parcel of wooers are so reasonable, for there is not one among them but I doat on his very abfence, and wish them a fair departure. Ner. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a scholar and a soldier, that came hither in company of the Marquifs of Mountferrat? Por. Yes, yes, it was Baffanio, as I think, he was fo called. Ner. True, madam; he of all the men that ever my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the best deserving a fair lady. Por. I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praife. How now? what news? Enter a Servant. Ser. The four ftrangers feek for you, madam, to take their leave; and there is a fore-runner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the Prince his master will be here tonight. Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with fo good heart as I can bid the other four farewel, I fhould be glad of his approach; if he have the condition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me. Come Neriffa. Sirrah go before; while we fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Enter Baffanio and Shylock. Sby. Baff. Ay Sir, for three months. HREE thousand ducats? well. Shy. Shy. For three months? well. Baff. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio fhall be bound. Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound? well. Bass. May you stead me? will you pleasure me? fhall I know your answer? Shy. Three thousand ducats for three months, and Anthonio · bound? Bass. Your answer to that. Shy. Anthonio is a good man. Baff. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? Shy. No, no, no, no; my meaning in faying he is a good man, is to have you understand me, that he is fufficient: yet his means are in fuppofition: he hath an Argofie bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Ryalto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath squander'd abroad. But ships are but boards, failers but men; there be land-rats, and water-rats, water-thieves and landthieves, I mean pyrates; and then there is the peril of waters, winds and rocks. The man is notwithstanding sufficient; three thousand ducats? I think I may take his bond. Baff. Be affur'd you may. Shy. I will be affur'd I may; and that I may be affur'd, I will bethink me; may I fpeak with Anthonio? Baff. If it please you to dine with us. Shy. Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjur'd the devil into? I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Ryalto; who is he comes here? Enter Anthonio. Ball. This is Signior Anthonio. Shy. [Afide.] How like a fawning Publican he looks! I I hate him, for he is a chriftian: But more, for that in low fimplicity He lends out mony gratis, and brings down Baff. Shylock, do you hear? Shy. I am debating of my present store, Of full three thousand ducats: what of that? Will furnish me; but soft, how many months Do you Anth. Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow By taking, nor by giving of excess, Yet to fupply the ripe wants of my friend I'll break a custom.--Is he yet poffest Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. Shy. I had forgot, three months, you told me so; Anth. I do never use it. Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep, [To Anth. |