Gra. You must not deny me, I must go

with you

to Belmont.

Bass. 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 fuch eyes as ours appear not faults;

But where thou art not known, why there they fhew
Something too liberal; pray thee take pain
T'allay with some cold drops of modesty

Thy skipping spirit, left through thy wild behaviour
I be misconstru'd 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 pockets, look demurely,
Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh and fay Amen;
Use all th' obfervance of civility,

Like one well studied in a fad oftent

To please his grandam; never trust me more.
Baff. Well, we fhall fee your bearing.

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

By what we do to-night.

D 2

Baff

Baff. No, that were pity.

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest fuit of mirth, for we have friends
That purpose merriment: but fare you well,

I have fome business.

Gra. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest: But we will visit you at fupper-time.

Jef. I'M

SCENE IV.

Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.

ef.T'M forry 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, foon at fupper fhalt thou fee
Lorenzo, who is thy new mafter's guest;
Give him this letter, do it fecretly,

And so farewel: I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

[Exeunt.

Laun. Adieu; tears exhibit my tongue, most beautiful Pagan, most sweet Jew! if a chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceived; but adieu, these foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly fpirit: adieu.

Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot.
Alack, what heinous fin 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 fhall end this ftrife,
Become a christian, and thy loving wife.

[Exit.

[Exit.

SCENE

SCENE V.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio.

Lor.NAY, we will flink away in fupper-time, disguise us at

my lodging, and return all in an hour.
Gra. We have not made good preparation.
Sal. We have not spoke as yet of torch-bearers.
Sola. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered;
And better in my mind not undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four a-clock, we have two hours
To furnish us. Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Enter Launcelot with a letter.

Laun. And it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem to fignifie.

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?

Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old mafter the Jew to fup to

night with my new mafter the christian.

Lor. Hold here, take this, tell gentle Jeffica

I will not fail her, fpeak it privately.

Go gentlemen, will you prepare for this mask to-night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

Sal. Ay marry, I'll be gone about it strait.

Sola. And fo will I.

Lor. Meet me and Gratiano

At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence.

[Exit Laun.

Sal.

Sal. 'Tis good we do fo.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jelica?

[Exit.

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

Shy.

WE

SCENE VI.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt.

ELL, thou fhalt fee, thy eyes fhall be thy judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio.

What Jesica! thou shalt not gormandize

As thou haft done with me---

what Feffica!

And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.

Why Jeffica, I say.

Laun. Why Jeffica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call.

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

Enter Jeffica.

Jef. Call you? what is your will?

Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, Jessica,

There are my keys: but wherefore fhould I go?

I am not bid for love; they flatter me:

But

But yet

I'll go in hate, to feed upon

The prodigal chriftian. 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 mony-bags to-night.

Laun. I beseech you Sir go, my young mafter doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have confpired together, I will not say you shall see a mask, but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on black monday last, at fix a-clock i'th' morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in the afternoon.

Shy. What are these masks? hear you me, Jessica,
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 publick street
To gaze on christian fools with varnish'd faces:
But stop my house's ears, I mean my casements,
Let not the found of fhallow foppery enter
My fober house. By Jacob's staff I swear,
I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:
But I will go; go you before me, firrah:
Say I will come.

Laun. I will go before, Sir.

Mistress, look out at a window for all this,
There will come a chriftian by,

Will be worth a Jewess eye.

[Exit Laun.

Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's off-fpring? ha. Jef. His words were farewel mistress, nothing else. Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder: Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day

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