indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I serve not him, I will run as far as God has any ground.-O rare fortune! here comes the man;-to him, father: for I am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer. Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO, and other Bass. You may do so;-but let it be so hasted, that supper be ready at the farthest by five of the clock: See these letters deliver'd; put the liveries to making; and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. [Exit a Servant. Laun. To him, father. Gob. God bless your worship! Bass. 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 specify, Gob. 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 frutify 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? Laua. 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 God, sir, aud he hath enough. Bass. Thou speak'st it well: Go, father, with Take leave of thy old master, and enquire (To his Followers.) More guarded than his fellows: See it done. Laun. Father, in:-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. [Exeunt Launcelot and old Gobbo. Bass. 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. Leon. My best endeavours shall be done herein. Enter GRATIANO. Gra. Where is your master? Leon. Yonder, sir, he walks. [Exit Leonardo. Gra. You must not deny me; I must go with you to Belmont. [Gratiano; Bass. Why, then you must;-But hear thee, 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 are not known, why, there they show 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 And so farewell; I would not have my father See me talk with thee. Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue.Most beautiful pagan,-most sweet Jew! If a Christian do not play the knave, and get thee, I am much deceived: But, adieu! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit; adieu! [Exit. Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot. [Exit. Lor. Nay, we will slink away at supper-time; Disguise us at my lodging, and return in an Gra. We have not made good preparation. Sular. We have not spoke us yet of torchbearers. Salan. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd; And better, in my mind, not undertook. Lor. 'Tis now but four o'clock; we have two hours To furnish us;— Laun. Marry, sir, to bid my old master the Jew Salar. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight. [Exeunt Salar and Salan. directed, How I shall take her from her father's house; [Exeunt. SCENE V.-The same. Before Shylock's house. The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio: Salar. O, ten times faster Venus' pigeons fly Gra. That ever holds: who riseth from a feast, Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT. Shy. Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy The scarfed bark puts from her native bay, judge, Hugg'd and embraced by the strumpet wind! Enter LORENZO. Laun. Why, Jessica! Shy. Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call. Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, I could do nothing without bidding. Snail-low in profit, and he sleeps by day Shut doors after you: Fast bind, fast find; [Exit. Jes. Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, Enter JESSICA. Jes. Call you? What is your will? Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica : But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon Enter GRATIANO and SALARINO, masqued. Salar. Here comes Lorenzo ;-more of this here- Enter JESSICA above, in boy's clothes. Jes. Who are you? Tell me, for more certainty, Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love. Jes. Lorenzo, certain; and my love, indeed; Lor. Heaven, and thy thoughts, are witness that Lor. Descend, for you must be my torch-bearer. Lor. Laun. I beseech you, sir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach. Shy. So do I his. Laun. And they have conspired together,-II Shy. What! are there masques? Hear you me, Laun. [Exit Laun. So are you, sweet, For the close night doth play the runaway, Jes. will make fast the doors, and gild myself Enter JESSICA, below. What, art thou come?-On, gentlemen, away; Ant. Who's there? Ant. Fy, fy, Gratiano! where are all the rest? I have sent twenty out to seek for you. Gra. I am glad on't; I desire no more delight, Than to be under sail and gone to-night. [Exeunt. SCENE VII.-Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Flourish of Cornets. Enter PORTIA, with the PRINCE OF MOROCCO, and both their Trains. Por. Go, draw aside the curtains, and discover The several caskets to this noble prince :Now make your choice. [bears;Mor. The first, of gold who this inscription Who chooseth me, shall gain what many men desire, The second, silver, which this promise carries ;Who chooseth me, shall get as much as he deserves. This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt ;Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath. How shall I know if I do choose the right? Por. The one of them contains my picture, prince; If you chose that, then I am yours withal. Mor. Some god direct my judgment! Let me see, I will survey the inscriptions back again : What says this leaden casket? Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath. A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross; Por. There, take it, prince; and if my form lie there, Then I am yours. (He unlocks the golden casket.) All that glisters is not gold, Often have you heard that told: Then, farewell, heat; and, welcome, frost.- Let all of his complexion choose me so. [Exeunt. SCENE VIII.-Venice. A Street. Salar. Why man, I saw Bassanio under sail; With him is Gratiano gone along; And in their ship, I am sure, Lorenzo is not. Salan. The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the duke; Who went with him to search Bassanio's ship. Salar. He came too late, the ship was under sail : But there the duke was given to understand, That in a gondola were seen together Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica: Besides, Antonio certify'd the duke, They were not with Bassanio in his ship. Salan. I never heard a passion so confus'd, So strange, outrageous, and so variable, As the dog Jew did utter in the streets: My daughter!-O my ducats!—O my daughter! Fled with a Christian?-O my christian ducats! Justice! the law! my ducats, and my daughter! A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats, Of double ducats, stol'n from me by my daughter! And jewels; two stones, two rich and precious stones, Stol'n by my daughter!-Justice! find the girl! She hath the stones upon her, and the ducats! Salar. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him, Crying, his stones, his daughter, and his ducats. Salan. Let good Antonio look he keep his day, Or he shall pay for this. Salar. Marry, well remember'd⚫ I reason'd with a Frenchman yesterday; Who told me,-in the narrow seas, that part The French and English, there miscarried A vessel of our country, richly fraught: I thought upon Antonio, when he told me ; And wish'd in silence, that it were not his. And quicken his embraced heaviness Salar. Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain straight; The prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath, Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF ARRAGON, PORTIA, and their trains. Por. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince: If you choose that wherein I am contain❜d, Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemniz'd; But if you fail, without more speech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately. Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath to observe three things: First, never to unfold to any one Which casket 'twas I chose; next, if I fail Of the right casket, never in my life To woo a maid in way of marriage; lastly, If I do fail in fortune of my choice, Immediately to leave you and be gone. Por. To these injunctions every one doth swear, That comes to hazard for my worthless self. Ar. And so have I address'd me. Fortune now Builds in the weather on the outward wall, O, that estates, degrees, and offices, honour Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times, Ar. What is here? The fire seven times tried this; Seven times tried that judgment is, That did never choose amiss: Some there be, that shadows kiss; Such have but a shadow's bliss: There be fools alive, I wis, Silver'd o'er; and so was this. Still more fool I shall appear By the time I linger here: With one fool's head I came to woo, But I go away with two.Sweet, adieu! I'll keep my oath, Patiently to bear my wroth. [Exeunt Arragon and train. Por. Thus hath the candle sing'd the moth. O these deliberate fools! when they do choose, They have the wisdom by their wit to lose. Ner. The ancient saying is no heresy ;Hanging and wiving goes by destiny. Por. Come, draw the curtain, Nerissa. Enter a Servant. Serv. Where is my lady? Por. Here; what would my lord? Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate A young Venetian, one, that comes before To signify the approaching of his lord: From whom he bringeth sensible regreets; To wit, besides commends, and courteous breath, Gifts of rich value; yet I have not seen So likely an embassador of love: To show how costly summer was at hand, A day in April never came so sweet, As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord. Por. No more, I pray thee; I am half afeard, Thou spend'st such high-day wit in praising him.— Thou wilt say anon, he is some kin to thee, Come, come, Nerissa; for I long to see Quick Cupid's post, that comes so mannerly. Ner. Bassanio, lord love, if thy will it be! [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-Venice. A Street. Salan. Now, what news on the Rialto? Salar. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, think they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip report be an honest woman of her word. Salan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapp'd ginger, or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband: But it is true, without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain high-way of talk,-that the good, good enough to keep his name company! Antonio, the honest Antonio,--O that I had a title Salar. Come, the full stop. Salan. Ha,-what say'st thou ?-Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship. Salar. I would it might prove the end of his losses! Salan. Let me say amen betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. Enter SHYLOCK. How now, Shylock? what news among the merchants? Shy. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter's flight. Salar. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal. Salan. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledg'd; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam. Shy. She is damn'd for it. Salar. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge. Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel! Salan. Oat upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years? Shy. I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood. Salar. Why, I am sure, 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 disgraced me, and hindered me of half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew: Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, burt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? if you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? if we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? revenge; If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge. The villainy, you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction. Enter a Servant. Serv. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both. Salar. We have been up and down to seek him. Enter TOBAL. Salan. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt Salan. Salar. and Servant. Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? 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, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now; 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! 'would she were hears'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffia! No news of them ?-Why, so:-and I know not what's spent in the search: Why, thou loss upon loss! the thief gone with so mach, and so much to find the thief; and no satis faction, no revenge: nor no ill luck stirring, but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs, but o' my breathing; no tears, but o' my shedding. Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Antonio as I heard in Genoa, Shy. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck? Tub. hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis. [it true? Shy. I thank God, I thank God:-Is it true? is Tab. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck. Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal;-Good news, good news: ha! ha!-Where? in Genoa? Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats! Sky. Thou stick'st a dagger in me :- -I shall never see my gold again: Fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in By company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose bat break. Shy. I am very glad of it: I'll plague him; I'll torture him; I am glad of it. Tub. One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys, Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone. Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true: Go, Tubal, 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. A Room in Portia's House. Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, and Attendants. The caskets are set out. Por. I pray you, tarry; pause a day or two, Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong, I lose your company; therefore, forbear a while: There's something tells me, (but it is not love,) I would not lose you; and you know yourself, Hate counsels not in such a quality: But lest 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 choose right, but then I am forsworn; So will I never be: so may you miss me; But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin, That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes, They have o'er-look'd me, and divided me; One half of me is yours, the other half yours,~-~ Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, And so all yours: O! these naughty times Put bars between the owners and their rights; And so, though yours, not yours.-Prove it so, Let fortune go to hell for it,-not I. I speak too long; but 'tis to peize the time; To eke it, and to draw it out in length, To stay you from election. Bass. Let me choose; For as I am, I live upon the rack. Por. Upon the rack, Bassanio? then confess What treason there is mingled with your love. Bass. None, but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear the 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. Bass, Promise me life, and I'll confess the truth. Confess, and love, Had been the very sum of my confession; 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 lock'd in one of them; If you do love me, you will find me out.Nerissa, and the rest, stand all aloof.Let music sound, while he doth make his choice; Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end, Fading in music: that the comparison May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream, And wat'ry death-bed for him: He may win; And what is music then? then music 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, |