dance ere we are marry'd, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wives heels. Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards. Bene. First, o' my word; therefore, play, mufic, Prince, thou art fad, get thee a wife, get thee a wife; there is no staff more reverend than one tipt with horn. Enter Meffenger. Melf. My Lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina. Bene. Think not on him till to-morrow: I'll devife thee brave punishments for him. Strike up, pipers. [Dances. [Exeunt omnes. The SCENE, partly at Venice; and partly at Belmont, the feat of Portia upon the continent. A C T I. SCENE I. A Street in Venice. Enter Anthonio, Solarino, and Salanio. And fuch a want-wit fadnefs makes of me, Sal. Your mind is toffing on the ocean; That That curtfy to them, do them reverence, Sola. Believe me, Sir, had I fuch venture forth, Be with my hopes abroad. I fhould be ftill Sal My wind, cooling my broth, Would blow me to an ague, when I thought Is fad to think upon his merchandise. Anth. Believe'me, no: I thank my fortune for it, My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole eftate Upon the fortune of this prefent year: Anth. Fie, fie! Sola. Not in love neither! then let's fay, you're fad, Because you are not merry; and 'twere as eafy For you to laugh and leap, and fay, you're merry, Because you are not fad. "Now, by two-headed Janus, "Nature hath fram'd firange fellows in her time: "Some that will evermore peep through their eyes,.. VOL. II. G "And Wherein my time, fomething too prodigal, Bal. In my school-days, when I had loft one shaft, I fhot his fellow of the felf-fame flight The felf-fame way, with more advised watch, Which you did fhoot the first, I do not doubt, Or bring your latter hazard back again, Anth. You know me well; and herein fpend but time, To wind about my love with circumstance; Than if you had made waste of all I have. Hang Hang on her temples like a golden fleece; Which makes her feat of Belmont, Colchos' ftrond; O my Anthonio, had I but the means Anth. Thou know'ft, that all my fortunes are at sea,. Nor have I money, nor commodity To raise a prefent fum: therefore go forth; [Exeunt SCENE II. Changes to Belmont. Three cafkets are fet out, one of gold, another of filver, and another of lead. Por. By my troth, Neriffa, my little body is wearyof this great world. Ner. You would be, fweet Madam, if your miferies were in the fame abundance as your good fortunes are; and yet, for aught I fee, they are as fick that furfeit with too much, as they that starve with nothing: therefore it is no mean happiness to be feated in the mean; fuperfluity comes fooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. Por. Good fentences, and well pronounce'd. Por. If to do were as eafy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor mens cottages princes' palaces. He is a good divine that follows his own inftructions: I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than to be one of the twenty to follow my own teaching. The brain may devife laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er Thrift, for thriving, Mr. Pope. |