Laun. In very brief, the fuit is impertinent to myfelf, as your Worship fhall know by this honeft old man; and, though I fay it, though old man, yet poor man my father

Baff. One speak for both, what would you ?
Laun. Serve you, Sir.

Gob. This is the very defect of the matter, Sir.
Baff. I know thee well, thou haft obtain'd thy fuit;
Shylock, thy mafter, spoke with me this day,
And hath preferr'd thee; if it be preferment
To leave a rich Jew's fervice to become
The follower of fo poor a gentleman.

Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my mafter Shylock aad you, Sir; you have the grace of God, Sir, and he hath enough.

Baff. Thou speak'ft it well; go, father, with thy fon: Take leave of thy old mafter, and inquire

My lodging out; give him a livery,

More guarded than his fellows: fee it done.

Laun. Father, in; I cannot get a fervice, no? have ne'er a tongue in my head? well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table *, which doth ****** offer to fwear upon a book, I fhall have good fortune; go to, here's a fimple line of life; here's a small trifle of wives. Alas, fifteen wives is nothing, eleven widows and nine maids is a fimple coming-in for one man! and then to 'fcape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed, here are fimple 'fcapes! well, if fortune be a woman, fhe's a good wench for this geer. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinking of an eye.

[Exeunt Laun, and Gob. Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this. These things being bought and orderly bestowed, Return in hafte, for I do feaft to-night

My best-esteem'd acquaintance, hie thee, go.
Leon. My beft endeavours fhall be done herein.

SCENE III. Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Where is your master?

Leon. Yonder, Sir, he walks.

[Ex. Leonardo.

* Looking on his own hand.

Gra.

Gra. Signior Baffanio,

Baff. Gratiano!

Gra. I have a fuit to you.

Baff. You have obtain❜d it.

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

with you

Baf. 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 shew
Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain
T'ally with fome cold drops of modesty

Thy fkipping fpirit; left, through thy wild behaviour,
I be mifconftru'd in the place I go to,

And lofe my hopes.

Gra. Signior Baffanio, 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 faying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh, and say, Amen.
Ufe all th' obfervance of civility,

Like one well studied in a fad oftent

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

Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night, you fhall not gage me By what we do to-night.

Ba. No, that were pity.

I would intreat you rather to put on

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

I have fome business.

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

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt.

Changes to Shylock's house.

Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.

Jef. I'm forry thou wilt leave my father fo; Our houfe is hell, and thou, a merry devil, Didft rob it of fome tafte of tediousness;

M 2

But

But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, foon at fupper fhalt thou fee
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's gueft,
Give him this letter; do it fecretly,
And fo farewel: I would not have
See me talk with thee.

my

father

Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue; moft beautiful Pagan, moft sweet Jew! if a Christian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd. 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 afham'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 promife, I fhall end this strife,
Become a Chriftian, and thy loving wife.

[Exit.

[Exit.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio. Lor. Nay, we will flink away in fupper-time, difguife us at my lodging, and return all in an hour. Gra. We have not made good preparation.

Sal. We have not spoke us 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 o'clock, we have two hours To furnith us. Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Laun. An it fhall please you to break up this, it shall feem to fignify.

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 up to-night with my new mafter the Chriftian.

Lor.

Lor. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle Jeffica, I will not fail her; fpeak it privately.

Go.—Gentlemen, will you prepare for this masque to-night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

[Exit. Laun.

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.
Sal. 'Tis good, we do fo.

[Exit.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jeffica?

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 she 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 fhe doth it under this excufe,
That she is iffue to a faithlefs Jew.

Come, go with me; perufe this, as thou goeft;
Fair Jeffica fhall be my torch-bearer.

SCENE VI.

[Exeunt.

Shylock's houfe

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

Shy. Well, thou fhalt fee, thy eyes fhall be thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Baffanio.

What, Jeffica!thou shalt not gormandize,
As thou haft done with me -what, Jeffica!—j
And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.
Why, Jeffica! I fay.

Laun. Why, Jeffica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. Laun. Your Worship was wont to tell me, that I could do nothing without bidding.

Enter Jeffica.

Jef. Call you? what is

your will?

Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, Jeffica;

There are my keys. But wherefore fhould I

go

I am not bid for love; they flatter me:
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
The prodigal Chriftian. Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my houfe; I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a-brewing towards my reft,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun. I befeech you, Sir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach.

Shy So do I his.

Laun. And they have confpired together, I will not fay you fhall fee a mafque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nofe fell a bleeding on black Monday laft, at fix o'clock i' th' morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in the af

ternoon.

Shy. What are there mafques? hear you me, Jeffica, Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, And the vile fqueaking of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber not you up to the cafements then, Nor thruft your head into the public ftreet, Το gaze on Chriftian fools with varnish'd faces. But stop my houfe's ears; I mean, my cafements; Let not the found of fhallow foppery enter My fober house. By Jacob's ftaff, I fwear, I have no mind of feafting forth to-night. But I will go; go you before me, firrah. Say, I will come.

Laun. I will go before, Sir.

Miftrefs, look out at window, for all this;
There will come a Christian by,
Will be worth a Jewels' eye.

[Exit. Laun. Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? Jef. His words were, Farewel, Miftrefs; nothing elfe. Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder: Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day

More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me,
Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To one, that I would have him help to wafte
His borrow'd purfe. Well, Jeffica, go in;
Perhaps I will return immediately;

Do, as I bid you.

Shut