Become the touches of sweet harmony, Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims; Jef. I'm never merry, when I hear fweet mufick. [Mufick. Lor. The reafon is, your fpirits are attentive ; For do but note a wild and wanton herd, Or race of youthful and unhandled colts, Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud, (Which is the hot condition of their blood) If they perchance but hear a trumpet found, Or any air of mufick touch their ears, You fhall perceive them make a mutual ftand; Their favage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze, By the sweet power of mufick. Therefore, the poet Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, ftones, and floods $ Since nought fo stockish, hard and full of rage, (31) Such barmony is in immortal fouls;] But the harmony here defcribed is that of the fpheres, fo much celebrated by the ancients. He fays, the fmalleft orb fings like an angel; and then fubjoins, fich barmony is in immortal fouls: but the harmony of angels is not here meant, but of the orbs. Nor are we to think, that here the poet alludes to the notion, that each orb has its intelligence or angel to direct it; for then with no propriety could he fay, the orb fung like an angel: he should rather have laid, the angel in the orb fung. We must therefore correct the line thus ; Such barmony is in immortal founds: i. e. in the mufick of the spheres. Mr. Warburton. Macrobius, I remember, accounts for our not hearing that mufick, which is produc'd by the conftant volubility of the heavens, from the organs in the human ear not being capable, thro' their ftraitness, of admitting fo vehement a found. Muficam perpetua cæli volubilitate rafcentem ideo claro non fentimus auditu, quia major fonus eft quam us bumanarum aurium recipiatur anguftiis. But But mufick for the time doth change his nature. Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, Let no fuch man be trufted. Mark the mufick. Enter Portia and Neriffa. Por. That light we fee, is burning in my hall : Ner. When the moon fhone, we did not fee the candle. [Mufick. Ner. Silence beftows the virtue on it, madam. How many things by feason feafon'd are Lor. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. [Mufick ceafes. Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckow, By the bad voice. Lor. Dear Lady, welcome home. Por. We have been praying for our husbands healths, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they return'd ? Lor. Madam, they are not yet; But Give order to my fervants, that they take Nor you, Lorenzo; Jeffica, nor you. [A Tucket founds. Lor. Your husband is at hand, I hear his trumpet: We are no tell-tales, madam, fear you not. Por. This night, methinks, is but the day-light fick; It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the fun is hid. Enter Baffanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their followers. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; But God fort all you're welcome home, my lord. To whom I am fo infinitely bound. Por. You should in all sense be much bound to him ; For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. Anth. No more than I am well acquitted of. Por. Sir, you are very welcome to our house; It must appear in other ways than words ; Therefore I fcant this breathing courtesy. Gra. By yonder moon, I fwear, you do me wrong; In faith I gave it to the judge's clerk. [To Neriffa. And And that it should lye with you in your grave: The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face, that had it. Ner. Ay, if a woman live to be a man. I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, I gave my love a ring, and made him fwear Baff. Why, I were beft to cut my left hand off, Gra. My lord Baffanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed, Deferv'd it too; and then the boy, his clerk, That took fome pains in writing, he begg'd mine; And neither man, nor maiter, would take ought But the two rings. Por. What ring gave you, my Lord? Not that, I hope, which you receiv'd of me. I would deny it, but you fee my finger Por. Even fo void is your false heart of truth. Until I fee the ring. Ner. Nor I in yours, [Afide. 'Till I again fee mine If Baff. Sweet Portia, you If you did know to whom I gave the ring, When nought would be accepted but the ring, I'll die for't, but fome woman had the ring. Ba. No, by mine honour, madam, by my foul, No woman had it, but a Civil Doctor, Who did refuse three thousand ducats of me, Ev'n he, that did uphold the very life Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet Lady ? I was enforc'd to send it after him; I was befet with shame and courtesy ; My honour would not let ingratitude So much befmear it. Pardon me, good Lady, Had you been there, I think, you would have begg'd Por. Let not that Doctor e'er come near my house, Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd, And that which you did fwear to keep for me; I'll not deny him any thing I have, No, not my body, nor my husband's bed; Lye not a night from home; watch me, like Argus: |