Since this fortune falls to you, your bliss, And claim her with a loving kiss. A gentle fcrowl; fair lady, by your leave; [Kissing her. Like one of two contending in a prize, Por. You fee me, lord Baffanio, where I ftand, A thousand times more fair; ten thousand times But the may learn; more happy then in this, Let Let it prefage the ruin of your love, And be my vantage to exclaim on you. Baff. Madam, you have bereft me of all words, Ner. My lord and lady, it is now our time, Baff. With all my heart, fo thou canst get a wife. No (18) You lov'd; I lov'd for intermiffion] Thus this paffage has been nonfenfically pointed thro' all the editions. If loving for intermiffion can be expounded into any fenfe, I confefs, I as yet am ignorant, and fhall be glad to be instructed in it. But till then I must beg leave to think, the fentence ought to be thus regulated; You lov'd, I lov'd:: No more pertains to me, my lord, than you. i. e. ftanding idle; a paufe, or difcontinuance of action. And fuch is the fignification of intermiffio and intermiffus amongst the Latines.--Neque alia ulla fuit caufa intermiffionis epiftolarum, nifi quod ubi effès plane nefciebam: fays Cicero to Trebatius. Nor was there any other reafon for my difcontinuing to write, but that I was abfolutely igno ⚫rant where you were.' And fo Pliny, of the Nightingale: Lafciniis diebus ac noctibus quindecim garrulus fine intermiffu Cantus. Nightin gales No more pertains to me, my lord, than you. To have her love, provided that your fortune Por. Is this true, Neriffa? Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal. Buff. Our feaft fhall be much honour'd in your marriage. Gra. We'll play with them, the firft boy for a thousand ducats. Ner. What, and stake down? Gra. No, we fhall ne'er win at that sport, and ftakedown. But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infidel? What, and my old Venetian friend, Salanio? Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salanio. Baf. Lorenzo and Salanio, welcome hither; (Sweet Portia) welcome. Por. So do I, my lord; they are intirely welcome. Lor. I thank your honour; for my part, my lord, My purpose was not to have feen you here ; But meeting with Salinio by the way, He did intreat me, past all faying nay, To come with him along. gales hold their fong for fifteen days and nights together, without intermiffion. Our author uses this word again in his Lear: Deliver'd letters fpight of intermiffion, Which presently they read. i. e. in spight of any pause, 2 or delay. Sometimes, without intermiffion, is, without cellation : as in the Greek, αδιαλειπίως, ἀπάντως. So in As you like it; And I did laugh, fans intermiffion, Sal Sal. I did, my lord, And I have reafon for't; Signior Anthonio Baff. Ere I ope his letter, [Gives Baffanio a letter. I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth. Will fhew you his estate. [Baffanio opens the later Gra. Neriffa cheer yond ftranger: Bid her welcome, (19) Your hand, Salanio; what's the news from Venice? How doth that royal merchant good Anthonio? I know he will be glad of our fuccefs: We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece. Sal. Would you had won the fleece, that he hath lot! Some dear friend dead; elfe nothing in the world Of any conftant man. What, worse and worse! Baff. O fweet Portia ! Here are a few of the unpleasant'ft words,] How much I was a braggart: when I told you, (19) Neriffa, cheer yond franger :] The poet has fhewn a fingular art here, in his conduct with relation to effica. As the audience were already appriz'd of her ftory, the opening it here to Portia would have been a fuperfluous repetition. Nor could it be done properly, while a letter of fuch hafte and confequence was to be deliver'd: and on which the main action of the play depended. Jeffica is therefore, artfully, complimented in dumb fhew; and no fpeech made to her, because the fcenei drawn out to a great length by more important business. I I have engag'd myself to a dear friend, And not one veffel 'cap'd the dreadful touch Be fides, it fhould appear, that if he had Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him fwear, To Tubal and to Chus his country-men, That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh, Than twenty times the value of the fum It will go hard with poor Anthonio. Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble? Bal. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man, The best condition'd and unweary'd fpirit In doing courtefies; and one in whom Pay |