I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace;

And speak, between the change of man and boy,
With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride; and speak of frays,
Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and dy'd;
I could not do with all ;-then I'll repent,
And wish, for all that, that I had not kill'd them:
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
That men shall swear, I have discontinued school
Above a twelvemonth :-I have within my
mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging jacks,
Which I will practise.

Ner.

Why, shall we turn to men? Por. Fie! what a question 's that,

If thou wert near a lewd interpreter ?

But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which stays for us
At the park gate; and therefore haste away,
For we must measure twenty miles to-day.2

[Exeunt.
SCENE

I With a reed voice ;] Such as is produced by a reed, or small pipe. E.

2 For we must measure twenty miles to-day.] This, though it is not expressly so declared, is, it may be presumed, nearly the whole distance from Belmont to

Venice.

SCENE V.*

The same. A Garden.

Enter Launcelot and Jessica.

Laun. Yes, truly :- for, look you of the father are to be laid upon the cl therefore, I promise you, I fear you.

* SCENE V.-Is some part of the same d Portia's departure and before the hour of I am not inclined wantonly or unnecessarily recourse to a transposition of Scenes, but, c that which is at present the third, wherein appears with Anthonio in custody, might w siderable advantage, as has been already have been placed after this, and so made cluding one of the third Act, by which me business to be transacted at Belmont bef trial would have been kept together, and the of place been less abrupt and violent. E.

Venice. Twenty miles are a pretty re journey for two young ladies to undertak the remaining part of this day, and it see proper that they should arrive at Venice night before the trial. E.

I

-therefore I promise you, I fear 3 suspect for has been inadvertently omitted; should read-I fear for you.

MALONE.

There is not the slightest need of eme The disputed phrase is authorized by a pas K. Richard III.

"The king is sickly, weak, and melancho "And his physicians fear him mightily."

ST

always plain with you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter: Therefore be of good cheer; for, truly, I think, you are damn'd. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good; and that is but a kind of a bastard hope neither.

Jes. And what hope is that, I pray thee?

Laun. Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew's daughter.

Jes. That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed; so the sins of my mother should be visited upon me.

Laun. Truly then I fear you are damned both by father and mother thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother 3 well, you are gone both ways.

2

Jes.

-my agitation of the matter:] Cogitation, it may be presumed, is the word about which Launcelot blunders here. E.

3 Thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother:] Alluding to the wellknown line of a modern Latin poet, Philippe Gualtier, in his poem entitled L'Alexandreis:

"Incidis in Scyllam, cupiens vitare Charybdim." MALONE. Shakspeare might have met with a translation of this line in many places. Among others in "A "Dialogue between Custom and Veretie, concerning "the use and abuse of Dauncing and Minstrelsie." bl. 1. no date:

Jes. I shall be saved by my husba hath made me a Christian.

Laun. Truly, the more to blame were Christians enough before; e'er as could well live, one by anothe making of Christians will raise the hogs; if we grow all to be pork-ea shall not shortly have a rasher on the money.

Enter Lorenzo.

Jes. I'll tell my husband, Launce you say; here he comes.

Lor. I shall grow jealous of you Launcelot, if you thus get my

corners.

Jes. Nay, you need not fear us, Launcelot and I are out: he tells n there is no mercy for me in heaven, am a Jew's daughter: and he says, no good member of the commonwea in converting Jews to Christians, the price of pork.

"While Silla they do seem to shun, "In Charibd they do fall." &c. STE Some of the modern editors have alter "When you shun Scylla, your father

"into Charybdis," &c. E.

4 I shall be saved by my husband;] From "The unbelieving wife is sanctified "husband." HENLEY.

Lor. I shall answer that better to the commonwealth, than you can the getting up of the negro's belly: the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot.

Laun. It is much 5 that the Moor should be more than reason: but if she be less than an honest woman,6 she is, indeed, more than I took her for.

Lor. How every fool can play upon the word! I think, the best grace of wit will shortly turn into silence ; and discourse grow commendable in none only but parrots.-Go in, sirrah, bid them prepare for dinner.

Laun.

5 It is much that the Moor should be more, &c.] This reminds us of the quibbling epigram of Milton, which has the same kind of humour to boast of:

"Galli ex concubitu gravidam te, Pontia, Mori, "Quis bene moratam, morigeram que neget?” STEEVENS. Shakspeare, no doubt, had read or heard of the old epigram on Sir Thomas More :

"When More some years had chancellor been, "No more suits did remain ;

"The like shall never more be seen,

"Till More be there again." RITSON.

6 but if she be less than an honest woman,] A change of the word less into more would make the jingle fuller, and, in "more than an honest woman," I think, may be perceived an allusion to the increase of "the negro's belly." CAPELL.

66

7

-the best grace of wit will shortly turn into silence, &c.] The most becoming form that wit can assume will be that of keeping silence. E.