SCENE IV.

Changes to Shylock's House.

Enter Jessfica and Launcelot.

;

for the helt leave my father fo
Our house is and thou, a merry devil,

Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness.
But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee;
And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou fee
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest;
Give him this letter, do it secretly,

And so farewel: I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

Laun. Adieu! Tears exhibit my tongue. [afide.] Most beautiful Pagan, most sweet Jew! if a chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd. But, adieu! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu! [Exit.

Jes. Farewel, good Launcelot,
Alack, what heinous sin is it in me,
To be asham'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 promise, I shall end this strife,

Become a christian, and thy loving wife.

[Exit.

SCENE V.

The STREET.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio,

Lor. NAY we will link away

we will flink away in supper time, dif

us my lodgingfuppetime

an hour.

Gra

Gra. We have not made good preparation.
Sal. We have not spoke as 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 a-clock, we have two hours To furnish us.

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Laun. An' it shall please you to break up this, it shall feem to fignifie.

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 fup to night with my new master the christian.

Lor. Hold, here, take this. - Tell gentle Jeffica, I will not fail her. Speak 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.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jeffica?

[Exit.

Lor. I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed,

How I fhall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with;
What page's fuit the hath in readiness.
If e'er the Fow her father come to heav'n,
It will be for his gentle Daughter's fake :
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,

Un

Unlefs she doth it under this excuse,

That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goest.
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer.

[Exeunt.

Shylock's House.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

ELL, thou shalt see, thy eyes shalt be thy

Sby.W

judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Beffanio

What, Jessica!thou shalt not gormandize,

As thou haft done with me

what, Jeffica! ——

And fleep and snore, and rend apparel out.

Why, Jeffica! I fay.

Laun. Why, Jessica!

Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call.

1

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 supper, Jeffica; There are my keys. But wherefore should I go? I am not bid for love; they flatter me: But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon The prodigal christian. Jessica, my girl, Look to my house, I am right loath to go; There is fome ill a brewing towards my rest, For I did dream of money-bags to night. Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young master

doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun.

Laun. And they have confpired together. I will not say, you shall fee a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on black Monday last, at fix a clock i' th' morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in the afternoon.

Shy. What; are there masques? Hear you me,
Feffica,
Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking of the wry neck'd fife,
Clamber you not up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public street,
To gaze on christian fools with varnish'd faces:
But stop my house's ears; I mean, my casements;
Let not the found of shallow foppery enter
My fober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear,
I have no mind of feasting forth to night:
But I will go. Go you before me, firrah:
Say, I will come.

• Laun. I will go before, Sir.
Mistress, look out at window, for all this;
There will come a chriftian by,
Will be worth a Jewess" eye.

[Exit Laun.

Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's off-spring, ha? Jef. His words were, Farewel, Mistress; nothing

else.

Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder; Snail-flow in profir: 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 watte His borrow'd purse. Well, Jeffiwa, go in; Perhaps, I will return immediately;

Do, as I bid you.

Shut the doors after you; fast bind, fast find,

A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

[Exit.

Jef. Farewel, and if my fortune be not croft,

I have a father, you a daughter, loft.

SCENE

Enter Gratiano and Salanio in Masquerade.

Gra. This is the pent-house, under which Lorenzo defired us to make a stand.

Sal. His hour is almost past.

Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour,

For lovers ever run before the clock.

Sal. O, ten times faster Venus' pigeons fly
To feal love's bonds new made, than they are wont
To keep obliged faith unforfeited!

Gra. That ever holds. Who riseth from a feaft,
With that keen appetite that he sits down?
Where is the horse, that doth untread again
His tedious measures with th' unbated fire,
That he did pace them first ? all things that are,
Are with more spirit chased than enjoy'd.

the same joke in speaking of the prefbyterians.

Th' apostles of this fierce reli-
gion,

Like Mahomet's, were ass and
Widgeon.

Mahomet's ass or rather mule was
famous: and the monks in their
fabulous accounts of him said, he
taught a pigeon to pick peas out
of his ears to carry on the ends of
his impotture. WARBURTON.

I believe the Poet wrote as the Editors have printed. How it is fo very high humour to call lovers Widgeons rather than Pigeons I cannot find. Lovers have i poetry been alway called Turtles, or Doves, which in tower language may be Pigeon.

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