Bal. Thou speak'st it well; go, father, with thy son Take leave of thy old master, and enquire My lodging out; give him a livery, More guarded than his fellows: see it done. Laun. Father, in: I cannot get a service, no? I have ne'er a tongue in my head well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth offer to swear upon a book, I shall have good fortune; go to, here's a simple line of lise; here's a small trifle of wives; alas, sifteen wives is nothing, eleven widows and nine maids is a simple coming in for one man! and then to 'scape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed, here are simple 'scapes! well, if fortune be a woman, she's a good wench for this gear. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. (Ex, Iaun. and Gob. Bass. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this, These things being bought and orderly bestowed, Return in haste, for I do seast to night My best esteem'd acquaintance; hie thee, go. Gra. Where is your master? Leon. Yonder, sir, he walks. [Ex. Leonardo. Gra. Signior Bafanio, Baf. Gratiano Gra. I have a suit to you. Bajs. You have obtain'd it. Gra. You must not deny me, I must Belmont. Bass. 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 such eyes as ours appear not faults; But where thou art not known, why, there they show Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain t allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit; lest through thy wild behaviour, I be misconstru'd in the place I go to, And lose my hopes. Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear me, If I do not put on a sober habit, Talk Talk with respect, and swear but now and then, Like one well studied in a sad ostent To please his grandam; never trust me more. Gra. Nay, but I bar to night, you shall not gage me By what we do to night. Bal. No, that were pity. I would intreat you rather to put on Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends I have some business. Gra. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest: But we will visit you at supper-time. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to Shylock's House. Enter Jessica and Launcelot. Jes. I'M sorry thou wilt leave thy father so; And so farewel: I would not have my father Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue; most beautiful Pagan, most sweet Jew! if a Christian 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! Jes. Farewel, good Launcelot. Alack, what heinous sin it is in me, To be asham'd to be my father's child? [Exit. SCENE SCENE, the STREET. Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio. Lor. N difquife us at my lodging, and return all in AY, we will flink away in fupper-time, an hour. 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 o'clock, we have two hours To furnish us. Friend Launcelot, what's the news? Enter Launcelot, with a letter. Laun. An' it fhall please you to break up this, it (hall seem to signify. 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 master the Jew to sup to night with my new master the Christian. Lor. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle Jefica, 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 straight. Sola. And so will I. Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano, At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence. Sal. 'Tis good, we do so. Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jefica? [Exit. Lor. I must needs tell thee all; (he hath directed, How I shall take her from her father's house; B Unless Unless fhe do it under this excuse, That she is issue to a faithless Jew. Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goest: Fair Jefica shall be my torch-bearer. SCENE, Shylock's House. Enter Shylock and Launcelot. [Exeunt. Shy. WELL, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio. Laun. Why, Jessica! Shy. Who bid thee call? I did not bid thee call. Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, that I could do nothing without bidding. Enter Jessica. Jes. Call you? what is your will? Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica; There are my keys: but wherefore should I go? But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon The prodigal Christian. Jessica, my girl, Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach. Shy. So do I his. Laun. And they have conspired together, I will not say, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on black monday last, at six o'clock i'th' morning, falling out that year on Ash-wednesday was four years in the af ternoon. Shy. What! are there masques? hear you me, Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, And the vile squealing of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber you not up to the casements then, effica, Nor Nor thrust your head into the publick street, Laun. I will go before, Sir. Mistress, look out at window, for all this; Will be worth a Jewess' eye. (Exit Laun. Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha! Jef. His words were, farewel, mistress; nothing else. Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder : Snail-slow in profit, but he sleeps by day More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me, Do, as I bid you. Shut the doors after you; fast bind, fast find; A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. [Exit. Jes. Farewel; and if my Fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter, lost. [Exit. SCENE, the STREET. Enter Gratiano and Salanio in masquerade. Gra. This is the pent-house, under which Lorenzo desired 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 Gra. That ever holds. Who riseth from a feast, That |