Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn; Jef. I'm never merry when I hear fweet mufic. [Mufic. 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), ‹ Ìf they perchance but hear a trumpet found, 'Or any air of mufic touch their ears, You fhall perceive them make a mutual ftand; • Their favage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze, By the fweet power of mufic. Therefore the poet Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, ftones, and foods; Since nought fo ftockifh, hard, and full of rage, But mufic for the time doth change his nature. • The man that hath no mufic in himself, • Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet founds, Is fit for treafons, fratageins, and spoils; The motions of his fpirit are dull as night, · And his affections dark as Erebus : Let no fuch man be trufted--Mark the mufic.' Por. That light we fee, is burning in my hall: So fhines a good deed in a naughty world. Ner. When the moon fhone, we did not fee the candle. Por. So doth the greater glory dim the lefs; A substitute shines brightly as a King, Until a King be by; and then his state Empties itself, as doth an inland brook Into the main of waters. Mufic, hark! [Mufic. Ner. It is the mufic, Madam, of your house. M 2 When When every goofe is cackling, would be thought How many things by feafon feafon'd are Lor. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. [Mufic ceafes. Por. He knows me as the blind man knows the cucBy the bad voice. Lor. Dear Lady, welcome home. [kow, 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 there is come a meffenger before, Por. Go, Neriffa, 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 Ballanio, Anthonio, Gratiano, and their followers. Baf. We fhould hold day with the Antipodes, If you would walk in abfence of the fun. 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 fhould in all fenfe be much bound to him; For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. Por. Sir, you are very welcome to our house; It It must appear in other ways than words; Ner. What, talk you of the poesy, or the value? The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face that had it. A kind of boy, a little fcrubbed boy, No higher than thyfelf, the judge's clerk; A pratting boy, that begg'd it as a fee: I could not for my heart deny it him. For. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, I gave my love a ring, and made him swear Baff. Why, I were beft to cut my left hand off, Gra. My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it, and indeed Deferv'd it too; and then the boy his clerk, M 3 [Afide. That That took fome pains in writing, he begg'd mine; Por. What ring gave you, my Lord? Por. Even fo void is your falfe heart of truth. Until I fee the ring. Ner. Nor I in your's, Till I again fee mine. If your bed you did know to whom I gave the ring, You would not then have parted with the ring. If you had pleas'd to have defended it With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty Neriffa teaches me what to believe; I'll die for't, but fome woman had the ring. Bal. No, by mine honour, Madam, by my foul, No woman had it, but a civil doctor, Who did refufe three thousand ducats of me, And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him, Ev'n he that did uphold the very life Of my dear friend. What fhould I fay, fweet Lady? I was befet with flame and courtefy; So much befmcar it. Pardon me, good lady; Had Had you been there, I think you would have begg'd The ring of me to give the worthy Doctor. 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; Lie not a night from home; watch me, like Argus: Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own, Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd, Gra. Well, do you fo; let me not take him then : For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Ant. I am th' unhappy fubject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome, not withstanding. Baf. Portia, forgive me this inforced wrong. Por. Mark you but that! In both mine eyes he doubly fees himself; Baff. Nay, but hear me : Pardon this fault, and by my foul I swear Por. Then you fhall be his furety; give him this, And bid him keep it better than the other. Ant. Here, Lord Baffanio, fwear to keep this ring. Baff. By heav'n, it is the fame I gave the Doctor. Por. I had it of him: pardon me, Baffanio; For |