Sok Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.

Sal. And fo will I.

Lor. Meet me and Gratiano,

At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence.
Sal. 'Tis good we do fo. (Exeunt SAL. and SOL.
Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jeffica?

Lor. I must needs tell thee all: fhe hath
directed,

How I fhall take her from her father's houfe ;
What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with.-
If e'er the Jew her father come to good,
It will be for his gentle daughter's fake;
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless fhe do it under this excufe,

That she is iffue to a faithlefs Jew.

Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goest: Fair Jeffica fhall be my torch-bearer.

(Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Shylock's House.

Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT.

Shy. Well, thou fhalt fee, thy eyes shall be thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Baffanio.-
What, Jeffica!-thou shalt not gormandize,

As thou has done with me ;-What, Jeffica!-
And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.-
Why, Jeffica, I fay!

Laun. Why, Jeffica!

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

Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, that I could do nothing without bidding.

Enter JESSICA.

fes. Call you? What is your will?

Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, 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 Chriftian.-Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my house.-I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a brewing towards my reft,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun. I beseech you, fir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have confpired together;I will not fay, you fhall fee a mafque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nofe fell a bleeding on Black-monday last, at six o'clock i' the morning, falling out that year on Ash Wednesday was four year in the afternoon.

Shy.

Shy. What are there mafques? Hear you me,

Jeffica?

Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife,
Clamber not you up to the cafements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public street,
To gaze on Chriftian fools with varnish'd faces:
But stop my houfe's ears; I mean, my cafements.
Let not the found of fhallow 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, fir.

(Aside to JES.

Mistress, look out at window, for all this;

There will come a Christian by,

Will be worth a jewefs' eye. [Exit LAUN.

Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha?

Jes. His words were,-Farewell mistress nothing else.

Shy. The patch is kind enough; but a huge feeder,

Snail flow in profit, and 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 wafte

His

1

His borrow'd purfe.-Well, Jeffica, go
Perhaps, I will return immediately.
Do, as I bid you; fhut doors after you.
Fast bind, fast find;

in ;

A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. (Exit SHY,

Jes. Farewell; and if my fortune be not croft, I have a father, you a daughter, loft.

[Exit JESS.

SCENE V.

A Street in Venice-Before Shylock's House. Enter GRATIANO, SALARINO, and SOLANIO, masqued.

Gra. This is the pent-house, under which

Lorenzo

Defir'd us to make stand.

Sol. His hour is almost past.

Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour, For lovers ever run before the clock.

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

Gra. That ever holds. Who rifeth from a feaft,

With that keen appetite that he fits down?

Where is the horse, that doth untread again

His

His tedious measures with th' unbated fire

That he did pace them firft? all things that are, Are with more spirit chased than enjoy'd.

Enter LORENZO, masqued.

Sala. Here comes Lorenzo ;----more of this hereafter.

Lor. Sweet friends, your patience for my long

abode;

Not I, but my affairs, have made you wait..
When you shall please to play the thieves for wives,
I'll watch as long for you then.-.--

Here dwells my father Jew.

JESSICA at the window.

fes. Who are you? tell me, for more certainty, Albeit I'll fwear that I do know your tongue.

Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love.

Jes. Lorenzo, certain; and my love, indeed; For whom love I so much? and now who knows, But you, Lorenzo, whether I am your's?

Lor. Heaven, and thy thoughts, are witness that thou art.

Jes. Here catch this cafket; it is worth the

pains.

Lor. But come at once;

For