mouth, 'than to either of there. Heav'n defend me from these two.

Ner. How say you by the French lord, Monfieur Le Boun?

[for a m.in. Por. Heaven made hiin, and therefore let him pass N'er. How like you the young German; the Duke" of Saxony's nephew ?

Por: Very vilely in the morning, when he is fober, and most vilely in the atternoon, when he is drunk ;when he is beit, he is a little worse than a man';' and when he is worst, he is little better than a beaft; and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I shall make life to go without him.

Ner. If he should offer to chuse, and chase the right caket, you should refuse to perforin your father's will, if you would refuse to accept him.

Tor. Tłerefore, for fear of the worst, I pray three set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary

* In this review of her suitors, Portia sensibly and agreeably fatirizes the glaring foibles of different nations. This whole scene is pleasing, both in a&tion and perusal, therefore should not. be curcailed”; though the theatres judge otherwise, by leaving out the Neapolitan, the English baron, and the Scottifh lord.. We however, subjoin what is omicred on the stage, here.

Pok. In truih, I know it is a fin co be a mocker ; but, he ! why, he hath a horfe better than the Neapolitan's: a better bad habit of frowning than the count Palatine; he is every man in no man; if a throttle fing, he falls straight a capering; he will fence with his own thadow: if I thould marry him, I thould marry twenty husbands. If he would despise me, I would forgive him ; for if he loves me to madness, I fall never require him.

Ner. What say you to Faulconbridge, the young baron of England?

Por. You kn-w, I say nothing to him, for he understands not me, nor 1 him ; he hath:neither Latin, French, nor lialian ; and you may come into the court and swear, that I have a poor rennyworth in the English. He is a proper man's picture, but, alas! who can converse with a dumb now? How oddly he is suited! I think he bought his doubler in Italy, his round hore in France, his bonnec in Geimany, and his behaviour every where,

NER. What think you of the Scottish lord, his neighbour ?

casket; for if the devil be within, and that temptation with out, I koow he will chuse it. I will do any thing Neriffa, ere I will be married to a sponge.

Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of these lords; they have a quainted me with their determinations, which is, indeed, to return to their home, and to trouble yoú with no more fuit'; 'unless you may be won by fome other fort than your father's impofition, depending on the caskots.

Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste as Diana, unless I be obtain'd by the manner of my

father's will.: I am glad this parcel of vooers are so reasonable; for there is not one among them but I doat on his very absence, and with them a fait departure.

Ner. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a scholar and a soldier, that came hither in company of the Marquis of Mountferrat?

Por. Yes, yes, it was Bafania, as I think, he was so call'd,

Ner. True, madam; he, of all the men' that ever .my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the best deserving a fair lady.

Por..I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise. How now! what news?

Enter Balthazar. Bal. The four strangers seek fur you, madam, to take their leave; and there is a forerunner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word, the prince, his master, will be here, to-night.

Por. Jf I could bid the fifth welcome, with fo good a, heart as I can bid 'the other sour' farewel, I Thould be glad of his approach: if he have the .condition of a lains, and the complexion of a devil, I had racher he nould thrive me, than wive me. Come, Nerifa. Şirrah, go before ; while we mut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door.

(Exeun, SCENE; a public place in Venice.

Enter BASSANIÓ and SHYLOCK, Shy. Three thousand ducats? Well.

Bay.

Bal. Ay, fir, for three months,
Sby. For three months. Well.

Baf. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio shall be bound.

Shy. Anihonio Mall become bound? Well.

Baf. May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your

answer? Shy. Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Anthonio bound ?

Bal. Your answer to that.
Shy. Anibonia is a good man. [contrary?
Bal. Have you heard any imputation to the

Shy. No, no, no, no; my meaning, in saying he is a good man, is to have you understand me, that he is sufficient: yet his means are in, supposition; he hath an argosie bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies ; I understand moreover, upon the Ryalto, he haih a third at Mexico, a fourth for England; and other ventures he hath, squander'd abroad. But thips are but boards, failors but men; there be land. rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves ; I mean, pirates; and then there is the peril of the waters, winds and rocks. The man is, notwith. Itanding, fufficient; three thousand ducats ? I think, I may take this bond.

Bol: Be affur'd you may.

Shy. I will be assur'd I may; and that I may be assur'd, I will bethink me. May I speak with Anthonio?

Boll. If it pleafes you to dine with us.

Shy. Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation, which your prophet, the Nazarite, conjur'd the devil into! I will buy with you, sell with you,

talk with you, '

walk with you, and fo following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Ryalto ? --who is he comes here?

Enter ANTHONIO, Bal. This is Signior Anthonio.

[looks ! Shy. (Afide.] How like a fawning Publican he I hate him, for he is a chrisian ;

But

But more, for that in low fimplicity
He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance here, with us, in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
Ev’n there where merchants most do congregate;
On me my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls intereft. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

Bal Shylock, do you hear!
Shy. I am debating of my present store,
And by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot instantly raise up the grofs
Of full three thousand ducats. What of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
Will furnish me: but soft, how many months
Do you desire? Reft you fair, good fignior; [To Anth,
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.

Anth, Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow,
By taking, nor by giving of excess,
Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a custom-Is he yet poffeít,
How much you would ?

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
Anih. And for three months.

Shy. I had forgot, three months, you told me fo; Well then, your bond ; and let me see but hear you, Methought, you said, you neither lend nor borrow, Upon advantage.

Anth. I do never use it.

Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep, This Jacob from our holy Abraham was (As his wise mother wrought in his behalf) The third poffeffor ; ay, he was the third.

Anth. And what of him, did he take interest ?

Shy. No, not take int'reft ; not, as you would say, Directly, intereft; mark, what Jacob did. When Laban and himself were compromis'd,

The grand motive of Shylock's resentment againt Anthonio, lets us into the remoteft cell of his sordid heart, which, like all of its kind, cannot bear the idea of a good-natur'd geDerous action,

B

That

That all the yeanlings, which were treak'd and pied,
Should fall as Jacob's hire ; the ewes, being rank,
In the end of autumn turned to the rams;
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders, in the act,
The skilful shepherd peeld me certain wands;
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes :
Who, then conceiving, did in yeaning time,
Fall party colour’d lambs, and those were Jacob's.

This was the way to thrive ; and he was bleft;
And thrift is blessing if men steal it not.

Anth. This was a venture, fir, that Jacob serv?d for;
A thing not in his power to bring to pass,
But fway'd and fashion’d by the

hand of heav'n. · Was this inserted to make int'rest good ? Or is your gold and silver, ewes and rams? Shy. I cannot tell ; I make ic breed as fast.

Anth. Mark you this, Basanio? The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.* An evil soul, producing holy witness, Is like a villain with a smiling cheek.; A goodly apple rotten at the heart. O, what a goodly outside fallhood hath ! [sum.

Sby. Three thousand ducats ! 'tis a good round Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. Antb. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholden to you?

Shy. Signior Antbonio, many a time and oft,
On the Ryalto you have rated. me,
About my monies and my usances.
Still have I borne it with a patient-Thrug;
(For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe)
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine:

is .
Well then, it now appears you need my help:
Go to then ; you come to me, and you say,
Shylock, we would have monies ; you say so;

* Daily experience proves that some of the worft characters ibreaching seek Melter under scriptural texts, by the misapplicasjon or misconftru&ion of which, also, opposite sects uncharia Jably consign each other to eternal punihiment.

You,