Of double ducats, ftol'n from me by my daughter!
And jewels! Juftice! find the girl;

She hath the jewels upon her, and the ducats.
Sola. Let good Anthonio look he keep his day;
Or he fhall pay for this.

Sal. Marry, well remember'd.

I reafon'd with a Frenchman, yesterday,
Who told me, in the narrow feas, that part
The French and English, there mifcarried
A veffel of our country, richly fraught:
I thought upon Anthonio, when he told me,
And wifh'd in filence, that it were not his.
Sola. You were beft tell Anthonio, what you hear,
Yet do not fuddenly, for it may grieve him.

Sal. A kinder gentleman treads not the earth.
I faw Baffanio and Anthonio part.

Baffanio told him he would make fome speed
Of his return: he answer'd, do not fo,
Slubber not business for my fake, Bassanio.
But ftay the very riping of the time;

And for the Jew's bond, which he hath of me,
Let it not enter in your mind of love;
Be merry, and employ your chiefeft thoughts
To courtship, and fuch fair oftents of love;
As fhall conveniently become you there.
And even there, his eye being big with tears,
Turning his face, he put his hand behind him.
And, with affection wond'rous fenfible,
He wrung Boffanio's hand, and fo they parted.
Sola. I think he only loves the world for him.
I pray thee, let us go and find him out,

And quicken his embraced heavinefs,
With fome delight or other.

Sal. Do we fo..

ACT III.

SCENE, a Street in Venice.

Enter SALANIO and SOLARINO.

Sela. NOW, what news on the Ryalto?

[Exeunt.

Sal. Why yet it lives there uncheck'd, that Anthonio hath a ship of rich lading wreckt on the narrow feas;

the

the Goodwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcaffes of many a tail fhip lie bury'd, as they fay, if my goffip, Report, be an honest woman of her word.

Sola. I would he were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knapt ginger: or made her neighbours believe fhe wept for the death of a third husband.

But it is

true, without any flips of prolixity, or croffing the plain highway of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honeft Anthonio-O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!

Sal. Come, the full ftop.

Sola. Why, the end is, he hath loft a ship.

Sal. I would it might prove the end of his loffes. Sola. Let me fay Amen, betimes, left the devil cross thy prayer; for here he comes, in the likeness of a Jew. How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants? Enter SHYLOCK.

Shy. You knew (none fo well, none fo well as you of my daughter's flight.

Sal. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the taylor that made the wings fhe flew withal.

Sola. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.

Shy. She is damn'd for it.

Sal. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge. Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel! [years! Sola. Out upon it, old carrion, rebels it, at these Shy. I fay, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

Sal. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers, than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods, than there is between red wine and rhenish; but tell us, do you hear whether Anthonio have had any lofs at fea, or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares fcarce fhew his head on the Ryalto; a beggar, that us'd to come fo fmugg upon the mart! let him look to his bond; he was wont to call me ufurer; let him look to his bond; he was wont to lend money for a chriftian courtesy; let him look to his bond.

Sal.

Sal. Why, I am fure if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh what's that good for?

:

Shy. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing elfe, it will feed my revenge; he has difgrac'd me, and hinder'd me of half a million, laught at my loffes, mockt at my gains, fcorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reafon? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, fenfes, affections, paffions? fed with the fame food, hurt with the fame weapons, fubject to the same difeafes, heal'd by the fame means, warm'd and cool'd by the fame winter and fummer, as a christian is ? If you prick us do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh if you poifon us, do we not die? if you wrong us, fhall we not revenge? if we are like you in the rest, we will refemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a chriftian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a chriftian wrong a Jew, what fhould his fufferance be, by chriftian example? why Revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute; and it fhall go hard, but I will better the inftruction.*

Enter TUBAL.

Sola. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be match'd, unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt Sal. and Solar. Shy. How, now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? haft thou found my daughter?

Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her. +

Shy. Why there, there, there, there! a diamond gone coft me two thoufand ducats in Frankført! the curfe never fell upon our nation, 'till now; I never felt it, till now; two thoufand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter

* The reasoning in this fpeech is admirable, and the acting merit incomparable; it is clearly conclufive, and uncommonly rapid.

This converfation, or rather rhapfody, with Tubal, contains fome of the finest tranfitions for an actor, that ever were penned; which, as we may fay, harrow up attention, when properly expreffed.

were

were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! O, would fhe were hears'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them; why fo? And I know not what's spent in the fearch: why, thou lofs upon lofs! the thief gone with so much, and fo much to find the thief; and no fatisfaction, no revenge, nor no ill-luck ftirring, but what lights o' my fhoulders: no fighs but o' my breathing, no tears but o' my fhedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill-luck, as I heard in Genoa

too; Anthonio,

Shy. What, what, what? il-luck? ill-luck? Tub. Hath an argofie caft away, coming from. Tripolis.

Shy. I thank God, I thank God; is it true? is it

true?

Tub. I fpoke with fome of the failors that efcaped the wreck.

Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal; good news, good news; ha, ha, where in Genoa ?

Tub. Your daughter fpent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourfcore ducats.

Shy. Thou ftick'ft a dagger in me: I fhall never fee my gold again; fourfcore ducats at a fitting! fourfcore ducats!

Tub. There came divers of Anthonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that fwear he cannot chuse but break.

Shy. I am glad of it, I'll plague him, I'll torture him; I am glad of it.

Tub. One of them fhewed me a ring that he had of your daughter, for a monkey.

Shy. Out upon her! thou tortureft me, Tubal; it was my Turquoife, I had it of Leah when I was a batchelor; I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkies.

Tub. But Anthonio is certainly undone.

Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true; go feek me an officer, bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandize I will. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our fynagogue; go, good Tubal; at our fynagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt.

SCENE, a grand Saloon in PORTIA's House.. Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, and Attendants.

The Cafkets are fet out.

Por. I pray you, tarry; pause, a day or two,
Before you hazard; for in chufing wrong

I lofe your company; therefore, forbear, a while,
There's fomething tells me (but it is not love)·
I would not lofe you; and, you know, yourself,
Hate counfels not in fuch a quality.

I could teach you

How to chufe right, but I am then forfworn:
So will I never be; fo you may miss me;

But if you do, you'll make me wish a fin,
That I had been forfworn.

Baff. Let me chufe:

For as I am, I live upon the rack.

So let me to my fortune and the caskets.

Por. Away, then! I am lockt in one of them :

If you do love me, you will find me out.

Neriffa, and the reft, ftand all aloof.

Let mufick found while he doth make his choice:
Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,
Fading in mufick.

4

[Mufick plays, and Baffanio goes to the cafkets. Ba. So may the outward fhews be leaft themselves:* The world is ftill deceiv'd with ornament. In law, what plea fo tainted and corrupt, But being feafon'd with a gracious voice, Obfcures the fhew of evil? in religion, What damned error, but fome fober brow Will blefs it, and approve it with a text; Hiding the groffness with fair ornament ? There is no vice fo fimple, but affumes Some mark of virtue on its outward parts. How many cowards, whofe hearts are all as falfe

*The reasoning in this fpeech of Baffanio's, not only manifefts brilliant fancy, but found judgment, and should be delivered with delicate energy; we are prettily prepared for his fuccefs, and highly interested in it, when confirmed.

As