And there we will abide. I do defire you, Not to deny this impofition: The which my love and fome neceffity Now lays upon you. Lor. Madam, with all my heart; I shall obey you in all fair commands. Por. My people do already know my mind, In place of Lord Baffanio and myself. Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you! Jef. I wish your Ladyfhip all heart's content. Por. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jeffica. Now, Balthazar, [Exeunt Jeffica and Lorenzo. As I have ever found thee honest, true, So let me find thee ftill: take this fame letter, In fpeed to Padua; fee thou render this Into my coufin's hand, Doctor Bellario; And look what notes and garments he doth give thee, Which trades to Venice: wafte no time in words, Bal. Madam, I go with all convenient fpeed. [Exit. Ner. Shall they see us? Por. They fhall, Neriffa ; but in fuch a habit, Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lyes, • How honourable ladies fought my love, ⚫ Which I denying, they fell fick, and dy'd; I could not do withal: then I'll repent, And wish, for all that, that I had not kill'd them. • That men fhall fwear I've difcontinued school Ner. Shall we turn to men? Por. Fie, what a queftion's that, SCENE VI. [Exeunt. Enter Launcelot and Jeffica. Laun. Yes, truly for look you, the fins of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore I promife you, I fear you. I was always plain with you; and fo now I fpeak my agitation of the matter: therefore be of good cheer; for truly I think you are damn'd. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good, and that is but a kind of baftard hope neither. Jef. And what hope is that, I pray thee? Laun. Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew's daughter. Jef. That were a kind of baftard hope indeed; fo the fins of my mother fhould be vifited upon me. Laun. Truly, then, I fear you are damn'd both by father and mother. Thus, when you fhun Scylla your father, you fall into Charybdis your mother; well, you are gone both ways. Jef. I fhall be faved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian. Laun. Truly, the more to blame he. We were Chriftians enough before, e'en as many as could well live one by another. This making of Chriftians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we fhall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money. Enter Lorenzo: Jef. I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you fay: here he comes. Lor. I fhall grow jealous of you fhortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners. Jef. Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are out; he tells me flatly there is no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter: and he fays, you are no good member of the commonwealth; for, in converting Jews to Chriftians, you raise the price of pork. Lor. I fhall answer that better to the commonwealth, than you can the getting up of the negro's belly: the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot. Laun. It is much that the Moor fhould be more than reafon; but if she be less than an honest woman, fhe is indeed more than I took her for. Lor. How every fool can play upon the world! I think the best grace of wit will fhortly turn into filence, and difcourfe grow commendable in none but parrots. Go in, firrah, bid them prepare for dinner. Laun. That is done, Sir; they have all ftomachs. Lor. Good Lord, what a wit-fnapper are you! then bid them prepare dinner. Laun. That is done too, Sir; only cover is the word. Laun. Not fo, Sir, neither; I know my duty. Lor. Yet more quarrelling with occafion! wilt thou fhew the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray thee understand a plain man in his plain meaning. Go to thy fellows, bid them cover the table, ferve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. Laun. For the table, Sir, it shall be ferv'd in; for the meat, Sir, it fhall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, Sir, why, let it be as humours and conceits fhall govern. [Exit Laun. Lor. O dear difcretion, how his words are fuited! The fool hath planted in his memory An army of good words; and I do know A many fools that ftand in better place, • Garnish'd like him, that for a trickfy word Defy the matter.' How far'ft thou, Jeffica? How doft thou like the Lord Baffanio's wife? In reafon he should never come to heav'n. And Portia one, there must be something else Lor. Even fuch a husband Haft thou of me, as fhe is for a wife. Jef. Nay, but afk my opinion too of that. Lor. I will anon: first, let us go to dinner. Jef. Nay, let me praise you while I have a ftomach. Lor. No, pray thee, let it ferve for table-talk; Then, howfoe'er thou fpeak'ft, 'mong other things, I fhall digeft it. Jef. Well, I'll fet you forth. ACT IV. [Exeunt. SCENE I. The fenate-house in Venice. Enter the Duke, the Senators; Anthonio, Baffanio, and Gratiano, at the bar. Duke. WHat, is Anthonio here? Ant. Ready, fo please your Grace. Duke. I'm forry for thee; thou art come to anfwer A ftony adverfary, an inhumane wretch Uncapable of pity, void and empty From dram of mercy. any Ant. I have heard, Your Grace has ta'en great pains to qualify Out of his Envy's reach, I do oppofe My patience to his fury; and am arm'd To fuffer, with a quietnefs of fpirit, Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court. Duke. Make room, and let him ftand before our face. And, where thou now exact'ft the penalty, But, touch'd with human gentleness and love, We all expect a gentle anfwer, Jew. Shy. I have poffefs'd your Grace of what I purpose; that is, they are so affected with it. VOL. II. |