he hath a horfe better than the Neopolitan's; a better bad habit of frowning than the count Palatine; he is every man in no man; if a throstle fing, he falls strait a capering; he will fence with his own fhadow; if I fhould marry him, I should marry twenty husbands. If he would despise me, I would forgive him: for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite him.

NER. What fay you then to Faulconbridge, the young baron of England ?

POR. You know, I fay nothing to him, for he understands not me, nor I him; he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian; and you may come into the court and fwear, that I have a poor pennyworth in the English. He is a proper man's picture, but, alas! who can converse with a dumb fhow? how oddly he is fuited! I think, he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hofe in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour every where.

NER. What think you of the Scottish lord, his neighbour? POR. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him; for he borrow'd a box of the ear of the Englishman, and swore he would pay him again, when he was able. I think, the Frenchman became his furety, and fealed under for another.

NER. 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 afternoon when he is drunk; when he is beft, he is a little worfe than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast. And the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I fhall make fhift to go without him.

NER. If he fhould offer to chufe, and chuse the right casket,

you should refuse to perform your fathers will, if you should refuse to accept him.

POR. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary cafket; for if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I know, he will chufe it. I will do any thing, Neriffa, ere I will be marry'd to a spunge.

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

POR. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chafte as Diana, unless I be obtain'd by the manner of my father's will. I am glad this parcel of wooers are so reasonable; for there is not one among them but I doat on his very abfence, and with them a fair departure.

NER. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a scholar and a foldier, that came hither in com→ pany of the marquis of Montferrat ?

POR. Yes, yes, it was Baffanio; as I think, he was fo call'd.

NER. True, madam. He, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the best deferving a fair lady. POR. I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise. How now? what news?

Enter a Servant.

SERV. The four ftrangers feek for you, madam, to take their leave; and there is a fore-runner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word, the prince, his master, will be here to-night.

POR. If I could bid the filth welcome with fo good heart as I can bid the other four farewel, I fhould be glad of his approach; if he have the condition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he fhoutd fhrive me, than wive me. Come, Neriffa. Sirrah, go before.While we shut the gate upon one one woer, another knocks at the door.

A publick place in Venice.
Enter Baffanio and Shylock.

SHY. Three thoufand ducats ?-well.

BASS. Ay, Sir, for three months.

SHY. For three months?-well.

[Exeunt.

BASS. For they which, as I told you, Anthonio fhall be bound.

SHY. Anthonio fhall become bound?-well.

BASS. May you ftead me? will you pleasure me? shall I know your answer ?

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

BASS. Your answer to that.

SHY. Anthonio is a good man.

BASS. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? SHY. No, no, no, no ;-my meaning in saying he is a good man, is, to have you understand me, that he is fufficient. Yet his means are in fuppofition: he hath an Argofie bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies;. I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England; and other ventures he hath, fquander'd abroad. But ships are but boards, failors but men; there be landrats, and water-rats, land thieves, and water-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then there is the peril of waters, winds

and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, fufficient. Three thousand ducats? may take his bond.

BASS. Be affur'd, you may.

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

BASS. If it please you to dine with us.

SHY. Yes, to smell pork. Te eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite, conjur'd the Devil into. I will buy with you, fell 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 Rialto ?-who is he, comes here ?

Enter Anthonio.

BASS. This is Signior Anthonio.

SHY. How like a fawning Publican he looks!
I hate him, for he is a christian :
But more, for in that low fimplicity

He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of ufance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the antient grudge I bear him.
He hates our facred nation; and he rails,
Ev'n there where merchants moft do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls intereft. Curfed be my tribe
If I forgive him!

BASS. Shylock, do you hear?

SHY. I am debating of my present store, And by the near guess of my memory,

I cannot inftantly raise up the grofs

Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,

Will furnish me; but foft, how many months

[Afide.

Do

you defire? Reft you fair, good Signior;

Your worship was the last man in our mouths.

[To Anth.

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 cuftom-Is he yet poffeft,

How much you would?

SHY. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

ANTH. And for three months.

SHY. I had forgot, three months, you told me fo. Well then, your bond; and let me fee,—but hear you, Methought, you faid, you neither lend nor borrow

Upon advantage.

ANTH. I do never ufe it.

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

ANTH. And what of him? did he take intereft ?
SHY. No, not take int'reft; not, as you would fay,
Directly, int'rest; mark what Jacob did.
When Laban and himself were compromis'd,
That all the yeanlings, which were streak'd and pied,
Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes, being rank,
In th' end of autumn, turned to the rams;
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The skilful fhepherd peel'd me certain wands;
And in the doing of the deed of kind,
He ftruck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in yeaning time
Fall party-colour'd lambs, and thofe were Jacob's.