my

Hof. I'M sorry, thou wilt leave my father fo;

Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness.
But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee;
And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest;
Give him this letter, do it secretly,
And so farewel: I would not have father
See me talk with thee.

Laun. Adieu!--Tears exhibit my tongue. (afide.] Most beautiful Pagan,ammost sweet Jew! if a cbriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv’d. But, adieu! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu ! (Exit.

Jes. Farewel, good Launcelot, Alack, what heinous lin is it in me, To be asham'd to be my father's child? But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo, If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife, Become a chrillian, and thy loving wife. [Exit,

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salania.

guise us at my lodging, and return all in

an hour.

Gra:

Gra. We have not made good preparation.
Sal. We have not spoke as yet of corch-bearers.

Sola. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered, And better in my mind not undertook.

Lor. 'Tis now but four a-clock, we have two hours To furnish us.

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Laun. An' it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem to signifie.

Lcr. I know the hand; in faith, 'cis a fair hand ; And whiter than the paper, it writ on, Is the fair hand that writ.

Gra. Love-news, in faith. Laun. By your leave, Sir. Lor. Whither goest thou ? · Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old master the Jero to sup to night with my new master the christian.

· Lor. Hold, here, take this.—Tell gentle Jessica, I will not fail her. Speak it privately. Go.--Gentlemen, will you prepare for this masque

to night? I am provided of a torch-bearer. [Exit Laun.

Sal. Ay marry, I'll be gone about it strait.
Sola. And so will I.

Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano,
At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence.
Sal. 'Tis good we do so.

[Exit. Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jesica?

Lor. I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed, How I shall take her from her father's house; What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with; What page's fuit the hath in readiness. If e'er the yew her father come to heav'n, It will be for his gentle Daughter's lake: And never dare misfortune cross her foot,

Un

Unlefs she doth it under this excuse,
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goest.
Fair Jelica shall be my torch-bearer. [Exeunt.

S CE N E VI.

Shylock's House.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

Shy. ELL, thou shalt see, thy eyes shalt be thy

judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Beffanio-
What, Jessica !--thou shalt not gormandize,
As thou hast done with me what, Fisica!--
And Neep and snore, and rend apparel out.
Why, Fisica! I say.

Laun. Why, Jessica !
Sby. Who bids thee call ? I did not bid thee call.

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

Enter Jessica,

Jef. Call you? what is your will ?

Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jefice;
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 upoa
The prodigal christian. Jell:a, my girl,
Look to my house, I am right loath to go;
There is some ill a brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to night.

Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach. Shy. So do I his.

Laun.

Laun. And they have confpired together. I will not say, you shall fee a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose felt a bleeding on black Monday lalt, at fix a clock i' th' morning, falling out that year on Afb-Wednesday was four year in the afternoon. Sby. What ; are there masques ? Hear you me,

Fisica,
Lock up my doors ; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking of the wry neck'd fife,
Clamber you not up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public street,
To gaze on christian fools with varnifh'd faces :
But stop my house's ears; I mean, my casements ;
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house. By Jacob's Ataff, 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, Sir.
Mistress, look out at window, for all this;
There will come a christian by,
Will be worth a Jeweefs' eye.

[Exit Laun: Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's off-spring, ha? Fef. His words were; Farewel, Mistress; nothing

else. Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder ; Snail-Now in profe: but he neeps by day More than the wild-cat ; drones hive not with me, Therefore I part with him; and pare with him To one, That I would have him help to waite His borrow'd purse. Well, Jejua, go in ; Perhaps, I will return immediately ; Do, as I bid

you. Shut che doors after you; faft bind, fast finds A proverb never ftale in thrifty mind. (Exit.

Jes. Farewels and if my fortune be noteroft, I have a fathes, you a daughter, loft.

SCENE

9

Gra. This is the pent-house, under which Lorenzo desired us to make a stand.

Sal. His hour is almost past.

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

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

Gra. That ever holds. Who riseth from a feasi,
With that keen appetite that he sits down?
Where is the horse, that doth untread again
His tedious measures with th' unbated fire,
That he did pace them first ? all things that are,
Are with more spirit chased than enjoy’d.

9 0, ten times faster Venus' the same joke in speaking of the

Pigeons fly. This is a very presbyterians. odd image, of Venus's Pigeons TH' apostles of this fierce reliAying to seal the bonds of Love. gion, The sense is obvious, and we Like Mahomet's, were ass and know the dignity due to Venus's Widgeon. Pigeons. There was certainly Mahomer', ass or rather mule was a joke intended here, which the famous: and the monks in their ignorance or boldness of the first fabulou accounts of himn said, he transcrivers has murder'd: I doubt taught a pigeon to pick peas out not, but Shakespeare wrote the of his ears to carry on the ends of line thus :

his impollure

WARBURTON. 0, ten times fasier, Venus' I believe the Poet wiate as the Widgeons fly

Editor: bave printed. How it is To feal, 8c.

so very high humour to call lovers For Widgeon signified metapho. H'idgeons rather than ,Pigeons I rically, a fily fellow, as Groji, or cannot fi d Lovershire i poeGudgeon, does now. Thecling trv been alıav easied Turtles, or love's votaries, Venus's Widgeons, Doves, which in dower language is in high humour. Burier uses may be Pigeon. Vol. I.

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