To signify th' approaching of his lord;
From whom he bringeth sensible regreets :
To wit, besides commends, and courteous breath,
Gifts of rich value; yet I have not seen
So likely an ambassador of love.
A day in april never came so sweet,
To show how costly summer was at hand,
As this forespurrer comes before his lord.
Por. No more, I pray

thee; I am half afraid,
Thou'lt say anon, he is some kin to thee,
Thou spend’ft such high-day wit in praising him.
Come, come, Nerisa, for I long to see
Quick Cupid's post, that comes so mannerly.

Ner. Basanio, lord love! if thy will it be! [Exeunt.

*

ACT III.

.

SCENE I.

Venice.

Enter Salanio, and Solarino.

NO

SOLAR INO. ow, what news on the Ryalto?

Sal. Why, yet it lives there uncheck’d, that Anthonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas ; the Goodwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall fhip lie bury’d, as they say, if my gossip report be an honeft woman of her word.

Sola. I would, she were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knap'd ginger, or made her neighbours believe The wept for the death of à third husband. But it is true, without any Nips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honest Anthonio o that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!

Sal.

a

Sal. Come, the full stop.
Sola. Ha, what say'st thou? why, the end is, he hath lost a ship.
Sal. I would it might prove the end of his losses !

Sola. Let me say, amen, betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants ?

Enter Shylock. Sby. You knew (none so well, none so well as you) of my daughter's Aight.

Sal. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she few withal.

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

Shy. She is damn’d for it.
Sál. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.
Shy. My own Alesh and blood to rebel!
Sola. Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years ?
Shy. I say, my daughter is my flesh and bloo

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 loss at sea or no?

· Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares scarce show his head on the Ryalto; a beggar that us’d to come so smug upon the mart ! let him look to his bond; he was wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond; he was wont to lend money for a christian courtesy; let him look to his bond.

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

Shy. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge: he hath disgrac'd me, and hinder'd me half a million, laugh’d at my losses, mock'd at my gains, scorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, coold my friends, heated mine enemies ; and what's his reason? I am a few. Hath not a Jew eyes ? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions ?

fed

.

Vol. II.

F

a

fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm’d and cool'd by the fame summer and winter as a christian is? if you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do

,
we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? if we
are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a few
wrong a christian, what is his humility ? revenge. If a christian
wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by christian example?
why, revenge. The villany you teach me I will execute, and it
shall

go
hard but I will better the instruction.

Enter a Servant frorii Anthonio.
Ser, Gentlemen, my master Anthonio is at his house, and defires
to speak with you both.
Sal. We have been up and down to seek him.

Enter Tubal.
Sola. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be match’d,
unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt Sala. and Sola

Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoua? hast 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 cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! the curse never fell upon our nation till now, I never felt it till now; two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels ! I would, my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! o, would she were hers’d at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them ? why, fo! and I know not what spent in the search! why then lofs upon loss; the thief gone with so much; and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge, nor no ill luck stirring, but what lights o’my shoulders, no sighs but o’my breathing, no tears but o’my shedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Anthonio, as I heard in Genoua Shy. What, what? ill luck, ill luck?

Tub.

a

Tub. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.
Shy. I thank god, thank god : is it true? is it true?
Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escap'd the wreck.

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

Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoua, as I heard, one night fourscore ducats.

Sby. Thou stick'st a dagger in me; I shall never see my gold again ; fourscore ducats at a fitting ! fourscore ducats !

Tub. There came divers of Anthonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose 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 show'd me a ring that he had of your daughter for a monkey.

Shy. Out upon her! thou torturest me, Tubal; it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor; 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, fee 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.

ز

SCENE II.

Belinont.

Enter Baslanio, Portia, Gratiano, and attendants. The

caskets are set out.
Por. T Pray you, tarry, pause a day or two

Before you hazard; for in choosing wrong
I lose your company; forbear a while.
There's something tells me, but it is not love,

F 2

I would

+

I would not lose you; and, you know yourself,
Hate counsels not in such a quality.
But left

you

should not understand me well,
And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,
I would detain you here some month or two,
Before you venture for me. I could teach you
How to choose right, but I am then forsworn;
So will I never be; so may you inifs me;

fo
But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin,
That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes,
They have o'erlook'd me, and divided me;
One half of me is yours, the other half
Mine own, I would say: but if mine, then yours ;
And so all yours. Alas! these naughty times
Put bars between the owners and their rights :
And so though yours, not yours; but prove it so,
Let fortune go to hell for it, not me.
I speak too long, but 'tis to piece the time,
To eke it, and to draw it out in length,
To stay you from election.

Bal. Let me choose:
For, as I am, I live upon the rack.

,
Por. Upon the rack, Basanio ? then confess
What treason there is mingled with your love.

Bas. None, but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear th' enjoying of my

love : There may as well be amity and life 'Tween snow and fire, as treason and

my

love. Por. Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack, Where men enforced do speak any thing.

Bas. Promise me life, and I'll confess the truth.
Por. Well then, confess, and live.

Bas. Confess and love
Had been the

very

sum of confession. O happy torment, when my torturer Doth teach me answers for deliverance !

my

But