have (6) a fairer table, which doth offer to fwear upon
a book, I fhall have good fortune; go to, here's a fim-
ple line of life; here's a fmall trifle of wives; alas, fif-
teen wives is nothing, eleven widows and nine maids is
a fimple coming-in for one man! and then to 'fcape drown-
ing thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of
a feather-bed, here are fimple 'fcapes! well, if fortune
be a woman, she's a good wench for this geer. Father,
come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling
of an eye.
[Ex. Laun. and Gob
Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this.
Thefe things being bought and orderly bestowed,
Return in hafte, for I do feaft to night

My best-esteem'd acquaintance; hie thee, go.
Lean. My best endeavours fhall be done herein.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Where is your master?

Leon. Yonder, Sir, he walks ;

Gra. Signior Baffanio,

Baff. Gratiano!

Gra. I have a fuit to you.

Baff. You have obtain❜d it.

[Ex. Leonardo,

Gra. You must not deny me, I must go with you to Belmont.

Baff. Why, then you muft: but hear thee, Gratiano, Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice;

(6) Well, if any Man in Italy have &c.] The Pofition of the Words makes the Sentence fomewhat obfcure: Their natural Order should be This. Well, if any Man in Italy, which doth offer to fwear upon a Book, have a fairer Table, I shall have good Luck. And the Humour of the Paffage feems This. Launcelot, a Joaker, and defignedly a Blunderer, fays the very Reveife of what he should do: which is, That if no Man in Italy, who would offer to take his Oath upon it, bath a fairer Table than He, he all have good Fortune. The Banter may, partly, be on Chiromancy in general: but it is very much in Characer for Launcelot, who is a hungry Serving-man, to confider his Table before his Line of Life, or any other Points of For

tune,

Parts,

Parts, that become thee happily enough,
And in fuch eyes as ours appear not faults;

But where thou art not known, why, there they fhew
Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain
T'allay with fome cold drops of modesty

Thy skipping fpirit; left, through thy wild behaviour,
I be mifconftru'd in the place I go to,

And lofe my hopes.

Gra. Signior Baffanio, hear me.
If I do not put on a fober habit,

Talk with respect, and fwear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pockets, look demurely;
Nay more, while grace is faying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh, and fay, Amen;
Ufe all th' obfervance of eivility,

Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent

To please his grandam; never trust me more.
Baff. Well, we shall fee your bearing.

Gra. Nay, but I bar to night, you fhall not gage me By what we do to night.

Baff. No, that were pity.

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldeft fuit of mirth, for we have friends
That purpose merriment: but fare you well,

I have fome business.

Gra. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest: But we will vifit you at fupper-time.

[Exeunts

SCENE changes to Shylock's House.

Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.

Jef TM forry, thou wilt leave my father fo;

I'

Our houfe is hell, and thou, a merry devil,,

Didft rob it of fome tafte of tediousness;

But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, foon at fupper flialt thou fee
Lorenzo, who is thy new mafter's gueft;
Give him this letter, do it fecretly,
And fo farewel: I would not have my father

See

See me talk with thee.

Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue; most beautiful Pagan, moft fweet Jew! if a chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd ; but, adieu these foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly fpirit: adieu !

Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot.
Alack, what heinous fin is it in me,
To be afham'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 promife, I fhall end this ftrife,
Become a chriftian, and thy loving wife.

SCENE, the STREET.

[Exit.

[Exit.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio.

Lor. N guife us at my lodging, and return all in an

AY, we will flink away in fupper-time, dif

hour.

Gra. We have not made good preparation.

Sal. We have not spoke us yet of torch-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. Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Laun. An' it fhall please you to break up this, it shall feem to fignifie.

Lor. I know the hand; in faith, 'tis 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 mafter the Jew to fup to night with my new mafter the chriftian. Lar. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle Feica,

I will not fail her; fpeak it privately.

Go. Gentlemen, will you prepare for this mafque to

night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

[Exit Laun.'

Sal. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it strait.

Sola. And fo will I.

Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano,

At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence.
Sal. 'Tis good, we do fo.

[Exit.

Gra. Was not that letter from fair Feffica?
Lor. I muft needs tell thee all; fhe hath directed,
How I fhall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels fhe is furnish'd with ;
What page's fuit fhe hath in readiness.
If e'er the few her father come to heav'n,
It will be for his gentle daughter's fake:
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless the do it under this excufe,
That the is iffue to a faithlefs Jew.

Come, go with me; perufe this, as thou goeft;

Fair Feffica fhall be

my torch-bearer.

SCENE, Shylock's House.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt.

Shy.XELL, thou shalt fee, thy eyes fhall be thy

Sby. W

judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio.

What, effica! thou shalt not gormandize,

As thou haft done with me

what, Feffica!

And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.

Why, effica! I fay.

Laun. Why, Jeffica!

Shy. 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 Jeffica.

Jef. Call you? what is your will?

Shy

Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, Jeffica;
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 upon
The prodigal chriftian. Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my houfe; I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a brewing towards my reft,
For I did dream of mony-bags to night.

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

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have confpired together, I will not fay, you fhall fee a mafque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nofe fell a bleeding on black monday laft, at fix a-clock i'th' morning, falling out that year on Afh-Wednesday was four year in the af

Shy. What! are there mafques? hear you me, Jessica. Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, And the vile fqueaking of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber not you up to the cafements then, Nor thruft your head into the publick street, To gaze on chriftian fools with varnish'd faces: But top my houfe's ears; I mean, my casements; Let not the found of fhallow foppery enter My fober house. By Jacob's staff, 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 Jewess' eye.

[Exit Laun. Shy. What fays that fool of Hagar's off-fpring, ha? Jef. His words were, farewel, miftrefs; nothing else. Shy. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder: Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day

More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me,
Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To one, that I would have him help to wafte