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cafes of many a tall fhip lye bury'd, as they fay, if my goffip Report be an honest woman of her word.

Sola. I would fhe were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knapt ginger; or made her neighbours believe, the wept for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any flips of prolixity, or croffing the plain high-way of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honeft Anthonio O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!

Sal. Come, the full ftop.

Sola. Ha, what fay'ft thou? why, the end is, he hath loft a fhip.

Sal. I would it might prove the end of his loffes.

Sola. Let me fay Amen betimes, left the devil crof thy prayer, (10) for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants ?

Enter Shylock.

Shy. You knew (none fo well, none fo well as you} of my daughter's flight.

Sal. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the taylor that made the wings fhe flew 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.

Sal. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.
Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel!

Sola. Out upon it, old carrion, rebels it at thefe: years ?

Shy. I fay, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

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 :

(10)

left the Devil cross my Prayer.] Salanio's. The other only, as Clerk, fays muft therefore read

-thy Prayer.

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but tell us, do you hear, whether Anthonio have had any lofs at fea or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares fcarce fhew his head on the Ryalto; a beggar, that us'd to come fo fmug upon the mart! let him look to his bond; he was wont to call me ufurer; let him look to his bond; he was wont to lend mony for a chriftian courtefie; let him look to his bond.

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

Shy. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing elfe, it will feed my revenge; he hath difgrac'd me, and hinder'd me of half a million, laught at my loffes, mockt at my gains, fcorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reafon? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a few hands, organs, dimenfions, fenfes, affections, paffions? fed with the fame food, hurt with the fame weapons, fubject to the fame difeafes, heal'd by the fame means, warm'd and cool'd by the fame winter and fummer, as a chriftian is? if you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if y you poifon us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, fhall 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 chriftian wrong a Jew, what fhould his fufferance be by christian example? why, Revenge. The Villany, you teach me, I will execute; and it fhall go hard, but I will better the inftruction.

Enter a Servant from Anthonio.

Ser. Gentlemen, my mafter Anthonio is at his house, and defires to fpeak with you both.

Sal. We have been up and down to feek him.

Enter Tubal.

Sola. Here comes another of the tribe; a third can

not be match'd, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

[Exeunt Sala. and Solar.

Shy.

Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoua ?· haft 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, coft me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! the curfe 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 fhe were hers'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin. No news of them; why, fo! and I know not what's fpent in the fearch: why, thou lofs upon lofs! the thief gone with fo much, and fo much to find the thief; and, no fatisfaction, no revenge, nor no ill luck ftirring, but what lights o' my fhoulders; no fighs but o' my breathing, no tears but o' my fhedding.

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

Shy. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck?

Tub. Hath an Argofie caft away, coming from Tripolis.

Shy. I thank God, I thank God; is it true? is it true?

Tub. I spoke with fome of the failors that efcaped the wreck.

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

Tub. Your daughter fpent in Genoua, as I heard, one : night, fourfcore ducats.

Shy. Thou ftick'ft a dagger in me; I fhall never fee my gold again; fourscore ducats at a fitting, fourscore ducats!

Tub. There came divers of Anthonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that fwear he cannot chufe 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 fhew'd me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monky.

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Shy.

Shy. Out upon her! thou tortureft me, Tubal; it was my Turquoife, I had it of Leah when I was a batchelor; 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, befpeak 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 Tubal, and meet me at our fynagogue; go, bal; at our fynagogue, Tubal.

SCENE changes to Belmont.

go, go, good Tu. [Exeunt.

Enter Baffanio, Portia, Gratiano, and attendants. The Caskets are fet out.

Por.

I pray you, tarry; paufe a day or two,
Before you hazard; for in chufing wrong
I lofe your company; therefore, forbear a while.
There's fomething tells me (but it is not love)
I would not lofe you; and
know
you
your felf,
Hate counsels not in fuch a quality.
But left you should not underftand me well,
And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,
I would detain you here fome month or two,
Before you venture for me.
I could teach you
How to chufe right, but I am then forfworn:
So will I never be; fo you may miss me;
But if you do, you'll make me with a fin,
That I had been forfworn. Befhrew your eyes,
They have o'erlook'd me, and divided me;
One half of me is yours, the other half yours,
Mine own, I would fay: but if mine, then yours;
And fo all yours. Alas! thefe naughty times
Put bars between the owners and their rights:
And fo tho' yours, not yours, prove it so,
Let fortune go to hell for it, not I.

I fpeak too long, but 'tis to peece the time,
To eche it, and to draw it out in length,

Το

To flay you from election.

Ba. Let me chufe:

For as I am, I live upon the rack.

Por. Upon the rack, Baffanio? then confefs,
What treafon there is mingled with your love.
Baff. None, but that ugly treafon of miftruft,,
Which makes me fear th' enjoying of my love:
There may as well be amity and life

'Tween fnow and fire, as treafon and my love.
Por. Ay, but, I fear, you fpeak upon the rack
Where men enforced do fpeak any thing.

Ba. Promise me life, and I'll confefs the truth..
Por. Well then, confefs and live.

Baff. Confefs, and love,

Had been the very fum of my confeffion.
O happy torment, when my torturer
Doth teach me anfwers for deliverance!
But let me to my fortune and the caskets..

If

Por. Away then! I am lockt in one of them;
you do love me, you will find me out.
Neriffa, and the reft, ftand all aloof,

Let mufick found, while he doth make his choice;
Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,
Fading in mufick. That the comparison

May ftand more juft, my eye fhall be the ftream
And wat'ry death-bed for him: he may win,
And what is mufick then? then mufick is
Even as the flourish, when true fubjects bow
To a new-crowned monarch: fuch it is,
As are thofe dulcet founds in break of day,
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,
And fummon him to marriage. Now he goes,
With no less prefence, but with much more love,-
Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin-tribute, paid by howling Troy
To the fea-monfter: I ftand for facrifice;
The reft aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With bleared vifages come forth to view
The iffue of th' exploit. Go, Hercules ! :

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