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own shadow; if I fhould marry him, I fhould marry twenty husbands. If he would defpife 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 Englife. He is a proper man's picture, but, alas! who can converse with a dumb fhow? how oddly he is suited! 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 Scotish 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 fwore 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 worse 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 shall make shift to go without him.

Ner. If he fhould offer to chufe, and chuse the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father's will, if you fhould refufe to accept him.

Por. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, fet a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary casket; 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 fpunge.

Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of these lords: they have acquainted me with their deterVOL. II.

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minations,

minations, 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 fo reasonable; for there is not one among them but I doat on his very absence, and wish 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 company of the Marquifs of Mountferrat?

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 deserving a fair lady.

Por: I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise. How now? what news?

Enter a Servant.

Ser. 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 mafter, will be here to night.

Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with fo good heart as I can bid the other four farewel, I fhould be glad of his approach; if he have the con dition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should fhrive me, than wive me. Come, Nerissa. Sirrah, go before; while we fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. [Exeunt. SCENE, a publick Place in Venice.

Enter Baffanio and Shylock.

ducats? well.

Shy. Three thousand du, for three months.
TH
Ay, Sir,

Shy. For three months? well.

Baff.

Bal. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio fhall be bound.

Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound? well.

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

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

Baff. Your answer to that.

Shy. Anthonio is a good man.

Baff. 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 Ryalto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England; and other ventures he hath, fquander'd abroad. But fhips are but boards, failors but men; there be land-rats, and water-rats, waterthieves, and land-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then there is the peril of waters, winds and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, fufficient; three thousand ducats ? I think, I may take his bond.

Baff. 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? Baff. If it please you to dine with us.

Shy. Yes, to fmell pork; to 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. news on the Ryalto? who is he, comes here?

Enter Anthonio.

Ba. This is Signior Anthonio.

What

Shy. [Afide.] How like a fawning Publican he looks!

I hate him, for he is a chriftian:

But more, for that in low fimplicity

He lends out mony gratis, and brings down

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

Ba. Shylock, do you hear?

Shy. I am debating of my prefent store,
And by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot inftantly raise up the grofs

Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?
Tuball, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
Will furnish me; but soft, how many months
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 excefs,

Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,

I'll break a custom.

How much you would?

Is he yet poffeft,

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

Anth. And for three months.

Sky. I had forgot, three months, you told me fo; Well then, your bond; and let me fee,

hear you,

Methought, you faid, you neither lend nor borrow
Upon advantage.

Anth. I do never use it.

but

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 say, Directly, int'reft; mark, what Jacob did. When Laban and himself were compromis'd, That all the yeanlings, which were streak'd and pied,

Should

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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 ftuck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in yeaning time
Fall party-colour'd lambs, and thofe were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was blest;
And thrift is bleffing, if men fteal it not.

Anth. This was a venture, Sir, that Jacob ferv'd for; A thing not in his pow'r to bring to pafs,

But fway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heav'n.
Was this inferted to make int'reft good?
Or is your gold, and filver, ewes and rams?
Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as faft ;
But note me, Signior.

Anth. Mark you this, Bassanio?

The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.
An evil foul, producing holy witness,

Is like a villain with a fmiling cheek;

A goodly apple rotten at the heart.

O, what a goodly outfide falfhood hath!

Shy. Three thousand ducats! 'tis a good round fum. Three months from twelve, then let me fee the rate. Ant. Well, Shylock, fhall we be beholden to you? Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft

In the Ryalto you have rated me,
About my monies and my ufances.
Still have I born it with a patient shrug;
(For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe.)
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And fpit upon my Jewish gaberdine ;
And all for ufe of that, which is my own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help:
Go to then; you come to me, and you fay,
Shylock, we would have monies; you fay fo;
You that did void your rheume upon my beard,
And foot me, as you fpurn a ftranger cur

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