Ner. How like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony's nephew?

Por. Very vilely in the morning when he is sober, and most vilely in the afternoon when he is drunks when he is best, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worit, 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 should offer to chuse, and chuse the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father's will, if you should refuse to accept him.

Por. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary cafket; for if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I know, he will chuse it. I will do any thing, Neriffa, ere I will be marry'd to a spunge.

Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of these lords: they have acquainted me with their determinations, which is, indeed, to return to their home, and to trouble you with no more suit; unless you may be won by some other fort than your father's imposition, depending on the caskets.

Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste as Diana, unless I be obtain'd by the manner of my father's will: I am glad, this parcel of wooers are so 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 soldier, that came hither in company of the Marquiss of Mountferrat?

Por. Yes, yes, it was Bassanio, as I think, he was so call'd.

Doubt, a very pleasing one to the Audiences, when this Play was first brought on. To make the Frenchman, jointly with the Scot, take a Box on the Ear at the Englishman's hands, is very humourously, and satirically, alluding to the constant Assistance the French always used to give the Scots in their Quarrels with the English, both in and before our Author's Time: and in which Alliance, they generally came by the worst of it. Mr. Warburton.

Ner.

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 strangers seek 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 master, will be here to night.

Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good heart as I can bid the other four farewel, I should be glad of his approach; if he have the condition of a laint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me, than wive me. Come, Neriffa. Sirrah, go before; while we shut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. [Exeunt.

SCENE, a publick Place in VENICE.

Sby. T

Enter Bassanio and Shylock.

Hree thousand ducats? well.

Baff. Ay, Sir, for three months.

Shy. For three months? well.

Baff. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio shall be bound.

Shy. Anthonio shall become bound? well.

Baff. May you stead 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 supposition: he hath

an

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, squander'd abroad. But ships are but boards, failers but men; there be land-rats, and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then there is the peril of waters, winds and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient; three thousand ducats? I think, I may take his bond.

Baff. Be assur'd, you may.

:

Shy. I will be assur'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. What news on the Ryalto? - who is he, comes here?

1

Enter Anthonio.

Baff. This is Signior Anthonio.

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

I hate him, for he is a christian:
But more, for that in low fimplicity
He lends out mony gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance 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 most do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

Baff. Shylock, do you hear?

Shy. I am debating of my present store,

And by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot instantly raise up the grofs

Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?

Tuball, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,

:

Will furnish
Do you def

Your worsh
Anth. Shy
By taking, no
Yet, to sup
I'll break a
How much

was a

to

was

And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not.
Anth. This was a venture, Sir, that Jacob serv'd for;

A thing, not in his pow'r to bring to pass,
But sway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heav'n.

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Was

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Was this inserted to make int'rest 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 scripture for his purpose.
An evil foul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falshood hath!

;

Shy. Three thousand ducats! 'tis a good round sum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. Anth. Well, Shylock, shall 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 usances.
Still have I born it with a patient shrug;
(For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.)
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine;
And all for use of that, which is my own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help:
Go to then; you come to me, and you say,
Shylock, we would have monies; you say fo;
You, that did void your rheume upon my beard,
And foot me, as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold: mony is your suit;
What should I say to you? should I not say,
Hath a dog money? is it possible,
A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With bated breath, and whisp'ring humbleness,
Say this, -fair Sir, you spit on me last Wednesday
You spurn'd me such a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for these curtefies
I'll lend you thus much monies ?

:

Anth. I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this mony, lend it not
As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take

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