With a reede voyce, and turne two minsing steps 70
Into a manly stride; and speake of frayes

Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lyes
How honourable Ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sicke and died.
I could not doe withall: then Ile repent,

And wish for all that, that I had not kil'd them;

And twentie of these punie lies Ile tell,

That men shall sweare I have discontinued schoole
Above a twelve moneth: I have within my minde
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.

Nerris. Why, shall wee turne to men?
Portia. Fie, what a questions that?
If thou wert nere a lewd interpreter:
But come, Ile tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which stayes for us
At the Parke gate; and therefore haste away,
For we must measure twentie miles to day.

[Scene v. The same. A garden.]

Enter Clowne [Launcelot] and Jessica.

80

Exeunt.

Clown. Yes truly; for looke you, the sinnes of the Father are to be laid upon the children, therefore I promise you, I feare you, I was alwaies plaine with you, and so now I speake my agitation of the matter: therfore be of good cheere, for truly I thinke you are damn'd, there is but one hope in it that can doe you anie good, and that is but a kinde of bastard hope neither.

9

Jessica. And what hope is that I pray thee? Clow. Marrie you may partlie hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jewes daughter. 84. nere: near-Rowɛ.

3-4. promise you: promise ye-1Q.

Jes. That were a kinde of bastard hope indeed, so the sins of my mother should be visited upon me.

Clow. Truly then I feare you are damned both by father and mother: thus when I shun Scilla your father, I fall into Charibdis your mother; well, you are gone both waies.

Jes. I shall be sav'd by my husband, he hath made me a Christian.

19

Clow. Truly the more to blame he, we were Christians enow before, e'ne as many as could wel live one by another: this making of Christians will raise the price of Hogs, if wee grow all to be porke-eaters, wee shall not shortlie have a rasher on the coales for money.

Enter Lorenzo.

Jes. Ile tell my husband Lancelet what

he comes.

you say,

heere

Loren. I shall grow jealous of you shortly Lancelet, if you thus get my wife into corners?

29

Jes. Nay, you need not feare us Lorenzo, Launcelet and I are out, he tells me flatly there is no mercy for mee in heaven, because I am a Jewes daughter: and hee saies you are no good member of the common wealth, for in converting Jewes to Christians, you raise the price of Porke.

Loren. I shall answere that better to the Commonwealth, than you can the getting up of the Negroes bellie: the Moore is with childe by you Launcelet?

Clow. It is much that the Moore should be more then reason: but if she be lesse then an honest woman, shee is indeed more then I tooke her for.

41

Loren. How everie foole can play upon the word, I thinke the best grace of witte will shortly turne into si

lence, and discourse grow commendable in none onely but Parrats: goe in sirra, bid them prepare for dinner? Clow. That is done sir, they have all stomacks? Loren. Goodly Lord, what a witte-snapper are you, then bid them prepare dinner.

Clow. That is done to sir, onely cover is the word.
Loren. Will you cover than sir?

Clow. Not so sir neither, I know my dutie.

50

Loren. Yet more quarrellng with occasion, wilt thou shew the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant; I pray thee understand a plaine man in his plaine meaning: goe to thy fellowes, bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner.

Clow. For the table sir, it shall be serv'd in, for the meat sir, it shall bee covered, for your comming in to dinner sir, why let it be as humors and conceits shall goExit Clowne. 60

verne.

Lor. O deare discretion, how his words are suted,
The foole hath planted in his memory
An Armie of good words, and I doe know
A many fooles that stand in better place,
Garnisht like him, that for a tricksie word
Defie the matter: how cheer'st thou Jessica,
And now good sweet say thy opinion,
How dost thou like the Lord Bassiano's wife?
Jessi. Past all expressing, it is very meete

The Lord Bassanio live an upright life
For having such a blessing in his Lady,
He findes the joyes of heaven heere on earth,
And if on earth he doe not meane it, it

Is reason he shonld never come to heaven?

Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match,

52. quarreling: quarrelling-Q0.2-4F.

73-4. it, it Is: it, then In-IQ.

70

74. sbonld: should-Q0.2-4F.

And on the wager lay two earthly women,
And Portia one: there must be something else
Paund with the other, for the poore rude world
Hath not her fellow.

Loren. Even such a husband

Hast thou of me, as she is for a wife.

80

Jes. Nay, but aske my opinion to of that? Lor. I will anone, first let us goe to dinner? Jes. Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomacke? Lor. No pray thee, let it serve for table talke, Then how som ere thou speakst 'mong other things, I shall digest it?

Jessi. Well, Ile set you forth.

Actus Quartus.

Exeunt.

[Scene i. Venice. A court of justice.] Enter the Duke, the Magnificoes, Anthonio, Bassanio, and | Gratiano [Salerio and others].

Duke. What, is Anthonio heere?

Ant. Ready, so please your grace?

Duke. I am sorry for thee, thou art come to answere A stonie adversary, an inhumane wretch,

Uncapable of pitty, voyd, and empty

From any dram of mercie.

Ant. I have heard

Your Grace hath tane great paines to qualifie

His rigorous course: but since he stands obdurate,

And that no lawful meanes can carrie me

Out of his envies reach, I do oppose

My patience to his fury, and am arm'd

86. bow som ere: howsoe'er-12.

10

To suffer with a quietnesse of spirit,

The very tiranny and rage of his.

Du. Go one and cal the Jew into the Court.
Sal. He is ready at the doore, he comes my Lord.

Du. Make roome, and let him stand before our face.
Shylocke the world thinkes, and I thinke so to
That thou but leadest this fashion of thy mallice
To the last houre of act, and then 'tis thought
Thou'lt shew thy mercy and remorse more strange,
Than is thy strange apparant cruelty;

And where thou now exact'st the penalty,
Which is a pound of this poore Merchants flesh,
Thou wilt not onely loose the forfeiture,

But touch'd with humane gentlenesse and love:
Forgive a moytie of the principall,

Glancing an eye of pitty on his losses
That have of late so hudled on his backe,
Enow to presse a royall Merchant downe;
And plucke commiseration of his state

From brassie bosomes, and rough hearts of flints,
From stubborne Turkes and Tarters never traind
To offices of tender curtesie,

We all expect a gentle answer Jew?

30

39

Jew. I have possest your grace of what I purpose,

And by our holy Sabbath have I sworne

To have the due and forfeit of

my bond. If you denie it, let the danger light

Upon your Charter, and your Cities freedome.
You'l aske me why I rather choose to have
A weight of carrion flesh, then to receive

30. bumane: human-RowE.

36. flints: flint-1Q.