Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen.

Por. In terms of choice I am not folely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes :
Besides, the lottery of my destiny
Bars me the right of voluntary chufing:
But, if my father had not scanted me,

And hedg'd me by his will, to yield myself
His wife, who wins me by that means I told you,
Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair,
As any comer I have looked on yet,

For my affection.

Mor. Even for that I thank you;

Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets,
To try my fortune. By this fcimitar,-
That flew the Sophy, and a Persian prince,
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,-
I would out-ftare the fterneft eyes that look,
Out-brave the heart moft daring on the earth,
Pluck the young fucking cubs from the she bear,
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
To win thee, lady: But, alas the while!
If Hercules, and Lichas, play at dice
Which is the better man, the greater throw
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand :
- So is Alcides beaten by his page;

And fo may I, blind fortune leading me,
Mifs that which one unworthier may attain,
And die with grieving.

Por. You must take your chance;
And either not attempt to chufe at all,
Or fwear, before chufe,-if
you
Never to speak to lady afterward

you

chufe wrong,

hedg'd]-limited, confined.

H 3

In

In way of marriage; therefore be advis'd.

Mor. Nor will not; come, bring me unto my chance.

Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner

Your hazard fhall be made.

Mor. Good fortune then!

To make me bleft, or curfed'ft among men.

[Cornets. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Street in Venice.

Enter Launcelot Gobbo.

Laun. Certainly, my confcience will ferve me to run from this Jew my mafter: The fiend is at mine elbow ; and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away: My confcience fays—no; take heed, honeft Launcelot; take heed, honeft Gobbo; or, as aforefaid, boneft Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; corn running with thy heels: Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; via! fays the fiend; away! fays the fiend, for the heavens: roufe up a brave mind, fays the fiend, and run. Well, my confcience, hanging about the neck of my heart, fays very wifely to me,-my boneft friend Launcelot, being an boneft man's fon,-or rather an honeft woman's fon;-for, indeed, my father did fomething fmack, fomething grow to, he had a kind of taste;—well, my confcience fays,-Launcelot, budge not; budge, fays the fiend; budge not, fays my confcience: Confcience, fay I, you counsel well; fiend, fay I, you counfel well: to be rul'd by my confcience, I fhould ftay with the Jew my master,

℗ be advis'd.]—think maturely e're you make this experiment. 9fcorn running with thy heels :]-fpurn at, reject the idea of it with disdain.

⚫ the haven.

who,

who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I fhould be rul'd by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself: Certainly, the Jew is the very devil in-carnation; and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard confcience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew: The fiend gives the more friendly counfel; I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

Enter old Gobbo, his father, with a basket.

Gob. Master, young man you, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's?.

Laun. [Afide.] O heavens, this is my true-begotten father! who, being more than fand-blind, high-gravel blind, knows me not:-I will try conclufions with him.

Gob. Mafter young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to mafter Jew's?

Laun. Turn up on your right hand, at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's house.

Gob. By God's "fonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit. Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him, or no?

W

Laun. Talk you of " young mafter Launcelot ?Mark me now, [afide.] now will I raise the waters :— Talk you of young mafter Launcelot ?

t

Gob. No mafter, fir, but a poor man's fon; his father,

• in-carnation ;]-incarnate, in a human form.

try conclufions]-practife a little wit, play a few tricks upon him. ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, A&t V, S. 2. Caf. CYMBELINE, A&t I, S. 6. Queen.

"fonties,]-faints.

W

Χ

young mafter Launcelot ?]-that being his father's name alfo.
raife the waters :]-move a peg higher.

though I say it, is an honeft exceeding poor man, and, God be thanked, well to live.

Laun. Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young mafter Launcelot.

Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, fir.

Laun. But I pray you ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you; Talk you of young mafter Launcelot ?

Gob. Of Launcelot an't please your mastership.

Laun. Ergo, mafter Launcelot; talk not of master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman (according to fates and deftinies, and fuch odd fayings, the fifters three, and fuch branches of learning) is, indeed, deceafed; or as you would fay, in plain terms, gone to heaven.

Gob. Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop.

Laun. Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovel-poft, a staff, or a prop ?-Do you know me, father?

Gob. Alack the day, I know you not, young gentleman but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy, (God rest his foul!) alive, or dead?

Laun. Do you not know me, father?

Gob. Alack, fir, I am fand-blind, I know you not. Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wife father, that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your fon Give me your bleffing: truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long, a man's fon may; but, in the end, truth will out.

Gob. Pray you fir, ftand up; I am fure, you are not Launcelot my boy.

Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it,

y fand-blind,]-purblind.

but

but give me your bleffing; I am Launcelot, your boy that was, your fon that is, your child that fhall be.

Gob. I cannot think, you are my fon.

Laun. I know not what I fhall think of that: but I am Launcelot, the Jew's man; and, I am fure, Margery, your wife, is my mother.

Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be fworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art my own flesh and blood. Lord worshipp'd might he be! what a beard haft thou got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin, than Dobbin mythill-horse has on his tail.

Laun. It fhould feem them, that Dobbin's tail grows backward; I am fure, he had more hair on his tail, than I have on my face, when I laft faw him.

Gob. Lord, how thou art chang'd! How doft thou and thy master agree? I have brought him a prefent; How agree you now?

Laun. Well, well; but, for mine own part, as I have fet up my reft to run away, fo I will not reft 'till I have run some ground: My master's a very Jew; Give him a prefent! give him a halter: I am famifh'd in his service; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come; give me your prefent to one master Baffanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I ferve not him, I will run as far as God has any ground.-O rare fortune! here comes the man ;-to him, father; for I am a Jew, if I ferve the Jew any longer.

Enter Baffanio, with Leonardo, and a follower or two more.

Bass. You may do fo;-but let it be so hasted, that fupper be ready at the fartheft by five of the clock: See thefe,

your child that shall be.]—as my future good behaviour shall evince -or perhaps the terms are reversed, through levity, and he may mean to fay; I was your child, I am your boy, and shall ever be your fon.

2

a tbill-borfe]-fhaft-horse.

fet up my reft to run away,]-put myfelf in a pofture for flight.

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