In love and service to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid, that is well satisfy'd;
And I, delivering you, am fatisfy'd,
And therein do account myself well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;

I wish you well, and fo I take my leave.

Baff. Dear fir, of force I must attempt you further; Take some remembrance of us, for a tribute,

Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,

b

Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your fake;
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you :-
Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more;
And you in love shall not deny me this.

Baff. This ring, good fir,-alas it is a trifle;
I will not shame myself to give you this.
Por. I will have nothing else but only this;
And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Baff. There's more depends on this, than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,

And find it out by proclamation;

Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Por. I fee, fir, you are liberal in offers:

You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd.

Baff. Good fir, this ring was given me by my wife;

And, when she put it on, she made me vow,
That I should neither fell, nor give, nor lose it.

Por. That 'fcufe serves many men to save their gifts.

An if your wife be not a mad woman,

And know how well I have deferv'd this ring,

VOL. II.

b pardon me.]-my importunity,

M

She

She would not hold out enemy for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!
[Exit with Neriffa.

Anth. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring;
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandement.

Baff. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'st,
Unto Anthonio's houfe :-away, make hafte.
Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont: Come, Anthonio.

S CENE II.

Enter Portia and Neriffa.

[Exeunt.

Por. Enquire the Jew's houfe out, give him this deed,

And let him fign it; we'll away to-night,

And be a day before our husbands home:

This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Fair fir, you are well o'erta'en :

d

My lord Baffanio, upon more advice,

Hath fent you here this ring; and doth intreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be :

This ring I do accept moft thankfully,

And fo, I pray you, tell him: Furthermore,

I

pray you, fhew my youth old Shylock's houfe.

Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would speak with

e enmity.

you:

d upon more advice,]-upon reflection.

I'll fee if I can get my husband's ring,

Which I did make him fwear to keep for ever.

[To Por.

Por. Thou may'ft, I warrant: We fhall have old fwearing,

That they did give the rings away to men ;

But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too.
Away, make hatte; thou know'ft where I will tarry.
Ner. Come, good fir, will you fhew me to this houfe?
[Exeunt.

!

A CT V.

SCENE I.

Belmont. A Grove, or Green Place,

before Portia's House.

Enter Lorenzo, and Jeffica.

Lor. The moon fhines bright :-In fuch a night as this,

When the sweet wind did gently kifs the trees,

And they did make no noife; in fuch a night,
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall,
And figh'd his foul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Creffid lay that night.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew;
And faw the lion's fhadow ere himself,

And ran difmay'd away.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand

Upon the wild fea-banks, and wav'd her love

e old fearing,]-a torrent of oaths.
Then here will be old utis."

HENRY IV, Part 2, A& II, S. 4. I Draw.

To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs

That did renew old Æfon.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Did Jeffica fteal from the wealthy Jew;
And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,
As far as Belmont.

Jef. And in fuch a night,

Did young Lorenzo fwear he lov'd her well;
Stealing her foul with many vows of faith,
And ne'er a true one.

Lor. And in fuch a night,

Did pretty Jeffica, like a little fhrew,
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

Jef. I would out-night you, did no body come;
But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter a Servant.

Lor. Who comes fo faft in filence of the night?
Serv. A friend.

Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I pray you,

friend?

Serv. Stephano is my name; and I bring word,

My mistress will before the break of day

Be here at Belmont: fhe doth ftray about

By holy croffes, where she kneels and prays
For happy wedlock hours.

Lor. Who comes with her?

Serv. None, but a holy hermit, and her maid.

I pray you, is my mafter yet return'd?

Lor. He is not, nor we have not heard from him.

But go we in, I pray thee, Jeffica,

And

And ceremoniously let us prepare

Some welcome for the mistrefs of the house.

Enter Launcelot fmacking a whip.

Laun. Sola, fola, wo ha, ho, fola, fola!

Lor. Who calls?`

Laun. Sola! did you see master Lorenzo, and mistress Lorenza? fola, fola!

Lor. Leave hollowing, man; here,

Laun. Sola! where? where?

Lor. Here.

Laun. Tell him, there's a poft come from my master, with his horn full of good news; my master will be here ere morning.

[Exit. Lor. Sweet foul, let's in, and there expect their coming. And yet no matter;-Why fhould we go in? My friend Stephano, fignify, I pray you,

Within the house, your mistress is at hand;

And bring your musick forth into the air.- [Exit fervant.
How sweet the moon-light fleeps upon this bank!

Here will we fit, and let the founds of mufick
Creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night,
Become the touches of fweet harmony.

Sit, Jeffica: Look, how the floor of heaven

f

Is thick inlay'd with pattens of bright gold;

There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,
But in his motion like an angel fings,

Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims,
Such harmony is in immortal fouls;

But, whilft this muddy vefture of decay

g

Doth grofly close it in, we cannot hear it.-
Come, ho, and wake 1 Diana with a hymn;

pattens]-fmall round plates.

clofe it in,]-deadens the found, ftifles, fuppreffes it.
Diana]-the moon.

M 3

With