Por. Fie! what a question's that,
If thou wert near a lewd interpreter?
But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which stays for us
At the park gate ; and therefore haste away,
For we must measure twenty miles to-day. (Exeunt.

SCENE V.

Enter LAUNCELOT, and JESSICA. I.aun. Yes, truly :-for, look you, the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore, I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter : Therefore be of good cheer; for, truly, I think, you are damnd. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good; and that is but a kind of a bastard hope neither.

595 Jes. And what hope is that, I pray thee?

Laun. Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew's daughter.

Jes. That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed; so the sins of my mother shall be visited upon me.

Laun. Truly then I fear you are damn'd both by father and mother : thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother: well, you are gone both ways.

604 Jes. I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian.

Laun.

1

Laun. Truly, the more to blame he: we were Christians enough before; e'en as many as could well live one by another : This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs ; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money.

612

Enter LORENZO.

Jes. I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say; here he comes.

Lor. I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners.

Jes. Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo ; Laun. celot and I are out: he tells me flatly, there is no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter : and he says, you are no good member of the commonwealth; for, in converting Jews to Christians, you raise the price of pork.

622 Lor. I shall answer that better to the commonwealth, than you can the getting up of the negro's belly : the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot.

Laun. It is much, that the Moor should be more than reason: but if she be less than an honest woman, she is, indeed, more than I took her for.

Lor. How every fool can play upon the word! I think, the best grace of wit will shortly turn into silence; and discourse grow commendable in none only but parrots-Go in, sirrah; bid them prepare for dinner. Laun. That is done, sir; they have all stomachs.

Lor.

633

Lor. Goodly lord, what a wit-snapper are you ! then bid them prepare dinner. Laun. That is done too, sir; only, cover is the

word. Lor. Will you cover then, sir? Laun. Not so, sir, neither ; I know my duty.

Lor. Yet more quarrelling with occasion! wilt thou shew the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain meaning : go to thy fellows; bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner.

Laun. For the table, sir, it shall be serv'd in; for the meat, sir, it shall be covered; for

your coming in to dinner, sir, why, let it be as humours and cona ceits shall govern.

[Exit LAUNCELOT. Lor. O dear discretion, how luis words are suited! The fool hath planted in his memory

650
An army of good words; And I do know
A many fools, that stand in better place,
Garnish'd like him, that for a tricksy word
Defy the matter. How cheer'st thoni, Jessica ?
And now, good sweet, say thy opinion,
How dost thou like the lord Bassanio's wife?

Jes. Past all expressing : It is very ineei,
The lord Bassanio live an upright life ;
For, having such a blessing in his lady,
He finds the joys of heaven here on earth;

660
And, if on earth he do not mean it, it
Is reason he should never come to heaven.
Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match,

And

And on the wager lay two earthly women,
And Portia one, there must be something else
Pawn’d with the other; for the poor rude world
Hath not her fellow,

Lor. Even such a husband
Hast thou of me, as she is for a wife.

Jes. Nay, but ask my opinion too of that.. 670
Lor. I will anon; first, let us go to dinner.
Jes. Nay, let ine praise you while I have a sto.

mach.
Lor. No, pray thee, let it serve for table-talk;
Then, howsoe'er thou speak'st, 'mong other things
I shall digest it.
Jes. Well, I'll set you forth,

[ Exeunt.

ACT W. SCENE 1.

The Senate - House in Venice. Enter the Duke, the Sena

tors; ANTHONIO, BASSANIO, GRATIANO, and others.

Duke,
What, is Anthonio here?

Anth. Ready, so please your grace.
Duke. I am sorry for thee; thou art come to an-

swer

A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.

Anth.

Anth. I have heard,
Your grace hath. ta'en great pains to qualify
His rigorous course ; but since he stands obdurate,
And that no lawful means can carry me

10
Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose
My patience to his fury; and am arm’d
To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,
The very tyranny and rage of his.

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court. :. Sal. He's ready at the door : he comes, my lord.

Enter SHYLOCK.

20

Duke. Make room, and let him stand before' our

face.Shylock,; the world thinks, and I think so too, That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice To the last hour of act; and then, 'tis thought, Thou'lt shew thy mercy, and remorse, more strange Than is thy strange apparent cruelty : And, where thou now exact'st the penalty (Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh), Thou wilt not only lose the forfeiture, But touch'd with human gentleness and love, Forgive a moiety of the principal ; Glancing an eye of pity on his losses, That have of late huddled on his back ; Encugh to press a royal merchant down,

30 And pluck commiseration of his state . From brassy bosoms, and rough hearts of fint, From stubborn Turks, and Tartars, never train'd

To