SCENE VI, The fame. Enter GRATIANO, and SALARINO, mafqued. GRA. This is the pent-house, under which Lo renzo Defir'd us to make stand. 8 SALAR. His hour is almost past. GRA. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour, For lovers ever run before the clock. SALAR. O, ten times fafter Venus' pigeons fly' To feal love's bonds new made, than they are wont, To keep obliged faith unforfeited! GRA. That ever holds: Who rifeth from a feast, With that keen appetite that he fits down? Where is the horse, that doth untread again His tedious measures with the unbated fire That he did pace them firft? All things that are, Are with more fpirit chafed than enjoy'd, How like a younker, or a prodigal, Defir'd us to make ftand.] Defir'd us fland, in ancient elliptical language, fignifies defired us to ftand. The words-to make, are an evident interpolation, and confequently spoil the measure. STEEVENS. 9:0, ten times fafter Venus' pigeons fly] Lovers have in poetry been always called Turtles or Doves, which in lower language may be pigeons. JOHNSON. 2 a younker,] All the old copies read a younger. But Rowe's emendation may be justified by Falstaff's queftion in the first part of K. Henry IV: "I'll not pay a denier. What will you make a younker of me?" STEEVENS, How like a younker, or a prodigal, The Scarfed bark puts from her native bay, &c.] Mr. Gray (dropping the particularity of allufion to the parable of the prodi The scarfed bark' puts from her native bay, With over-weather'd ribs, and ragged fails, Enter LORENZO. SALAR. Here comes Lorenzo; - more of this hereafter. Wal LOR. Sweet friends, your patience for my long abode; Not I, but my affairs, have made you wait: gal) feems to have caught from this paffage the imagery of the following: Fair laughs the morn, and foft the zephyr blows, "Youth on the Prow, and Pleafure at the helm; Regardless of the sweeping whirlwind's fway, "That hush'd in grim repofe, expects his evening-prey. The grim-repofe however, was fuggefted by Thomson's "deep fermenting tempeft brew'd 3 "In the grim evening sky." HENLEY. scarfed bark —] i. e. the veffel decorated with flags. So, in All's well that ends well:] "Yet the Scarfs and the bannerets about thee, did manifoldly diffuade me from believing thee a veffel of too great burden." STEEVENS. .4 - embraced by the ftrumpet wind!] So, in Othello: "The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets." MALONE. 5 doth the return;] Surely the bark ought to be of the mafculine gender, otherwife the allufion wants fomewhat of propriety. This indifcriminate use of the perfonal for the neuter, at least obfcures the paffage. A fhip, however, is commonly spoken of in the feminine gender. STEEVENS. 6 With over-weather'd ribs,] Thus both the quartos. The folio has over-wither'd. MALONE. I'll watch as long for you then.-Approach; " Here dwells my father Jew :-Ho! who's within? Enter JESSICA above, in boy's clothes. JES. Who are you? Tell me, for more certainty, Albeit I'll fwear that I do know your tongue. LOR. Lorenzo, and thy love. JES. Lorenzo, certain; and my love, indeed; For who love I fo much? And now who knows, But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours? LOR. Heaven, and thy thoughts, are witness that thou art. JES. Here, catch this cafket; it is worth the pains. I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, LOR. Defcend, for you must be my torch-bearer. JES. What, muft I hold a candle to my fhames? They in themselves, good footh, are too too light. Why, 'tis an office of difcovery, love; And I fhould be obfcur'd. LOR. So are you, fweet, Even in the lovely garnish of a boy. But come at once; For the close night doth play the run-away, 5 I'll watch as long for you then.-Approach;] Read, with a flight variation from Sir T. Hanmer: "I'll watch as long for you. Come then, approach." RITSON, JES. I will make faft the doors, and gild myself With fome more ducats, and be with you ftraight. [Exit, from above. GRA. Now, by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jew." LOR. Befhrew me, but I love her heartily: For fhe is wife, if I can judge of her; And fair fhe is, if that mine eyes be true; And true fhe is, as fhe hath prov'd herself; And therefore, like herself, wife, fair, and true, Shall the be placed in my constant soul. Enter JESSICA, below. What, art thou come?-On, gentlemen, away; Our mafquing mates by this time for us stay. [Exit, with JESSICA and SALARINO. Enter ANTONIO. ANT. Who's there? GRA. Signior Antonio? ANT. Fie, fie, Gratiano! where are all the reft? 'Tis nine o'clock; our friends all ftay for you: 6 Now, by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jew.] A jeft arifing from the ambiguity of Gentile, which fignifies both a Heathen, and one well born. JOHNSON. So at the conclufion of the first part of Jeronimo, &c. 1605: So, good night kind gentles, 66 "For I hope there's never a few among you all.” Again, in Sretnam Arraign'd, 1620: Jofeph the Jew was a better Gentile far." STEEVENS. Dr. Johnfon rightly explains this. There is an old book by one Ellis, entitled, "The Gentile Sinner, or England's brave Gentleman. 7." FARMER. To understand Gratiano's oath, it should be recollected that he is in a masqued habit, to which it is probable that formerly, as at prefent, a large cape or hood was affixed. MALONE. Gratiano alludes to the practice of friars, who frequently fwore by this part of their habit. STEEVENS. No mafque to-night; the wind is come about, I have fent twenty out to feek for you. GRA. I am glad on't; I defire no more delight, Than to be under fail, and gone to-night. [Exeunt. SCENE VII. Belmont. A Room in Portia's Houfe. Flourish of Cornets. Enter PORTIA, with the Prince of Morocco, and both their trains. POR. Go, draw afide the curtains, and discover MOR. The first, of gold, who this infcription Who choofeth me, shall gain what many men defire. POR. The one of them contains my picture,prince; MOR. Some god direct my judgement! Let me fee, Who choofeth me, must give and hazard all he bath. 7 as blunt;] That is, as grofs as the dull metal. JOHNSON. |