to cyther of thefe: God defend me from these two,

Ner.How fay you by the French Lord, Mounfier le Boune? Por.God made him, and therefore let him paffe for a man, in truth I know it is a finne to be a mocker, but he, why he hath a horfe better then the Neapolitans, a better bad habite offrowning then the Count Palatine, hee is euery man in no man, ifa Traffell fing, hee fals ftraight a capting, hee will fence with his owne fhadow. If I should marry him, I fhould marry twenty husbands: if he would defpife me, I would forgiue him, for if he loue me to madneffe, I shall neuer requite him.

Ner. What fay you then to Fauconbridge,the young Baron of England?

Por. You know I fay nothing to him, for he vnderftands not me,nor I him; he hath neither Latine,French,nor Italian,& you will come into the Court and fweare that I haue a poore penniworth in the English: he is a proper mans picture, but alas who can conuerfe with a dumbe fhow? how odly he is futed, I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hofe in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behauiour euery where.

Neriffa. What thinke you of the Scottish Lord his Neigh bour?

Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for he bor rowed a boxe of the care of the Englishman,and fwore he wold pay him againe when he was able: Ithinke the Frenchman became his furety, and feald vnder for another.

Ner.How like you the young Germaine, the Duke of Saxovies nephew?

Por. Very vildely in the morning when he is fober, and most vilely in the afternoone when he is drunke: when he is beft, hee is a little worse then a man,and when he is worst he is little bet ter then a beaft; and the worst fall that euer fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him.,

Ner.If he should offer to choose, and choose the right Cafket, you should refuse to performe your fathers wil,if you fhold refufe to accept him.

For. Therfore for feare of the worst, I prethee fet a deep glaffe

of

of Reynish Wine on the contrary Casket, for if the diuell bee within,and that temptation without, I know he will choofe it. I will do any thing Neriffa,ere ile be married to a fpunge.

Ner. You need not feare Lady, the hauing any of these Lords, they haue acquainted me with their determinations, which is indeed to returne to their home, and to trouble you with no more fute,vnleffe you may be won by fome orher fort then your fathers impofition,depending on the Caskets.

Por.If I liue to be as olde as Sibilla,I will die as chafte as Diana, vnleffe I bee obtained by the manner of my fathers will: Z am glad this parcell of wooers are fo reasonable,for there is not one among them but / dote on his very abfence; & Ipray God grant them a faire departure.

Ner.Do you not remember Lady in your fathers time, avenetian Scholler and a Souldior that came hither in company of the Marqueffe of Mountferrat?

Portia. Yes, yes,it was Baffanio, as I thinke he was fo call'd. Ner. True Maddam, he of all the men that euer my foolish eyes lookt vpon, was the beft deferuing a faire Lady.

Per. I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise.

How now, what newes?

Enter a feruingman.

Ser. The foure ftrangers feeke for you Madame, to take their leaue; and there is a fore-runner come from a fift, the Prince of Moroco, who brings word the Prince his Mafter will be heere to night.

Por. If I could bid the fift welcome, with fo good a heart as I can bid the other foure farwell, fhould be glad of his approch: if he haue the condition of a Saint, and the complection of a di uell,/had rather he fhould fhriue me then wiue me.Come Ner-. riffa,firra go before: whiles we shut the gates vpon one wooer, another knocks at the doore.

Enter Bafanio,with Shylocke the lew. shy.Three thousand ducats,well.

Baff. I fir, for three months.

Exeunt..

Shy.For three moneths,well.

Baff.For the which as I told you,

Anthonio fhall be bound.

Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound,well,
Baff. May you ftead me? Will you pleasure me
Shall I know your answere?

Shy.Three thousand ducats for three moneths,
and Anthonio bound.

Baff. Your anfwere to that.

Shy. Anthonio is a good man,

Baff. Haue you heard any imputation to the contrary?

Shy. Hono,no,no,no: my meaning in faying hee is a good man, is to haue you vnderftand me, that he is fufficient, yet his meanes are in fuppofition: he hath an Argofie bound to Tripolis,another to the Indies, I vnderstand moreouer vpon the Ryalta,he hath a third at Mexico,a fourth for England, & other ventures he hath squandred abroad,but ships are but boards, Saylers but men ; there be land rats, and water rats, water theeues, and land theeues, I meane Pyrats, and then there is the perill of waters,windes, and rockes: the man is notwithstanding fuffici ent, three thousand ducats,I thinke I may take his bond. Baff.Be affured you may.

Shy.I will be affured I may: and that I may be affured, I will bethinke me, may I fpeake with Anthonio?

Baf. If it please you to dine with vs.

Shy. Yes,to fmell porke,to eate of the habitation which your Prophet the Nazarite coniured the diuell into: I will buy with you, fell with you, talke with you, walke with you, and fo following: but I will not eate with you,drinke with you, nor pray with you. What newes onthe Ryako, who is he comes heere? Enter Anthonio.

Baff. This is figniour Anthonie.

Shy. How like a fawning Publican he lookes. I hate him for he is a Chriftian:

But

But more,for that in lowe fimplicity
He lends out mony gratis,and brings downe
The rate of vfance heere with vs in Venice.
If I can catch him once vpon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I beare him.
He hates our facred Nation,and he rayles
Euen there where Merchants moft do congregate,
On me,my bargaines,and my well-won thrift,
Which he cals intereft : Curfed be my Tribe
If I forgiue him.

Baff. Shylocke, do you heare.

Shy.I am debating of my present store,
And by the neere gueffe of my memory,
I cannot inftantly raife vp the groffe
Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?
Tuball,a wealthy Hebrew of my Tribe,

Will furnish me; but soft,how many months
Doe you defire? Reft you faire good Signior,
Your worship was the laft man in our mouthes.

Ant Shylocke, although I neither lend nor borrow,
By taking nor by giuing of exceffe,

Yet to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,
Ile breake a cuftome: are you refolu'd,
How much he would hane?

Shy.I,I,three thousand ducats.

Ant. And for three moneths.

Shy.I had forgot, three months, you told me fo. Well then, your bond: and let me fee,but heare you, Me-thought you faid, you neither lend nor borrow Vpon aduantage.

Ant.I do neuer vfe it.

Shy. When Iacob graz'd his Vnckle Labans sheepe, This Tacob from our holy Abram was

(As his wife Mother wrought in his behalfe)
The third poffeffer; I,he was the third.

Ant. And what of him,did he take intereft?
B 3

Shy.

Shy.No,not take intereft, not as you would fay
Directly intereft,marke what Iacob did,
When Laban and himselfe were compremyzd,
That all the canelings which were ftreakt and pied,
Should fall as lacobs hier, the Ewes being rancke,
In th'end of Autume turned to the Rams,

And when the worke of generation was
Betweene these woolly breeders in the acte,
The skilfull fhepheard pyld me certaine wands,
And in the doing of the deed of kinde,
He ftucke them vp before the fulfome Ewes,
Who then conceiuing,did in eaning time
Fall party-coloured lambes,and those were lacobs.
This was a way to thrive,and he was bleft:
And thrift is bleffing if men fteale it not.

Ant.This was a venture fir,that Iacob fer'ud for,
A thing not in his power to bring to paffe,
But fwavd and fashion'd by the hand of heauen.
Was this inferted to make interest good?
Or is your gold and filuer,Ewes and Rams?
Shy. I cannot tell,I make it breed as fast,
But note me fignior.

Ant.Marke you this Bassanio,

The diuell can cite Scripture for his purpose,
An cuill foule producing holy witneffe,
Is like a villaine with a smiling cheeke,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O what a goodly outfide falfhood hath.

Shy.Three thousand ducats,tis a good round fum.
Three months from twelue, then let me fee the rate.
Ant.Well Shylocke, fhall we be beholding to you?
Shy Signior Anthonie,many a time and oft

In the Ryalto you haue rated me
About my monies and my vfances:
Still haue I borne it with a patient shrug,
(For fufferance is the badge of all our Tribe)

You