And,

it on,

when she
put

The made me vow,
That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.

Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts; And if

your

wife be not a mad woman,
And know how well I have deserv’d the ring,
She wou'd not hold out enmity for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you !

[Exit with Nerissa.
Ant. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.
Let his deservings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandment.

Baj. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him, Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'ft, Unto Anthonio's house : away, make hafte. [Exit. Gra. Come, you and I will thither presently.; And in the morning early will we both Fly toward Belmont; come, Anthonio. [Exeunt.

Re-enter Portia with Nerissa.
Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed,
And let him sign 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 Sir, you are well o’erta'en :
My Lord Bassanio, upon more advice,
Hath sent

you here this ring, and doth intreat Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be.
This ring I do accept most thankfully,
And so, I pray you, tell him ; furthermore,
I
pray you, shew my youth old Shylock's house.
Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would speak with you.
I'll see if I can get my husband's ring :

[T. Por, Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

Por. Thou may'st, I warrant. We shall have old That they did give the rings away to men; [swearing, But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too : Away, make haste, thou know'st where I will tarry. Ner. Come, good Sir,

will
you shew me to this house?

[Exeunt.

А с т

V.

SCENE I.

Belmont. A grove or green place before Portia's house.

Enter Lorenzo and Jessica. Lor.

as this, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees, And they did make no noise ; in such a night Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall; And figh’d his soul toward the Grecian tents, Where Cressid lay that night,

jef. In such a night
Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew;
And saw the lion's fhadow ere himself,
And ran dismay'd away.

Lor. In such a night
Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
Upon the wild sea-banks, and wav'd her love
To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In such a night
Medea gather'd the inchanted herbs,
That did renew old Æfon.

Lor. In such a night
Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew,
And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,
As far as Belmont.

Jef. And in such a night
Did young Lorenzo swear he lov'd her well;
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith,
And ne'er a true one..

Lor. And in such a night
Did pretty Jellica, (like a little shrew),
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 Stephano. Lor. Who comes so fast in Glence of the night ? Mef. A friend. Lor. What friend? Your name, I pray you, friend? VOL. II.

M

Mef. Stephano is my name, and I bring word,
My mistress will before the break of day
Be here at Belmont: The doth stray about
By holy crosses, where the kneels, and prays,
For happy wedlock hours.

Lor. Who comes with her ?

Mef. None but a holy hermit and her maid.
I pray you,

is
niy
master

yet return'd?
Lor. He is not, nor have we yet heard from him.
But go we in, I pray thee, Jeffica,
And ceremoniously let us prepare
Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

Enter Launcelot.
Laun. Sola, fola, wo ha, ho, fola, sola!
Lor. Who calls ?

Laun. Sola ! did you see Master Lorenzo and Mistress Lorenzo ? sola, sola !

Lor. Leave hollowing, man: here
Laun. Sola! where? where?
Lor. Here.

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

Lor. Sweet love, let's in, and there expect their And yet no matter : why should we go in? [coming. My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you, Within the house, your mistress is at hand ;

[Exit. Stephano. And bring your music forth into the air. • How sweet the moon-light feeps upon this bank! • Here will we fit, and let the sounds of music

Creep in our ears ; soft stillness, and the night

Become the touches of sweet harmony. * Sit, Jessica : look how the floor of heav'n * Is thick inlay'd with patens of bright gold ; * There's not the smallest orb which thou-behold'It, * But in his motion like an angel sings, • Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims; * Such harmony is in immortal sounds ! * But whilft this muddy vesture of decay

Doth grossly close us in, we cannot hear it."

rage,

Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn;
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,
And draw her home with music.
Jes. I'm never merry when I hear sweet music.

[Musical Lor. · The reason is, your spirits are attentive; < For do but note a wild and wanton herd, • Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,

Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,

(Which is the hot condition of their blood), • If they perchance but hear a trumpet sound, • Or any air of music touch their ears, • You shall perceive them make a mutual stand; * Their savage eyes turn'd to a modeft gaze,

By the sweet power of music. Therefore the poet • Did fcign that Orpheus drew trees, ftones, and floods • Since nought so stockish, hard, and full of • But music for the time doth change his nature. • The man that hath no music in himself, • Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, • Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;

The motions of his fpirit are dull as night,
• And his affections dark as Erebus :
• Let no such man be trusted Mark the music.

Enter Portia and Nerissa.
Por. That light we fee, is burning in my hall :
How far that little candle throws his beams !
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

Ner. When the moon shone, we did not see the candlet

Por. So doth the greater glory dim-the less ; A substitute shines brightly as a King, Until a King be by; and then his state Empties itself, as doth an inland brook Into the main of waters. Music, hark ! [Musica

Ner. It is the music, Madam, of your house.

Por. Nothing is good, I see, without respect : Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day.

Ner. Silence bestows the virtue on it, Madam.

Por. The crow doth sidg as sweetly as the larki
When neither is attended ; and, I think,
The nightingale, if the should Ging by. day..

When every goose is cackling, would be thought
No better a musician than the wren.
How many things by season season'd are
To their right praise, and true perfection?
Peace ! how the moon sleeps with Endymion,
And would not be awak'd !

[Mufic ceases. Lor. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia.

Por. He knows me as the blind man knows the cucBy the bad voice.

[kow, Lor. Dear Lady, welcome home.

Por. We have been praying for our husbands healths, Which speed we hope the better for our words. Are they return'd?

Lor. Madam, they are not yet;
But there is come a messenger before,
To signify their coming.

Por. Go, Nerissa,
Give order to-my servants, that they take
No note at all of our being absent hence;
Nor you, Lorenzo; Jessica, nor you.

[ A tucket founds. Lor. Your husband is át hand, I hear his trumpet : We are no tell-tales, Madam, fear you not.

Por. This night, methinks, is but the day-light fick; It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the sun is hid. Enter Bassanio, Anthonio, Gratiano, and their followers.

Ball. We should hold day with the Antipodes, If you would walk in absence of the sun.

Por. Let me give light, but let' me not be light; For a light wife doth make a heavy husband; And never be Bassanio fo from me ; But God fort all! You're welcome home, my Lord.

Baj. I thank you, Madam : Give welcome to my This is the man, this is Anthonio,

[friend; To whom I am so infinitely bound.

Por. You should in all sense be much bound to him; For, as I hear, he was much bound for you.

Ant. No more than I am well acquitted of.
Por. Sir, you are very welcome to our house ;