No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune ftood upon the casket there;
And fo did mine too, as the matter falls:
For wooing here until I fweat again,
And fwearing, till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love; at last, if promise last,
I got a promife of this fair one here,

To have her love, provided that your fortune
Atchiev'd her miftrefs.

Por. Is this true, Nerissa?

Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal.
Baff. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, faith, my lord.

Baff. Our feaft fhall be much honour'd in your marriage. Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy for a thousand ducats.

Ner. What, and ftake down?

Gra. No,we shall ne'er win at that sport, and ftake down. But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infidel? What, and my old Venetian friend, Salanio?

Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salanio.

Baff. Lorenzo and Salanio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new interest here
Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave,
I bid my very friends and country-men

(Sweet Portia) welcome.

Por. So do I, my lord; they are intirely welcome.
Lor. I thank your honour; for my part, my lord,

My purpose was not to have feen you here;

But meeting with Salanio by the way,

He did intreat me, past all faying nay,

To come with him along.

gales hold their fong for fifteen days and nights together, without intermiffion'. Our author ufes this word again in his Lear: Deliver'd letters fpight of intermission,

Which prefently they read.

i. e. in fpight of any paule, or delay. Sometimes, without intermiffion, is, without ceflation : as in the Greek, αδιαλείπτως, απάντως,

So in As you like it;

And I did laugh, fans intermission.

An hour by his dial.

Sal.

Sal. I did, my lord,

And I have reason for't; Signior Anthonio
Commends him to you.

Baf. Ere I ope his letter,

[Gives Baffanio a letter.

I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth.
Sal. Not fick, my lord, unlefs it be in mind;
Nor well, unless in mind; his letter there
Will fhew you his estate.

[Bafanio opens the letter. Gra. Neriffa cheeryond firanger: Bid her welcome. (19) Your hand, Salanio; what's the news from Venice? How doth that royal merchant good Anthonio?

I know he will be glad of our fuccefs:

We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece.

Sal. Would, you had won the fleece, that he hath loft! Por.There are fome fhrewd contents in yond fame paper, That steal the colour from Bassanio's cheek:

Some dear friend dead; elfe nothing in the world
Could turn fo much the conftitution

Of any constant man.

What, worfe and worse!

With leave, Bassanio, I am half yourself,.
And I must have the half of any thing
That this fame paper brings you.
Baff. O fweet Portia !

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words,
That ever blotted paper. Gentle lady,
When I did first impart my love to you,
I freely told you, all the wealth I had
Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;
And then I told you true; and yet, dear lady,
Rating myself at nothing, you shall fee

How much I was a braggart: when I told you,
My state was nothing, I fhould then have told you,
That I was worse than nothing. For, indeed,

(19) Neriffa, cheer yond firanger:] The poet has fhewn a fingular art here, in his conduct with relation to Jeffica. As the audience were already appriz'd of her ftory, the opening it here to Portia would have been a fuperfluous repetition. Nor could it be done properly, while a letter of fuch hafte and confequence was to be deliver'd: and on which the main action of the play depended. Fica is therefore, artfully, complimented in dumb fhew; and no fpeech made to her, because the fcere is drawn out to a great length by more important business.

I have engag'd myself to a dear friend,
Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady,
The paper, as the body of my friend;
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Iffuing life-blood. But is it true, Salanio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? what, not one hit
From Tripolis, from Mexico, from England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And not one veffel 'fcap'd the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?

Sal. Not one, my lord.

Befides, it fhould appear, that if he had
The prefent money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it. Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man.
He plies the Duke at morning and at night,
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him juftice. Twenty merchants,
The Duke himself, and the Magnificoes
Of greatest port, have all perfuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of juftice, and his bond.

Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him fwear, To Tuball and to Chus his country-men,

That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh,

Than twenty times the value of the fum

That he did owe him; and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and pow'r deny not,

It will go hard with poor Anthonio.

Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble? Baff. The dearest friend to me, the kindeft man, The best condition'd and unweary'd spirit

In doing courtefies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Por. What fum owes he the Jew?
Baff. For me, three thousand ducats.
Por. What, no more?

Pay him fix thousand, and deface the bond;
Double fix thoufand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this defcription

Shall lofe a hair through my Baffanio's fault.
Firft, go with me to church, and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend:

For never fhall you lie by Portia's fide
With an unquiet foul.

You fhall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over.
When it is paid, bring your true friend along;
My maid Neriffa and myself, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows: come, away!
For you shall hence upon your wedding-day.
Bid your friends welcome, fhew a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.
But let me hear the letter of your friend.

Baff.reads. S

Weet Baffanio, my ships have all mifcarry'd, my creditors grow cruel, my eftate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impoffible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and me, if I might but fee you at my death; notwithstanding, use your pleasure: if your love do not perfuade you to come, let not my letter.

Por. O love! dispatch all business, and be gone.
Baff. Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make hafte; but 'till I come again,

No bed fhall e'er be guilty of my stay;

No reft be interpofer 'twixt us twain.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Street in Venice.

Shy.

Enter Shylock, Solarino, Anthonio, and the Goaler. Oaler, look to him: tell not me of mercy. This is the fool, that lent out money gratis. Goaler look to him.

G

Ant. Hear me yet, good Shylock.

Shy. I'll have my bond, fpeak not against my bond: I've sworn an oath, that I will have my bond. Thou call'dit me dog, before thou hadst a cause;

But

But fince I am a dog, beware my fangs:
The Duke fhall grant me juftice. I do wonder,
Thou naughty goaler, that thou art fo fond
To come abroad with him at his requeft.

Ant. I pray thee, hear me fpeak.

Shy. I'll have my bond: I will not hear thee speak:
I'll have my bond; and therefore fpeak no more;
I'll not be made a foft and dull-ey'd fool,

To shake the head, relent, and figh and yield
To chriftian interceffors. Follow not;
I'll have no speaking; I will have my bond.

[Exit Shylock. Sola. It is the most impenetrable cur,

That ever kept with men.

Ant. Let him alone,

I'll follow him no more with bootlefs pray'rs :
He feeks my life; his reason well I know;
I oft deliver'd from his forfeitures

Many, that have at times made moan to me;
Therefore he hates me.

Sola. I am fure, the Duke

Will never grant this forfeiture to hold.

Ant. The Duke cannot deny the course of law; (20) For the commodity that ftrangers have

With us in Venice, if it be deny'd,

Will much impeach the juftice of the ftate;
Since that the trade and profit of the city
Confifteth of all nations. Therefore go,
These griefs and loffes have fo bated me,

(20) The Duke cannot deny] As this fentence feems a little perplex'd and obfcure, it may not be amifs to give it a fhort explanation. The 'Duke cannot deny the courfe of law, (fays Anthonio;) for if its courfe be denied, the privilege that ftrangers have, being violated, will cry ' out against the injuftice'. This is very much to the purpofe; for he does not fay, that the juftice of the state could indeed be impeach'd by ftopping the course of law in his cafe: For, indeed, it was the utmoft juftice to stop it here: But that ftrangers would accuse it of injuftice. This fhews the true temper of the fate of Venice, and of all other trading ftates; which will always more fear an inconvenience than an injuftice. The jealoufy that foreign merchants may entertain of injuftice, being always more carefully guarded against, than injuftice itfelf. Mr. Warburton.

'That