:

80 A stage where every man must play a part, |
And mine a sad one.]
Gra.

Let me play the Fool :]
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come ;]
And let my liver rather heat with wine,]

Than my heart cool with mortifying groans.]
85 Why should a man) whose blood is warm within |

Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster ?)
Sleep] when he wakes ? and creep into the jaundice
By being peevish ?] I tell thee what, Antonio,

I love thee, and it is my love that speaks : 1 90 There are a sort of men whose visages

Do cream and mantle like a standing pond ; |
And do a wilful stillness entertain,
With purpose to be dress’d in an opinion

Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit ;]
95 As who should say, “ I am Sir Oracle, I.

And) when I ope my lips | let no dog bark !”)
O, my Antonio, I do know of these,
That therefore only are reputed wise

For saying nothing ; , who,) [I am very sure,] 100 If they should speak, | would almost damn those ears)

Which, hearing them, would call their brothers fools.
I'll tell thee more of this another time ; |
But fish not with this melancholy bait,

For this fool gudgeon, this opinion.]
105 Come, good Lorenzo :]— Fare ye well, a while ; |

I'll end my exhortation after dinner. |

Lor. Well, we will leave you then till dinner-time : 1 82. old wrinkles, i.e., wrinkles of age.

I must be one of these same dumb wise men,

For Gratiano never lets me speak. 110 Gra. Well, keep me company but two years more,]

Thou shalt not know the sound of thine own tongue.

Ant. [Farewell !] I'll grow a talker for this gear. |

Gra. Thanks, i' faith ;] for silence is only commendable In a neat’s tongue dried, and a maid not vendible.

[Exeunt GRATIANO and LORENZO. 115 Ant. Is that anything now? |

Bass. Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice : His reasons are two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; you shall seek all day ere you find them ; and when you have them, they are not worth the search.

Ant. Well, tell me now,] what lady is the same |
To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage,
That you to-day promised to tell me of ?

Bass. 'Tis not unknown to you, Antonio, | 120 How much I have disabled mine estate,

By something showing a more swelling port |
Than my faint means would grant continuance ; |
Nor do I now make moan to be abridged

From such a noble rate ;| but my chief care 125 Is to come fairly off from the great debts |

Wherein my time, something too prodigal,
Hath left me gaged : To you, Antonio,
I owe the most in money and in love ; |

And from your love I have a warranty 130 To unburthen all my plots and purposes,

How to get clear of all the debts I owe.]

Ant. I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it ;]
And,) if it stand,) as you yourself still do, |

Within the eye of honour,) be assur'd)
135 My purse, my person, my extremest means,

Lie all unlock'd to your occasions. I

Bass. In my school-days,) when I had lost one shaft | I shot his fellow of the self-same flight

The self-same way, with more advised watch
140 To find the other forth ;) and by adventuring both

I oft found both :| I urge this childhood proof, |
Because what follows is pure innocence. I
I owe you much ;| and, like a wilful youth,

That) which I owe is lost ;) but) if you please 145 To shoot another arrow that self way |

Which you did shoot the first, | I do not doubt)
As I will watch the aim, | or to find both
Or bring your latter hazard back again,

And thankfully rest debtor for the first.) 150 Ant. You know me well ;; and herein spend but time,

To wind about my love with circumstance ;]
Aud, out of doubt, you do me now more wrong
In making question of my uttermost, |

Than if you had made waste of all I have.] 155 Then do but say to me) what I should do,

That in your knowledge may by me be done, |
And I am prest unto it :/ therefore speak.]

Bass. In Belinont is a lady richly left,|

133. Still.-Always.

136. Occasions.---To be read as a word of four syllables. See oceans, 8.

138. His was formerly neuter as well as masculine. Its occurs very rarely in Shakspere. See Craik, Julius Cæsar, 54.

140. Forth.- To be joined with shot, 138. 143. Like a wilful youth.-Very elliptical

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for “as is natural in the case of a wilful youth."

147. Shakspere uses or--or for either-or, and nor-nor for neither-nor.

151. To wind about my love with circumstance. --Adjunct of manner explanatory of herein.

157. Prest. ---Ready. Ital. presto.

And she is fair, and) [fairer than that word,
160 Of wond'rous virtues.) Sometimes from her eyes

I did receive fair speechless messages :
Her name is Portia ; nothing undervalued
To Cato's daughter, Brutus' Portia.

Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth ;| 165 For the four winds blow in from every coast

Renowned suitors :/ and her sunny locks
Hang on her temples like a golden fleece ; |
Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchos strand, 1

And many Jasons come in quest of her. | 170 O, my Antonio ! had I but the means

To hold a rival place with one of them, |
I have a mind| presages me such thrift,
That I should questionless be fortunate.

Ant. Thou know'st that all my fortunes are at sea ; | 175 Neither have I money, nor commodity

To raise a present sum :| therefore go forth,]
Try] what my credit can in Venice do ; |
That shall be rack’d, even to the uttermost,

To furnish thee to Belmont, to fair Portia. | 180 Go,] presently inquire,] and so will 1,]

Where money is ; | and I no question make,
To have it of my trust, or for my sake. | [Exeunt.

2

Scene II. opens at Belmont, and is entirely taken up by a conversation in prose between Portia and her waiting-maid. In this conversation, the merits of the different suitors are canvassed in a somewhat lively manner; and Portia's preference for Bassanio very clearly indicated. We pass over this to Scene III.

SCENE III.

Venice.—A public Place.

Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK.

Shy. Three thousand ducats,—well.*
Bass. Ay, sir, for three months.
Shy. For three months,—well.

Bass. For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.

Shy. Antonio shall become bound,—well,

Bass. May you steadt me? Will you pleasure me ? Shall I know your answer ?

Shy. Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Antonio bound.

Bass. Your answer to that.
Shy. Antonio is a good man.
Bass. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?

Shy. Oh no, no, no, no ;-my meaning in saying he is a good man is, to have you understand me that he is sufficient : yet his means are in supposition :8 he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies ; I understand, moreover, upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England ; and other ventures he hath, squandered abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but men : there be land-rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves

-I mean, pirates ; and then, there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks : The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient; —three thousand ducats ;-—I think I may take his bond.

Bass. Be assured you may.

Shy. I will be assured I may ; and that I may be assured I will bethink me : may I speak with Antonio ?

I
Bass. If it please you to dine with us.