GRA. You must not deny me, I must go with you to Belmont.

BASS. Why, then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano,
Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice;
Parts, that become thee happily enough,

And in fuch eyes as ours appear not faults;

But where thou art not known, why, there they shew
Something too liberal; pray thee, take pain
T'allay with fome cold drops of modesty

Thy skipping fpirit; left, through thy wild behaviour,
I be mifconftru'd in the place I go to,

And lose my hopes.

GRA. Signior Baffanio, hear me.

If I do not put on a fober habit,

Talk with refpect, and swear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely;
Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
Thus with my hat, and figh, and fay; Amen;
Ufe all th'obfervance of civility,

Like one well ftudied in a fad oftent

To please his grandam; never trust me more.

BASS. Well, we shall fee your bearing.

GRA. Nay, but I bar to-night, you shall not gage me

By what I do to-night.

BASS. No, that were pity.

I would entreat you rather to put on

Your boldest fuit of mirth, for we have friends

That purpose merriment: but fare you well,

I have fome business.

GRA. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest:

But we will vifit you at fupper-time.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Changes to SHYLOCK's house.
Enter Jeffica and Launcelot.

JES. I'm forry, thou wilt leave my father fo;
Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Didft rob it of some taste of tedioufnefs.
But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee;
And, Launcelot, foon at fupper shalt thou see
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest;
Give him this letter, do it fecretly,

And fo farewel: I would not have my father
See me talk with thee.

LAUN. Adieu!—Tears exhibit my tongue. [afide.] Most beautiful Pagan,-most sweet Jew! if a christian did not play the knaye and get thee, I am much deceiv'd. But, adieu! these foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu!

JES. Farewel, good Launcelot.
Alack, what heinous fin is it in me,

To be afham'd to be my father's child?
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,
If thou keep promife, I fhall end this strife,
Become a christian, and thy loving wife.

SCENE V. The street.

Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio.

[Exit.

[Exit.

LOR. Nay, we will flink away at fupper-time, disguise us

at my lodging, and return all in an hour.

GRA. We have not made good preparation.
SAL. We have not spoke as yet of torch bearers.
SOLA. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered,
And better in my mind not undertook.

LOR. 'Tis now but four o'clock, we have two hours
To furnish us.

Enter Launcelot, with a letter.

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

LAUN. An' it shall please you to break up this, it fhall

feem to fignifie.

LOR. I know the hand; in faith, 'tis a fair hand; And whiter than the paper, it writ on,

Is the fair hand that writ.

GRA. Love news, in faith.

LAUN. By your leave, fir.

LOR. Whither goest thou?.

LAUN. Marry, fir, to bid my old mafter the Jew to fup

with

my new mafter the chriftian.

LOR. Hold, here, take this.

-Tell gentle Jeffica,

I will not fail her. Speak it privately.

Go.-Gentlemen, will you prepare for this mafque to

night?

I am provided of a torch-bearer.

SAL. Ay marry, I'll be gone about it strait.

SOLA. And fo will I.

LOR. Meet me and Gratiano,

[Exit Laun.

At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence.

SOL. 'Tis good we do fo.

[Exit.

GRA. Was not that letter from fair Jeffica?

LOR. I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed,

How I fhall take her from her father's house;

What gold and jewels she is furnish'd with ;

What page's fuit she hath in readiness.

If e'er the Jew her father come to heav'n,
It will be for his gentle daughter's fake :
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
Unless the doth it under this excufe,
That the is iffue to a faithlefs Jew.

Come, go with me; peruse this, as thou goest.

Fair Jeffica fhall be

my torch-bearer.

SCENE VI. SHYLOCK's house.

Enter Shylock and Launcelot.

[Exeunt.

SHY. Well, thou shalt fee, thy eyes shall be the judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Baffanio-
What, Jeffica!thou shalt not gormandize,
As thou haft done with me-what, Jeffica!-
And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out.
Why, Jeffica! I fay.

LAUN. Why, Jeffica!

SHY. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. LAUN. Your worship was wont to tell me, that I could do nothing without bidding.

Enter Jeffica.

JES. Call you? what is your will?

SHY. I am bid forth to fupper, Jeffica;

There are my keys. But wherefore fhould I go?
I am not bid for love; they flatter me:
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
The prodigal chriftian. Jeffica, my girl,
Look to my house. I am right loth to go;
There is fome ill a brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to night.

LAUN. I beseech you, fir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach.

SHY. So do I his.

LAUN And they have confpir'd together. I will not say, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on black monday last, at fix o'clock i'th'morning, falling out that year on Ash-wednesday was four year in the afternoon.

SHY. What! are there mafques? Hear you me, Jeffica, Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, And the vile fqeaking of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber not you up to the cafements then, Nor thrust your head into the publick street, To gaze on chriftian fools with varnish'd faces : But stop my house's ears; I mean my casements; Let not the found of thallow foppery enter My fober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear, I have no mind of feasting forth to-night: But I will go. Go you before me, firrah: Say, I will come.

LAUN. I will go before, fir.

Miftrefs, look out at window, for all this;
There will come a Christian by,

Will be worth a Jewefs' eye.

[Exit Laun.
SHY. What fays that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha?
JES. His words were, farewel, mistress; nothing else.
SHY The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder;
Snail-flow in profit; but he fleeps by day

More than the wild-cat: drones hive not with me,
Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To one, that I would have him help to waste
His borrow'd purfe. Well, Jeffica, go in;