THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

LAUNCELOT GOBBO, the clown, servant to Shylock.

OLD GOBBO, father to Launcelot.

LEONARDO, servant to Bassanio.

Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler,
Servants to Portia, and other Attendants.

SCENES Partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont, the seat of Portia, on the Continent.

1 DRAMATIS PERSONA] First given

in Q3. See note (1).

2 THE...... MOROCCO] Morochus, a Prince. Q3 Q4. Morochius, a Moorish Prince. Rowe.

Q4.

3 SALERIO] See note (1x). BALTHASAR] Theobald. om. Q3

5 SCENE...] Rowe.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

ACT I.

SCENE I Venice. A street.

Enter ANTONIO, SALARINO, and SALANIO.

Ant. In sooth, I know not why I am so sad:
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;

But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;

And

T

a want-wit sadness makes of me,

have much ado to know myself.
Salar. Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail,
Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood,
Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea,
Do overpeer the petty traffickers,

That curt'sy to them, do them reverence,

As they fly by them with their woven wings.

Salan. Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth,

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The better part of my affections would

Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still
Plucking the grass, to know where sits the wind;
Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads;
And every object that might make me fear

Enter... Salanio] See note (1).

5, 6. So printed in Q3 Q4: as one

line in Q, Q2 Ff.

10. on] of Steevens (Capell conj.).

13. curt'sy] cursie Q1 Q2

19. Peering] Piering Q. Piring

Q2 Prying Q3 Q4•

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Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt

Would make me sad.

Salar.
Would blow me to an ague, when I thought
What harm a wind too great at sea might do.
I should not see the sandy hour-glass run,
But I should think of shallows and of flats,
And see my wealthy Andrew dock'd in sand
Vailing her high-top lower than her ribs

My wind, cooling my broth,

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To kiss her burial. Should I go to church
And see the holy edifice of stone,

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And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks,

Which touching but my gentle vessel's side,

Would scatter all her spices on the stream;

Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks;
And, in a word, but even now worth this,

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And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought
To think on this; and shall I lack the thought,
That such a thing bechanced would make me sad?
But tell not me; I know, Antonio

Is sad to think upon his merchandise.

Ant. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it,

My ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate

Upon the fortune of this present year:

Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad.
Salar. Why, then you are in love.
Ant.

Fie, fie!

Salar. Not in love neither? Then let us say you are sad,

Because you are not merry: and 'twere as easy

For you to laugh, and leap, and say you are merry,

Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed Janus,

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Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time:
Some that will evermore peep through their eyes,
And laugh like parrots at a bag-piper;
And other of such vinegar aspect,

That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile,
Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

Enter BASSANIO, LORENZO, and GRATIANO.

Salan. Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman, Gratiano, and Lorenzo. Fare ye well:

We leave you now with better company.

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Salar. I would have stay'd till I had made you merry, 60

If worthier friends had not prevented me.

Ant. Your worth is very dear in my regard.

I take it, your own business calls on you,
And you embrace the occasion to depart.

Salar. Good morrow, my good lords.

Bass. Good signiors both, when shall we laugh? say,

when?

You grow exceeding strange: must it be so?

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Salar. We'll make our leisures to attend on yours.

[Exeunt Salarino and Salanio.

Lor. My Lord Bassanio, since you have found Antonio,

We two will leave you: but, at dinner-time,

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I pray you, have in mind where we must meet.

Gra. You look not well, Signior Antonio; You have too much respect upon the world: They lose it that do buy it with much care:

Believe me, you are marvellously changed.

Ant. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;

A stage, where every man must play a part,

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