Shy. I am content.

Por. Clerk, draw a Deed of gift.

Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence; I am not well; fend the Deed after me,

And I will fign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In chrift'ning thou fhalt have two godfathers. Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten more,(30) To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

[Exit Shylock. Duke. Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do defire your Grace of pardon; I must away this night to Padua,

And it is meet, I presently fet forth.

Duke. I'm forry, that your leifure serves you not. Anthonio, gratify this gentleman;

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

(30)

[Exit Duke and his train.

thou should ft have bad ten more,] i. e. a jury of twel men, to condemn thee to he hang'd. So, in Measure for Measure,

- I not deny,

The Jury paffing on the pris'ner's life,

May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two
That juftice feizes on.

The fcenes of these two plays are respectively laid in Venice and Vien
na; and yet 'tis obfervable, in both the poet alludes to the custom of
fentencing by furies, as in England. This is not to be imputed to him
as ignorance: the licence of the ftage has allow'd it, not only at
home;
but likewife the tragic and comic poets of antiquity indulg'd
themfelves in tranfplanting their own cuftoms to other nations. Æfcbye
lus, for instance, in his Choepborr, makes Electra, who is in Argos, talk
of the customs us❜d in purifications, and prescrib'd by law, as the scho-
liaft obferves, at Athens. Τότο προς τὸ παρ' Αθηναίοις G. πρὸς
To Athynas rómov. Sophocles, in his Laocoon, the fcenery of which is
laid in Troy, talks of erecting altars, and burning incenfe before their
doors, as was practis'd on joyful occafions at Athens: therein trans-
planting the Athenian manners, as arpocratian has noted, to Troy.
Μετάγαν τὰ Arvatav Sneis Tria. And fo Ariftophanes, in his
Frogs, when the fcene is in the infernal regions, makes acus talk of
an edict pafs'd in hell for granting artists a subfiftence out of the pry-
taneum. In this, fays the fcholiaft, a cuftom is transferred to the
lower regions, which was establish'd in Athens. Ταῦτα μεταφέρει
από ταῖς εν Αττική ἐθῶν, εἰς τὰ καθ ̓ ἃδο. A number of inftances
more, of this fort, might be amafs'd from the ancient ftage-writers.

Baff

Baff. Moft worthy gentleman! I and my friend
Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Ant. And ftand indebted, over and above,
In love and fervice to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid that is well fatisfy'd;
And I, delivering you, am fatisfy'd;
And therein do account myself well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;
I wish you well, and fo I take my leave.

Baff. Dear Sir, of force I muft attempt you further.
Take fome remembrance of us for a tribute,
Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your fake,
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you.
Do not draw back your hand, I'll take no more;
And you in love fhall not deny me this.

Baff. This ring, good Sir, alas, it is a trifle;
I will not shame myfelf to give you this.

Por. I will have nothing elfe but only this, And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Bal. There's more depends on this, than is the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, And find it out by proclamation;

Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Por. I fee, Sir, you are liberal in offers ;

You taught me first to beg, and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar fhould be anfwer'd.

Baf Good Sir, this ring was giv'n me by my wife.
And, when she put it on, he made me vow,
That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lofe it.
Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts;
And if your wife be not a mad woman,
And know how well I have deferv'd the ring,
She wou'd not hold out enmity for ever,

For

For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!
[Exit with Nerissa.
Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring,
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandment.
Baff. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him if thou can'ft,
Unto Antonio's house: away, make hafte.
and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont; come, Anthonio.

Come, you

Re-enter Portia and Neriffa.

[Exit. Gra.

[Exeunt.

Por. Enquire the Jew's house out, give him this Deed, And let him fign it; we'll away to-night,

And be a day before our hufbands home;
This Deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Fair Sir, you are well o'erta'en:
My lord Baffanio, upon more advice,
Hath fent you here this ring, and doth intreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be.

This ring I do accept moft thankfully,
And fo, I pray you, tell him; furthermore,
I pray you, fhew my youth old Shylock's houfe.
Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would speak with you.

I'll fee if I can get my husband's ring:

Which I did make him fwear to keep for ever.

[To Por.

Por.Thou may'ft, I warrant. We fhall have old fwearing,

That they did give the rings away to men;
But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too:
Away, make haste, thou know'ft where I will tarry.

Ner. Come, good Sir, will you fhew me to this houfe?

[Exeunt

ACT

HE moon fhines bright: in fuch a night as this, When the fweet wind did gently kifs the trees, And they did make no noise; in fuch a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall; And figh'd his foul toward the Grecian tents, Where Crefid lay that night.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew;
And faw the lion's fhadow ere himself,

And ran difmayed away.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand

Upon the wild fea-banks, and wav'd her love

To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs,

That did renew old Æfon.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Did Jefica fteal from the wealthy Jew,

And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,
As far as Belmont.

Jef. And in fuch a night,

Did young Lorenzo fwear, he lov'd her well;
Stealing her foul with many vows of faith,
And ne'er a true one.

Lor. And in fuch a night,

Did pretty Jeffica (like a little fhrew)
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 fo faft, in filence of the night? Mef. A friend.

Lor. What friend? your name, I pray you, friend? Mef. Stephano is my name, and I bring word, My miftrefs will before the break of day

Be here at Belmont: she doth ftray about

By holy croffes, where the kneels, and prays,
For happy wedlock hours.

I

Lor. Who comes with her?

Mef. None, but a holy hermit, and her maid. pray you, is my mafter 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, Sola; wo ha, ho, fola, fola !

Lor. Who calls?

Laun. Sola! did you fee mafter Lorenzo and mistress Lorenza? fola, fola!

Lor. Leave hollowing, man: here.

Laun. Sola! where? where?

Lor. Here.

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

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

[Exit Stephano.

And bring your mufick forth into the air.
How sweet the moon-light fleeps upon this bank!
Here will we fit, and let the founds of mufick
Creep in our ears; soft ftillness, and the night

Become