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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.

Baff. Good Sir, this Ring was given me by my Wife ; And when she put it on, fhe made me vow

That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lose 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 this Ring,
She wou'd not hold out Enmity for ever
For giving it to me. Well, Peace be with you.
Anth. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the Ring.
Let his Defervings, and my Love withal,
Be valued against your Wife's Commandment.
Baff. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the Ring, and bring him, if thou canft,
Unto Anthonio's Houfe: Away, make hafte,
Come, you and I will thither presently,
And in the Morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont; come, Anthonio.

Enter Portia and Neriffa.

[Exit.

[Exit Gra.

[Exeunt.

Par. 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 Husbands 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.

His Ring do I accept moft thankfully,

And so 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 fpeak with you.

I'll fee if I can get my Husband's Ring
Which I did make him fwear to keep for ever,

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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 hafte, thou know'ft where I will tarry.

Ner. Come, good Sir, will you fhew me to this House? [Exeunt.

Lor.

A CT V. SCENE I.

SCENE Belmont.

Enter Lorenzo and Jeffica.

HE Moon fhines bright. In fuch a Night as this,
When the fweet Wind did gently kifs the Trees,

And they did make no noife; in fuch a Night,
Troylus methinks mounted the Troyan Wall,
And figh'd his Soul toward the Grecian Tents,
Where Creffed lay that Night.

Jef. In fuch a Night,

Did Thisby fearfully o'er-trip the Dew,
And faw the Lion's Shadow e'er himself,
And ran difmay'd away.

Lor. In fuch a Night,

Stood Dido with a Willow in her Hand
Upon the wide Sea-banks, and waft her Love
To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In fuch a Night,

Medea gather'd the Inchanted Herbs

That did renew old Afon.

Lor. In fuch a Night,

Did Jeffica fteal from the wealthy Jew,

And with an unthrift Love did run from Venice,

As far as Belmont.

Jef. In fuch a Night

Did young Lorenzo fwear he lov'd her well,
Stealing her Soul with many Vows of Faith,
And ne'er a true one.

Lor. In fuch a Night,

Did pretty Jeffica (like a little Shrew)
Slander her Love, and he forgave it her.

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Jef. I would out-night you, did no Body come: But hark, I hear the footing of a Man.

Enter Messenger.

Lor. Who comes fo faft, in filence of the Night?
Mef. A Friend.

Lor. A Friend! 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.

Lor. Who comes with her?

Mef. None but a holy Hermit and her Maid.

I 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 Miftrefs of the House.

Enter Launcelot.

Laun. Sola, fola; wo ha, ho, fola, fola.

Lor. Who calls?

Laun. Sola, did you fee Mr. Lorenzo and Mrs Lorenzo? Sola, fola.

Lor. Leave hollowing, Man: Herc.

Laun. Sola, where? where?

Lor. Here.

Laun. Tell him, there's a Poft come from my Master, with his Horn full of good News; my Mafter will be here c'er Morning.

Lor. Sweet Love, let's in, and there expect their coming.
And yet no matter: Why should we go in?
My Friend Stephano, fignifie, I pray you,
Within the House, your Mistress is at hand,
And bring your Mufick forth into the Air.
How fweet the Moon-light fleeps upon this Bank;
Here will we fit, and let the founds of Mufick
Creep in our Ears; foft Stilnefs, and the Night
Become the touches of fweet Harmony.
Sit, Jeffica, look how the Floor of Heav'n
Is thick inlay'd with Patterns of bright Gold;

There's

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There's not the smallest Orb which thou behold'st,
But in his Motion like an Angel fings,

Still quiring to the young-ey'd Cherubims;

Such Harmony is in immortal Souls;
But whilft this muddy Vesture of Decay
Doth grofly close us in it, we cannot hear it.
Come hoe, and wake Diana with a Hymn,
With sweetest Touches pierce your Mistress Ear,
And draw her Home with Mufick.

Jes. I am never merry when I hear sweet Musick.
Mufick.

Lor. The Reason is, your Spirits are attentive;
For do but note a wild and wanton Herd,
Or Race of youthful and unhandled Colts,
Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,
Which is the hot Condition of their Blood;
If they but hear perchance a Trumpet found,
Or any Air of Mufick touch their Ears,
You fhall perceive them make a mutual ftand;
Their favage Eyes turn'd to a modeft Gaze

By the fweet Power of Mufick. Therefore the Poet
Did fain that Orpheus drew Trees, Stones, and Floods,
Since naught fo ftockish, hard, and full of rage,
But Mufick for the time doth change his Nature:
The Man that hath no Mufick in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with Concord of fweet Sounds,
Is fit for Treasons, Stratagems, and Spoils;
The Motions of his Spirit are dull as Night,
And his Affections dark as Erebus:

Let no fuch Man be trufted. Mark the Mufick.
Enter Portia and Neriffa.

Por. That Light we fee is burning in my Hall:

How far that little Candle throws his Beams;

So fhines a good Deed in a naughty World.

Ner. When the Moon fhone we did not fee the Candle, Por. So doth the greater Glory dim the lefs; A Substitute shines brightly as a King Until a King be by; and then his State Empties it felf, as doth an inland Brook Into the Main of Waters. Mufick, hark!

[Music! Ne

Ner. It is the Mufick, Madam, of your House, Por. Nothing is good, I fee, without Refpe&t: Methinks it founds much fweeter than by Day.

Ner. Silence beftows that Virtue on it, Madam.
Por. The Crow doth fing as fweetly as the Lark,
When neither is attended; and I think

The Nightingale, if she should fing by Day,
When every Goofe is cackling, would be thought
No better a Mufician than the Wren.

How many things by Seafon feafon'd are
To their right Praife and true Perfection?
Peace, how the Moon fleeps with Endimion,
And would not be awak'd!

Mufick ceafes.

Lor. That is the Voice,

Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia.

Por. He knows me as the blind Man knows the Cuckow, by the bad Voice.

Lor. Dear Lady, welcome Home.

Por. We have been praying for our Husband's welfare, Which speed, we hope, the better for our Words.

Are they return'd?

Lor. Madam, they are not yet;

But there is come a Meffenger before,
To fignifie their coming.

Por. Go in, Neriffa,

Give Order to my Servants, that they take

No note at all of our being abfent hence,

Nor you Lorenzo, Jeffica nor you.

A Tucket founds.

Lor. Your Husband is at hand, I hear a Trumpet; We are no Tell-tales, Madam, fear you not.

Por. This Night methinks is but the Day-light fick;

It looks a little paler; 'tis a Day,

Such as the Day is when the Sun is hid.

If

Enter Baffanio, Anthonio, Gratiano, and their Followers. Baff. We should hold Day with the Antipodes,

you would walk in Abfence of the Sun.

Por. Let me give Light, but let me not be light; For a light Wife doth make a heavy Husband,

And

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