Give him this letter, do it fecretly, And fo farewel: I would not have my father Laun. Adieu; tears exhibit my tongue; moft beautiful Pagan, moft fweet Jew! if a chriftian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceiv'd; but adieu! thefe foolish drops do fomewhat drown my manly fpirit: adieu! Jef. Farewel, good Launcelot. Alack, what heinous fin is it in me, SCENE, the Street. [Exit. [Exit. Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Solarino, and Salanio. Lor. N quife us at my lodging, and return all in an hour. Gra. We have not made good preparation. Sal. We have not spoke us 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 a-clock, we have two hours To furnish us. Friend Launcelot, what's the news? Enter Launcelot, with a letter. Laun. An' it fhall please you to break up this, it fhall feem to fignifie. Lor. I know the hand; in faith, 'tis a fair hand; Is the fair hand that writ. Laun. By your leave, Sir. Lor. Whither goest thou? Laun. Marry, Sir, to bid my old mafter the Jew to fup to night with my new mafter the chriftian, Lor. Lor. Hold, here, take this; tell gentle Jeffica, I will not fail her; fpeak it privately. Go.-Gentlemen, will you prepare for this mafque to night? I am provided of a torch-bearer. [Exit Laun. Sal. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it ftrait. Sola. And fo will I. Lor. Meet me, and Gratiano, At Gratiano's lodging fome hour hence, Sal. 'Tis good, we do fo, Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jeffica? [Exit. Lor. I must needs tell thee all; the hath directed, Come, go with me; perufe this, as thou goeft; SCENE, Shylock's house. Enter Shylock and Launcelot. [Exeunt Sby. WELL, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge, The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio. What, Jeffica! -thou shalt not gormandize, And fleep and fnore, and rend apparel out. Why, Jeffica! I fay. Laun. Why, Jessica! 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. Jef. Call you? what is your will? Shy. I am bid forth to fupper, Felica; There ་ There are my keys: but wherefore should I go? Laun. I beseech you, Sir, go; my young mafter doth expect your reproach. Shy. So do I his. Laun. And they have confpired together, I will not fay, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nofe fell a bleeding on black monday laft, at fix a-clock i'th' morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in the af ternoon. Shy. What! are there mafques? hear you me, Jeffica. Laun. I will go before, Sir. Mistress, look out at window, for all this; [Exit Laun. Perhaps, Perhaps, I will return immediately; Do, as I bid you. Shut the doors after you; faft bind, fast find; A proverb never ftale in thrifty mind. Jef. Farewel; and if my fortune be not croft, I have a father, you a daughter loft. SCENE, the Street. [Exit. [Exit Enter Gratiano and Salanio in masquerade. Gra. This is the pent-house, under which Lorenzo defired us to make a ftand. Sal. His hour is almoft paft. Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour, For lovers ever run before the clock. Sal. O, ten times fafter Venus' pidgeons fly (12) To feal love's bonds new made, than they are wont To keep obliged faith unforfeited! Gra. That ever holds. Who rifeth from a feast, (12) O, ten times fafter Venus' Pidgeons fly] This is a very odd fmage, of Venus's Pidgeons flying to feal the Bonds of Love. The fense is obvious, and We know the Dignity due to Venus's Pidgeons. There was certainly a Joke intended here, which the Ignorance, or Boldness, of the first Transcribers have murder'd: I doubt not, but Shakespeare wrote the Line thus; O, ten times fafter Venus' Widgeons fly To feal &c. For Widgeon is not only the filly Bird fo call'd, but fignifies likewise, metaphorically, a filly Fellow, as Goofe, or Gudgeon, does now. The Joke confifts in the Ambiguity of the Signification; and to call the Votaries of Love Venus's Widgeons has, I think, fomething very pretty. But the Transcribers finding Widgeon in the Text, and knowing Nothing of its figurative Signification, fubftituted Pidgeon as a more ufual, (or perhaps, better founding) Word. Butler has made the very fame Joke upon the Presbyterians. Canto 1ft. pt. 1. V. 231. Th' Apoftles of this fierce Religion, Like Mahomet's were Afs, and Widgeon. The Monks, in their fabulous Account of Mahomet, faid, he taught a Pidgeon to pick Peas out of his Ear for the Ends of his Imposture. Mr. Warburton: Arc Are with more spirit chased than enjoy'd. Enter Lorenzo. Sal. Here comes Lorenzo: more of this hereafter. Lor. Sweet friends, your patience for my long abode; Not I, but my affairs have made you wait; When you fhall please to play the thieves for wives, I'll watch as long for you then; come, approach; Here dwells my father Jew. Hoa, who's within? Jeffica above, in boy's cloaths. Jef. Who are you? tell me for more certainty, Albeit I'll fwear, that I do know your tongue. Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love. Jef. Lorenzo certain, and my love, indeed; For who love I fo much? and now who knows, But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours? Lor. Heav'n and thy thoughts are witness, that thou art. Jef. Here, catch this casket, it is worth the pains. I'm glad, 'tis night, you do not look on me; For I am much afham'd of my exchange; But love is blind, and lovers cannot fee The pretty follies that themselves commit; For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To fee me thus transformed to a boy. Lor. Defcend, for you must be my torch-bearer. Jef. What, muft I hold a candle to my fhames? They in themselves, good footh, are too too light. Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love, And I fhould be obscur'd. Lor. So are you, sweet, Ev'n in the lovely garnish of a boy.. For |