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Laun. Pray you, lets have no more fooling about it, but give me your bleffing: I am Launcelot, your boy that was, your fon that is, your child that fhall be. +

Gob. I cannot think you are my fon.

Laun. I know not, what I fhall think of that: but I am Launcelot the Jew's man, and, I am fure, Margery your wife is my mother.

Gob. Her name is Margery indeed.-I'll be fworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art my own flesh and blood. Lord worfhipp'd might he be! what a beard haft thou got! thou haft got more hair on thy chin, than Dulbin my Thill-horfe has on his tail.

Laun. It fhould feem then, that Dobbin's tail grows backward; I am fure, he had more hair on his tail, than I had on my face, when I laft faw him.

Gob. Lord, how art thou chang'd. How doft thou and thy mafter agree? I have brought him a prefent how agree you now?

Laun. Well, well; but for mine own part, as I have fet up my reft to run away, fo I will not reft 'till I have run fome ground. My mafter's a very Jew. Give him a prefent! give him a halter: I am famish'd in his fervice. You may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come; give me your prefent to one mafter Biffanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I ferve him not, I will run as far as God has any ground. Orare fortune, here comes the man; to him, father-for I am a Jew, if I ferve the Jew any longer.

Enter Baffanio with Leonardo, and a follower or

two more.

Ball. You may do fo.-But let it be fo hafted, that

4 Your child that shall be.] The distinction between boy and fon is obvious, but child feems to have

had fome meaning which is now loft.

fupper

fupper be ready at the fartheft by five of the clock. See these letters deliver'd, put the liveries to making, and defire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. Laun. To him, father.

Gob. God bless your worship!

Baff. Gramercy, would't thou aught with me?
Gob. Here's my fon, Sir, a poor boy,-

Laun. Not a poor boy, Sir, but the rich Jew's man, that would, Sir, as my father fhall specify,

Gob. He hath a great infection, Sir, as one would fay, 10 ferve.

Laun. Indeed, the fhort and the long is, I ferve the Jew, and have a defire, as my father fhall fpecifie,

Gob. His mafter and he, faving your worship's reverence, are scarce catercoufins.

Laun. To be brief, the very truth is, that the Jew, having done me wrong, doth caufe me, as my father, being I hope an old man, fhall frutifie unto you,

Gob. I have here a difh of doves, that I would beflow upon your worship; and my fuit is——

Laun. In very brief, the fuit is impertinent to my felf, as your worship fhall know by this honeft old man; and, though I fay it, though old man, yet poor

man my father.

Ball. One fpeak for both.
Laun. Serve you, Sir.

What would you?

Gob. This is the very defe of the matter, Sir.

Baff. I know thee well. Thou haft obtain'd thy fuit; Shylock, thy mafter, fpoke with me this day,

And hath preferr'd thee; if it be preferment
To leave a rich Jew's fervice to become

The follower of fo poor a gentleman.

Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my mafter Shylock and you, Sir; you have the grace of God, Sir, and he hath enough.

Baff. Thou fpeak'ft it well. Go, father, with thy

fon:

Take leave of thy old mafter, and enquire

My lodging out. Give him a livery, [To his followers. More guarded than his fellows: fee it done.

Laun. Father, in. I cannot get a fervice, no?—I have ne'er a tongue in my head? Well, [looking

5

сп

to have taken its rife from the
accident of a loft line in tran-
fcribing the play for the prefs;
fo that the paffage, for the fu-
ture, fhould be printed thus,-
Well, if any man in Italy have
a fairer table, which doth
offer to fwear upon a book I shall
have a good fortune. It is impof-
fible to find, again, the lot line;
but the loft fenfe is eafy enough

5 Well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth offer to wear upon a book.] The Pofition of the Words makes the Sentence fomewhat obfcure. Their natural Order fhould be This. Well, if any Man in Italy, which doth offer to fwear upon a Book, have a fairer Table, I fhall have good Luck. And the Humour of the paffage feem This. Launcelot, a Joker, and defignedly a Blunderer, fays the very Reverse of what he fhould do which is, That if no Man in Italy, who would offer to take bis Oath upon it, hath a fairer Table than He, he shall have good Mr. Theobald's note is as obFortune. The Banter may, part- fcure as the paffage. It may be ly, be on Chiromancy in general: read more than once before the but it is very much in character complication of ignorance can for Launcelot, who is a hungry be completely disentangled. TaServing man, to confider his Ta-tle is the palm expanded. What ble before his Line of Life, or Mr. Theobald conceives it to be any other Points of Fortune.

:

THEOBALD.

Fairer table.] The chiromantic term for the lines of the hand. So Ben Johnson in his Mask of Gipfies to the lady Elizabeth Hatton;

Mifirefs of a fairer table, Hath not hiftory nor fable. Which doth offer to fwear upon a book, &c.] This nonfenfe feems

if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth [promife good luck, I am mistaken. I durit almost] offer to wear upon a book, I fhall have good fortune. WARBURTON.

cannot easily be discovered, but he thinks it fomewhat that promifes a full belly.

Dr. Warburton understood the word, but puzzles himself with no great fuccefs in pursuit of the meaning. The whole matter is this: Launcelot congratulates himfelf upon his dexterity and good fortune, and, in the height of his rapture, infpects his hand, and congratulates himself upon

the

on his palm.] if any man in Italy have a fairer table, which doth offer to fwear upon a book.--I shall have good fortune--Go to, here's a fimple line of life. Here's a fmall trifle of wives; alas, fifteen wives is nothing, eleven widows and nine maids is a fimple coming in for one man. And then to 'fcape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather bed. Here are fimple 'fcapes! Well, if fortune be a woman, fhe's a good wench for this geer. Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Few in the twinkling of an eye.

[Exeunt Laun. and Gob. Baff. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this. These things being bought and orderly bestowed, Return in hafte, for I do feast to night

My best efteem'd acquaintance. Hie thee, go.
Leon. My best endeavours fhall be done herein.

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Gra. You must not deny me, I must to Belmont.

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Baff. Why, then you muft. 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 fhew
Something too liberal; 7 pray thee, take pain
T'allay with fome cold drops of modefty

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

And lofe my hopes.

Gra. Signior Bassanio, hear me.

If I do not put on a fober habit,

Talk with respect, and fwear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pockets, look demurely;
Nay more, while grace is faying, 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 ollent a

To please his grandam; never truft me more.
Baff. Well, we fhall fee your bearing.

Gia. Nay, but I bar to night, you shall not gage

me

By what we do to-night.

Baff. No, that were pity.

I would intreat you rather to put on

Your boldeft 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 reft:
But we will vifit you at fupper-time.

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[Exeunt.

Sad oftent.] Grave appearance; thew of staid and ferious behaviour.

SCENE

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