Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou say?
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; send the deed after me,

And I will sign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers; Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten more, To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

[Exit SHY. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon;

I must away this night toward Padua,

And it is meet, I presently set forth.

Duke. I am sorry, that your leisure serves you not. -Antonio, gratify this gentleman;

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

[Exe. Duke, Magnificoes, and Train.

Bass. Most 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 stand indebted, over and above,
In love and service to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid, that is well satisfied;
And I, delivering you, am satisfied,
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 so I take my leave.

Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further;
Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute,
Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake;
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 shall not deny me this.

Bass. This ring, good sir,-alas, it is a trifle;
I will not shame myself to give you this.
Por. I will have nothing else but only this;

[8] i, e. a jury of twelve men, to condemn thee to be hanged.

THEOB.

And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Bass. There's more depends on this, than on 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 see, sir, you are liberal in offers: You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks, You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd. Bass. Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife; And, when she put it on, she made me vow, That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.

Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. An if your wife be not a mad woman,

And know how well I have deserv'd this ring,
She would not hold out enemy for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

[Exe. PORTIA and NERISSA,
Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring;
Let his deservings, and my love withal,
Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment.

Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canst,
Unto Antonio's house :-away, make haste.
Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both

Fly toward Belmont: Come, Antonio.

The same.

SCENE II.

[Ex. GRA.

[Exeunt.

A Street. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA. Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, And let him sign 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 overtaken :
My lord Bassanio, upon more advice,

Hath sent you here this ring; and doth entreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be :

This ring I do accept most thankfully,

And so, I pray you, tell him: Furthermore,

I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house.
Gra. That I will do.

Ner. Sir, I would speak with you :

I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,

[TO PORTIA.

Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

Por. Thou may'st, I warrant; We shall have old swearing,

That they did give the rings away to men ;

But we'll outface them, and outswear them too.-
Away, make haste; thou know'st where I will tarry.
Ner. Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?
[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I.-Belmont. Avenue to PORTIA's House. Enter LORENZO and JESSICA.

Lorenzo.

THE moon shines bright:-In such a night as this,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
And they did make no noise; in such a night,
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls,
And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.

Jes. In such a night,

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

And ran dismay'd away.

Lor. In such a night,

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand

Upon the wild sea-banks, and wav'd her love
To come again to Carthage.

Jes. In such a night,

Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs

That did renew old son.

Lor. In such a night,

Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew:
And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,
As far as Belmont.

Jes. And in such a night,

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

Lor. And in such a night,

Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

Jes. I would out-night you, did no body come : But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter STEPHANO.

Lor. Who comes so fast in silence of the night?
Steph. A friend.

Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I

friend?

pray you,

Steph. Stephano is my name; and I bring word, My mistress will before the break of day

Be here at Belmont: she doth stray about

By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays
For happy wedlock hours.

I

Lor. Who comes with her?

Steph. None, but a holy hermit, and her maid.

pray you, is my master yet return'd?

Lor. He is not, nor we have not heard from him.—

But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,

And ceremoniously let us prepare

Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

Enter LAUNCELOT.

Laun. Sola, sola, wo ha, ho, sola, sola!

Lor. Who calls?

Laun. Sola! did you see master Lorenzo, and mistress Lorenzo? sola, sola!

Lor. Leave hollaing, man; here.

Laun. Sola! where? where?

Lor. Here.

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

[Exit STE.

[Exit. Lor. Sweet soul, let's in, and there expect their coming. And yet no matter;-Why should we go in ? My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you, Within the house, your mistress is at hand ; And bring your music forth into the air.How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night, Become the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica: Look, how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold ;9

There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,

[9] A patine, from patina, Lat. A patine is the small flat dish or plate used with the chalice, in the administration of the eucharist. In the time of popery, and probably in the following age, it was commonly made of gold. MAL.

But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubins:
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.-
Enter Musicians.

Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn ;'
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,
And draw her home with music.

[Music.

Jes. I am never merry, when I hear sweet music. 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 sound,
Or any air of music touch their ears,

You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
Their savage eyes turn to a modest gaze,

By the sweet power of music: Therefore, the poet

Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods
Since nought so stockish, hard and full of rage,
But music for the time doth change his nature :
The man that hath no music in himself,"
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus :

[1] Diana is the moon, who is in the next scene represented as sleeping JOHNSON

[2] The thought here is extremely fine; as if the being affected with music was only the harmony between the internal [music in himself] and the external music [concord of sweet sounds;] which were mutually affected like unison strings. This whole speech could not choose but please an English audience, whose great passion, as well then as now, was love of music. "Jam vero video naturam (says Erasmus in praise of Folly,) ut singulis nationibus, ac pene civitatibus, communem quandam inse visse Philautiam: atque hinc fieri, ut Britanni, præter alia. Formam, Musicam, & lautas Mensas proprie sibi vindicent." WARBURTON.

This passage, which is neither pregnant with physical and moral truth, nor poetically beautiful in an eminent degree, has constantly enjoyed the good fortune to be repeated by those whose inhospitable memories would have refused to admit or retain any other sentiment or description of the same author, however exalted or just. The truth is, that it furnishes the vacant fiddler with something to say in defence of his profession, and supplies the coxcomb in music with an invective against such as do not pretend to discover all the various powers of language in articulate sounds.

It is no uncommon thing to see those who would think half a day well spent in reconciling a couple of jarring strings to unison, and yet would make no scruple in employing the other half in setting two of the most intimate friends at variance. So much for the certitude of being taught morality in the school of music,

-ite

Ferte citi flammas, date tela.

STEEVENS.