But meeting with Salanio by the way, Sal. I did, my lord, And I have reafon for't. Signior Anthonio I Baff. Ere I ope his letter, pray you tell me how [Gives Baffanio a letter. my good friend doth ? Sal. Not fick, my lord, unlefs it be in mind; Nor well, unless in mind; his letter there Will fhew you his estate. [Baffanio opens the letter. We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece. Sal. Would you had won the fleece, that he hath loft! Por. There are fome fhrewd Contents in yond fame paper, That fteal the colour from Baffanio's cheek: Some dear Friend dead; elfe nothing in the world Of any conftant man. What, worfe and worse! Here are a few of the unpleasant'ft words How much I was a braggart: when I told you, The The paper as the body of my friend, And not one veffel 'fcap'd the dreadful touch Sal. Not one, my lord. Befides, it fhould appear, that if he had Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him fwear, To Tubal and to Chus his country-men, That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh, Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble? The ancient Roman honour more appears, Pay him fix thousand and deface the bond; (4) The best condition'd AND unweary'd fpirit H 3 WARBURTON. Double Double fix thousand, and then treble that, Shall lofe a hair through my Bassanio's fault. -away! Come- -But let me hear the letter of your friend. Baff. reads. Weet Baffanio, my ships have all miscarry'd, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impoffible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and me, if I might but fee you at my death. Notwithstanding ufe your pleasure: if your love do not perfuade you to come, let not my letter. Por. O love! dispatch all Business, and be gone. No bed fhall e'er be guilty of my stay; SCENE IV. Changes to a Street in Venice. [Exeunt. Enter Shylock, Solarino, Anthonio, and the Gaoler. Shy. Aoler, look to him-Tell not me of mercy— Gaoler, look to him. Anth. Hear me yet, good Shylock. Shy. I'll have my bond; fpeak not against my bond: I've fworn an oath, that I will have my bond. Thou call'dft me dog, before thou hadft a cause; But But fince I am a dog, beware my fangs. The Duke fhall grant me juftice., Ldo wonder, Shy. I'll have my bond-I will not hear thee speak To shake the head, relent, and figh and yield 10 To chriftian interceffors. Follow not; I'll have no fpeaking; I will have my bond. [Exit Shylock. Sola. It is the most impenetrable cur, That ever kept with men, Anth. Let him alone, I'll follow him no more with bootlefs pray'is: Many, that have at times made moan to me; Sola. I am fure, the Duke Will never grant this Forfeiture to hold. Anth. The Duke cannot deny the course of law; (5); For the commodity that ftrangers have With us in Venice, if it be deny'd, Will much impeach the juftice of the state; Well, gaoler, on- -Pray God, Baffanio come (5) The Duke cannot deny, &c.-] As the reafon here given feems a little perplexed, may be proper to explain it. If, lays he, the Duke flop the courfe of law, it will be attended with this inconvenience, that ftranger merchants, by whom the wealth and power of this city is fupported, will cry out of injuftice. For the known ftated law being their guide and fecurity, they will never bear to have the current of it stopped on any pretence of equity whatsoever. WARBUBTON. SCENE V. Changes to Belmont. Enter Portia, Neriffa, Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Balthazar. Lor. I Adam, although I fpeak it in your prefence, You have a noble and a true conceit Of God-like amity; which appears moft ftrongly In bearing thus the abfence of your lord. But if you knew to whom you fhew this honour, How true a gentleman you fend relief to, How dear a lover of my lord your husband; I know you would be prouder of the work, Than customary bounty can enforce you. Per. I never did repent of doing good, And shall not now; for in companions That do converse and waste the time together, Whofe fouls do bear an equal yoke of love, There must needs be a like proportion Of lineaments of manners, and of fpirit; (6) Which makes me think, that this Anthonio, Being the bofom-lover of my lord, Muft needs be like my lord. If it be fo, How little is the coft I have bestow'd, In purchafing the femblance of my foul From out the ftate of hellish cruelty? ༑ ༑ Was *Whofe fouls de bear an equ'il yoke of Ive]" An egal yoke of "love. Fol. 1632. Egal, I believe in Shakespeare's time, commonly used for equal. So it was in Chaucer's. Aye to compare unto thyne excellence, "I will prefume hym fo to dignifie, "Yet be not egall." Prologue to the Remedy of Love, So in Gor boduc. v "Sith all as one do bear you all faith." 1 A Dr. GRAY. (6) Of lineaments of manners, &c.] The wrong pointing has made this fine fentiment nonienfe. As implying that friendship could not only make a fimilitude of manners, but of faces. The true fenfe is, lineaments of manners, i.e. form of the manners, which, fays the fpeaker, muft qeeds be proportionate. WARB. |