Ner. Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men. at their death have good infpirations; therefore, the lottery, that he hath devised in thefe three chefts of gold, filver, and lead, (whereof who chufes his meaning, chufes you) will no doubt never be chofen by any rightly, but one who fhall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of thele princely fuitors, that are already come?

Pro. I pray thee, over-name them; and as thou nam'ft them, I will defcribe them; and, according to my defcription, level at my affection.

Ner. First, there is the Neapolitan Prince.

Por. Ay, that's a Colt, 3 indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horfe; and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts, that he can thoe him himself. I am much afraid, my lady, his mother, play'd falfe with a fmith.

Ner. Then, there is the Count Palatine, 4

3 Ay, that's a Colt, indeed, for be doth nothing but talk of his borfe;] Tho' all the Editions agree in this Reading, I can perceive neither Humour, nor Reafoning in it. How does talking of Horfes, or knowing how to fhoe them, make a Man e'er the more a Colt? Or, if a Smith and a Lady of Figure were to have an Affair together, would a Colt be the Iffue of their Careffes? The Word, Dolt, which I have fubftituted, fignifies one of the moft ftupid and blockifh of the Vulgar.

THEOBALD.

Mr. Theobald fays, he can perceive neither humour nor reasoning in this reading, and therefore alters Colt to Dolt; but what ever humour or reafoning there is in the one there is in the other: for the fignification is the fame in both. Hen. IV. ift part, Fal

staff fays, What a plague mean you to colt me thus? And Fletcher conftantly ufes Colt for Delt.

WARBURTON.

Colt is ufed for a witless, heady, gay youngfter, whence the phrafe used of an old man too juvenile, that he ftill retains his colt's to th. See Hen. VIII.

4 -there is the Count Palatine.] I am always inclined to believe, that Shakespear has more allufions to particular facts and perfons than his readers commonly fuppofe. The Count here mentioned was, perhaps. Allertus a Lafo, a Polish Palatine, who visited England in our Authour's time, was eagerly careffed, and fplendidly entertained, but running in debt, at laft itole away, and endeavoured to repair his fortune by enchantment.

Por.

He hears merry prove the weepbeing fo full of I had rather be

Por. He doth nothing but frown, as who fhould fay, if you will not have me, chufe. tales, and fmiles not; I fear, he will ing philofopher when he grows old, unmannerly fadness in his youth. married to a death's head with a bone in his mouth, than to either of thefe. God defend me from these two!

Ner. How fay you by the French Lord, Monfieur Le Boun?

Por. God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man; in truth, I know, it is a fin to be a mocker; but, he! why, he hath a horse better than the Neapolitan's; a better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine; he is every man in no man; if a throftle fing, he falls ftrait 'a capering; he will fence with his own fhadow; if I fhould marry him, I fhould marry twenty husbands. If he would defpife me, I would forgive him; for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite him.

Ner. What fay you then to Faulconbridge, the young Baron of England?

Por. You know, I fay nothing to him, for he understands not me, nor I him; he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian; 5 and you may come into the court and fwear, that I have a poor pennyworth in the English. He is a proper man's picture, but, alas! who can converse with a dumb fhow? how oddly he is fuited! I think, he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hofe in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour every where.

6

Ner. What think you of the Scottish lord, 6 his neighbour?

Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him; for he borrrow'd a box of the ear of the Englishman, and swore he would pay him again, when he was able. I think, the Frenchman became his furety, 7 and fealed under for another.

Ner. How like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony's nephew?

Por. Very vilely in the morning when he is sober, and most vilely in the afternoon when he is drunk; when he is beft, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worft, he is little better than a beaft. And the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I shall make shift to go without him.

Ner. If he fhould offer to chufe, and chuse the right casket, you should refufe to perform your father's will, if you should refufe to accept him.

Por. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, fet a deep glafs of Rhenifh wine on the contrary casket; for if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I know, he will chufe it. I will do any thing, Nerissa, ere I will be marry'd to a fpunge.

Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of thefe lords: they have acquainted me with their determinations, which is, indeed, to return to their home, and to trouble you with no more fuit; unless you may be won by fome other fort than your father's impofition, depending on the caskets.

Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chafte as Diana, unless I be obtain'd by the manner of my father's will. I am glad, this parcel of wooers

7 I think, the Frenchman be came his furety, Alluding to the conftant affiftance, or rather conftant promises of affiftance, that the French gave the Scots in their quarrels with the English. This Alliance is here humouroufly fatirized. WARBURTON. $ How like you the young

Ger

man.] In Shakespear's time the Duke of Bavaria visited London, and was made Knight of the Garter.

Perhaps in this enumeration of Portia's fuitor, there may be fome covert allufion to those of Queen Elizabeth.

are

are fo reasonable; for there is not one among them but I doat on his very absence, and wish them a fair departure.

Ner. Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a scholar and a foldier, that came hither in company of the Marquifs of Montferret ?

Por. Yes, yes, it was Baffanio; as I think, he was fo call'd.

Ner. True, Madam. He, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes. look'd. upon, was the best deferving a fair lady.

Por. I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praife. How now? what news?

Enter a Servant.

Ser. The four ftrangers feek for you, madam, to take their leave; and there is a fore-runner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word, the Prince, his master, will be here to night.

Por. If I could bid the fifth welcome with fo good heart as I can bid the other four farewel, I fhould be glad of his approach; if he have the condition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he fhould fhrive me, than wive me. Come, Neriffa. Sirrah, go before. While we fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. Exeunt,

SCENE III.

A publick Place in VENICE.

Sky.TH

Enter Baffanio and Shylock,

Hree thousand ducats?-well.
Baf. Ay, Sir, for three months.

Shy. For three months?-well.

Baff. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio shall

be bound.

Shy

Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound?-well.

Baff. May you ftead me? will you pleasure me? fhall I know your answer?

Shy. Three thousand ducats for three months, and Anthonio bound?

Baff. Your anfwer to that.

Shy. Anthonio is a good man.

Baff. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?

Shy. No, no, no, no;-my meaning, in saying he is a good man, is to have you understand me, that he is fufficient. Yet his means are in fuppofition: he hath an Argofie bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England; and other ventures he hath, iquander'd abroad. But ships are but boards, failors but men; there be land-rats, and water-rats, land-thieves and water-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then there is the peril of waters, winds and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, fufficient. Three thoufand ducats? I think, I may take his bond.

Ball. Be affur'd, you may.

Shy. I will be affur'd, I may; and that I may be affur'd,

I will bethink me. May I speak with Anthonio?
Ball. If it please you to dine with us.

Shy. Yes, to fmell pork. I will buy with you, fell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and fo following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto? who is he, comes here?

Enter Anthonio.

Baff. This is Signior Anthonio.

Shy. [Afide] How like a fawning Publican he looks! I hate him, for he is a chriftian:

But more, for that in low fimplicity

He lends out mony gratis, and brings down

The