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 shall be. 4 Gob. I cannot think you are my fon. Laun. I know not, what I fhall think of that: but I am Laucelot the Jew's man, and, I am furé, Mar gery 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 worshipp'd might he be! what a beard haft thou got! thou haft got more hair on thy chin, than Dobbin my Thill-horfe has on his tail. Laun. It fhould feem then, that Debbin'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 master agree? I have brought him a present; 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 Baffanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries; if I ferve him not, I will run as far as God has any ground. O rare 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. Baff. You may do fo.-But let it be so hasted, that 4 Your child that fall be.] The diftinction between boy and fan is obvious, but child feems to have had fome meaning which is now loft. A 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'st thou aught with me? Laun. Not a poor boy, Sir, but the rich Jew's man, that would, Sir, as my father shall specify, Gob. He hath a great infection, Sir, as one would fay, to ferve.. Laun. Indeed, the fhort and the long is, I serve 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 dish of doves, that I would beftow upon your worship; and my fuit is——————— Laun. In very brief, the fuit is impertinent to my self, as your worship fhall know by this honeft old man; and, though I fay it, though old man, yet poor man my father. Baff. One speak for both. What would you? Gob. This is the very defect 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. Bef 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? -5 Well, [looking оп to have taken its rife from the 5 Well, if any man in Italy bave 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 feems This. Launcelot, a Joaker, and if any man in Italy have defignedly a Blunderer, fays the a fairer table, which doth [provery Reverse of what he should mife good luck, I am mistaken. do: which is, That if no Man I durft almoft] offer to fwear upon in Italy, who would offer to take a book, I fhall have good forbis Oath upon it, bath a fairer tune. WARBURTON, Table than He, he shall have good Fortune. The Banter may, partly, be on Chiromancy in general: but it is very much in character for Launcelot, who is a hungry Serving man, to confider his Table before his Line of Life, or 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; Mistress of a fairer table, + Mr. Theobald's note is as ob fcure as the paffage. It may be read more than once before the complication of ignorance can be completely difentangled. Table is the palm expanded. What Mr. Theobald conceives it to be cannot easily be difcovered, but he thinks it fomewhat that promifes a full belly. Dr. Warburton underflood the word, but puzzles himself with no great fuccess 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, infpets 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 fhall 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 And then to 'icape a fimple coming-in for one man. drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed. 6-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-esteem'd acquaintance. Hie thee, go.. Leon. My beft endeavours fhall be done herein. SCENE Enter Gratiano. Gra. Where is your mafter? Gra. I have a fuit to you. the felicities in his table. The III. [Ex. Leonardo. and proceeds to particulars. 6 In peril of my life with the edge of a feather bed. A cant phrafe to fignify the danger of marrying. -A certain French writer uíes the fame kind of figure, O mon Ami, j'aimerois mieux être tombée far la pointe d'un Oreiller, & m'étre rompu le Cou. WARBURTON. Gra, Gra. You must not deny me, I muft go with you to Belmont. Baff. Why, then you muft. But hear thee, Gratiano, Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice; Thy skipping spirit; left, through thy wild behaviour, And lofe my hopes. Gra. Signior Baffanio, hear me. If I do not put on a fober habit, Talk with respect, and fwear but now and then, Like one well studied in a fad oftent 8 Gra. Nay, but I bar to night, you fhall not gage me By what we do to-night. Baff. No, that were pity. I would entreat you rather to put on Your boldeft fuit of mirth, for we have friends I have fome business. Gra. And I muft to Lorenzo and the rest: But we will visit you at fupper-time, 7 Something too liberal.] Liberal I have already fhewn to mean, grofs, coarfe, licentious. [Exeunt. 8 fad oftent. Grave appearance; fhew of ftaid and ferious behaviour. SCENE |