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Ner. First, there is the Neapolitan prince.

Por. Ay, that's a colt, 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 fhoe him himfelf: I am much afraid my lady his mother play'd falfe with a finith.

Ner. Then, there is the county Palatine7.

Por. He doth nothing but frawn; as who fhould fay, An if you will not have me, chufe: he hears merry tales, and fimiles not: I fear, he will prove the weeping philofopher when he grows old, being fo full of unmannerly fadnefs in his youth. I had rather be married to a death's head with a bone in his mouth, than to either of thefe. God defend me from thefe two!

Ner. How fay you by the French lord, Monfieur Le Bon?

Por. God made him, and therefore let him pafs for a man. In truth, I know it is a fin to be a mocker; But, he! why, he hath a horfe better than the Neapolitan's; a better bad habit of frowning than the count Palatine: he is every man in no man if a throfile fing, he falls ftrait a capering; he will fence with his own fhadow: if I fhould marry him, I fhould marry twenty hufbands: If he fhould defpife me, I would forgive him; for if he love me to madnefs, I fhall never requite him.

Ay that's a colt, indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his borfe; Colt is used for a witlefs, heady, gay youngster, whence the phrafe ufed of an old man too juvenile, that he still retains his colt's tooth. See Hen. VIII, Sec alfo vol. ii. p. 432.

JOHNSON.

7-there is the county Palatine.] I am always inclined to believe, that Shakspeare has more allutions to particular facts and perfons than his readers commonly fuppofe. The count here mentioned was, perhaps, Albertus a Lafco, a Polish Palatine, who vifited England in our author's life-time, was eagerly careffed, and fplendidly entertained; but running in debt, at last stole away, and endeavoured to repair his fortune by enchantment.

JOHNION.

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 Italians; and you will come into the court and swear, that I have a poor pennyworth in the English. He is a proper man's picture; But, alas! who can converfe 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.

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

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

Ner. How like you the young German2, the duke of Saxony's nephew?

Por. Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober; and moft vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk : when he is beft, he is a little worse than a man ; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beaft:

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he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian ;] A fatire on the ignorance of the young English travellers in our author's WARBURTON.

time.

9 Scottish lord,] Scottish, which is in the quarto, was omitted in the first folio, for fear of giving offence to king James's countrymen. THEOBALD.

Ithink, the Frenchman became his furety,] Alluding to the conftant affiftance, or rather conftant promiles of affiftance, that the French gave the Scots in their quarrels with the English. This alliance is here humoroufly fatirized. WARBURTON.

2 How like you the young German, &c.] In Shakspeare's time the duke of Bavaria vifited London, and was made knight of the garter.

Perhaps in this enumeration of Portia's fuitors, there may be fome covert allufion to thofe of queen Elizabeth. JOHNSON.

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an the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I shall make fhift to go without him.

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

Por. Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, fet a deep glafs of Rhenifh wine on the contrary cafket; for, if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I know he will chufe it. I will do any thing, Neriffa, 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 cafkets.

Por. If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chafte as Diana, unlefs I be obtained by the manner of my father's will: I am glad this parcel of wooers are fo very reafonable; for there is not one among them but I dote on his very abfence, and I pray God grant them a fair departure.

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

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

Ner. True, madam; he, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes look'd upon, was the best deserving

a fair lady.

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

3- and I pray God grant them a fair departure.] The folio reads: and I wish them a fair, &c.

The alteration was probably made in confequence of the flat. 3 Jac. I. cap. 21. MALONE.

+ How now what news?] Thefe words are not in the folio.

MALONE.

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 mafter, 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.-Whiles we fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door.

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A publick Place in Venice.

Enter Ballanio and Shylock.

Shy. Three thousand ducats,-well.

Baff. Ay, fir, for three months.

Shy. For three months,―well.

[Exeunt.

Baff. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio fhall be bound.

Shy. Anthonio fhall become bound,-well.

Ball. May you ftead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer?

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

Baff. Your answer to that.

Shy. Anthonio is a good man.

Baff. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?

Shy. Ho, no, no, no, no;-my meaning, in faying he is a good man, is, to have you understand me, that he is fufficient: yet his means are in fuppofition: he hath an argofy bound to Tripolis, another to

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condition] temper, qualities. See vol. i. p. 195. MALONE.

the

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the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath, fquander'd abroad: But fhips are but boards, failors but men: there be land rats, and water rats, water thieves, and land 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.

Baff. Be affur'd you may.

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

aflur'd,

may be

I will bethink me: May I fpeak with Anthonio? · Baff. If it pleafe you to dine with us.

Shy. Yes, to fmell pork; to cat of the 'habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into: 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.

Ball. This is fignior 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 money gratis, and brings down
The rate of ufance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip',

The habitation which your prophet, the Nazarite, conjured the devil into. Perhaps there is no character through all Shakspeare, drawn with more fpirit, and just difcrimination, than Shylock's. His language, allufions, and ideas, are every where fo appropri ate to a Jew, that Shylock might be exhibited for an examplar of that peculiar people. HENLEY.

3. If I can catch him once upon the hip.] This, Dr. Johnson obferves, is a phrafe taken from the practice of wrestlers, and (he might have added) is an allufion to the angel's thus laying hold on Jacob when he wrefled with him. See Gen. xxxii, xxiv, &c. HENLEY.

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