Deat. Why, then, my coufin, Margaret, and Urfula, Have been deceiv'd; for they did fwear you did. Bene. They fwore you were almost fick for me. Beat. They fwore you were well-nigh dead for me. Bene. 'Tis no matter; then you do not love me? Beat, No, truly, but in friendly recompence. Leon. Come, coufin, I am fure you love the gentle man. Claud. And I'll be fworn upon't that he loves her ; For here's a paper written in his hand, A halting fonnet of his own pure brain, Hero. And here's another, Writ in my coufin's hand, stolen from her pocket, Bene. A miracle! here's our own hands against our hearts; come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity. Beat. I would not deny you; but, by this good day, I yield upon great perfuafion, and partly to fave your life; for, as I was told, you were in a confumption. Bene. Peace, I will ftop your mouth. [Kiffing her. Pedro. How doft thou, Benedick, the married man? Bene. I'll tell thee what, Prince; a college of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humour. Doft thou think I care for a fatyr, or an epigram? No: " If a "man will be beaten with brains, he fhall wear no"thing handfome about him." In brief, fince I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can fay against it; and therefore never flout at me for what I have faid against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclufion. For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee; but in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruis'd, and love my coufin. Claud, I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgell'd thee out of thy fingle life, to make thee a double dealer; which, out of queftion, thou wilt be, if my coufin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee. Bene. Come, come, we are friends; let's have a dance dance ere we are marry'd, that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wives heels. Leon. We'll have dancing afterwards. Bene. Firft, o' my word; therefore, play, mufic. Prince, thou art fad, get thee a wife, get thee a wife; there is no staff more reverend than one tipt with horn. Enter Meffenger. Meff. My Lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Meffina. Bene. Think not on him till to-morrow: I'll devife thee brave punishments for him. Strike up, pipers.' [Dances. [Exeunt omnes. The The MERCHANT of VENICE. DRAMATIS PERSONE. fuiters DUKE of Venice. Baflanio, his friend, in love Portia, an heires of great quality and fortune. Salanio, friends to An-Neriffa, confident to Portia. Solarino, thonio and Baf- Lorenzo, in love with Jefica. Tubal, a few, his friend. Jeftica, daughter to Shylock. Senators of Venice, officers, Jailor, Servants, and other Attendants. SCENE, partly at Venice; and partly at Belmont, the upon the continent. feat of Anth. ACTI. SCENE I. A ftreet in Venice. Enter Anthonio, Solarino, and Salanio. N footh, I know not why I am fo fad. And fuch a want-wit sadness makes of me, Sal. Your mind is toffing on the ocean; Do overpeer the petty traffickers, That curtly to them, do them reverence, As they fly by them with their woven wings. Sola. Believe me, Sir, had I fuch venture forth, The better part of my affections would Be with my hopes abroad. I fhould be ftill Plucking the grafs, to know where fits the wind; Peering in maps for ports, and peers, and roads; And every object that might make me fear Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt, Would make me fad. Sal. My wind, cooling my broth, Would blow me to an ague, when I thought And not bethink me strait of dang'rous rocks; Is fad to think upon his merchandise. Anth. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, Therefore my merchandize makes me not fad. Anth. Fie, fie! Sola. Not in love neither! then let's fay, you're fad, Because you are not merry; and 'twere as easy For you to laugh and leap, and fay, you're merry, Because you are not fad. "Now, by two-headed Janus, "Nature hath fram'd strange fellows in her time: "Some that will evermore peep through their eyes, VOL. II. K "And "And laugh, like parrots, at a bag-piper; "And others of fuch vinegar-afpect, "That they'll not fhow their teeth in way of fmile, "Though Neftor fwear the jeft be laughable." Enter Baffanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano. Sal. Here comes Baffanio, your most noble kinsman, Gratiano and Lorenzo: fare ye well; We leave ye now with better company. Sola. I would have ftaid till I had made you merry, If worthier friends had not prevented me. Anth. Your worth is very dear in my regard: Bal. Good Signiors both, when fhall we laugh?: fay, when? You grow exceeding ftrange; muft it be fo? t [Exeunt Solar. and Sala. Gra. You look not well, Signior Anthonio; You have too much respect upon the world: They lose it, that do buy it with much care. Bélieve me you are marvellously change'd. Anth. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, A ftage, where every man must play his part, And mine's a fad one. Gra. Let me play the fool; With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come; Why fhould a man, whose blood is warm within, "Sit like his grandfire cut in alabaster? Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice "By being peevish? I tell thee what, Anthonio, "(I love thee, and it is my love that speaks), There are a fort of men, whofe vifages "Do cream and mantle like a standing pond; "And do a wilful ftillness entertain, |