Ner. Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their death have good infpirations; therefore, the lottery, that he hath devifed in thefe three chefts of gold, filver, and lead, (hereof 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 these 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. 3 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 himself. I am much afraid, my lady, his mother, play'd falfe with a fmith. Ner. Then, there is the Count Palatine. + 3 Ay, that's a Colt, indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse:] Tho all the Editions agree in this Reading, I can perceive neither Humour nor Reafoning in it. How does talking of Hories, 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 ifiue of their carefles? The word, Delt, which I have fubftituted, fignifies one of the moft fupid nd blocki of the Vulgar. THEOBALD. Mr. Theobald favs, he can perceive neither humour nor reafening in this reading, and therefore alters Colt to Dolt; but what ever humour or re toning there is in the one there is in the other: for the fignification is the fame in both. Hen. IV. 1ft part, Fal - there is the Count Palatine.] I am always inclined to believe, that Shakespeare h smore allufions to panicular facts and perfous than his readers commonly suppose. The Count here mentioned was, perhaps, Albertus Alafco, a Polish Palatine, who viitea England in our Authour's time, was eagerly careffed, and fplendidly entertained, but running in debt, at laft ftole away, and endeavoured to repair his fortune by enchantment. Por. Por. He doth nothing but frown, as who fhould fay, if you will not have me, chufe. He hears merry tales, and fmiles 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 these two! Ner. How fay you by the French Lord, Monfieur le Boun? 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 throstle fing, he fall 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 fhall 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 underftands 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 Englib. He is a proper man's picture, but, alas! who can converse with a dumb show? 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? be bath neither Latin, French, nor Italian;] A Satire on the ignorance of the young Englife Travellers in our Author's WARBURTON. time. 6- Scottish lord.] Scotti, which is in the quarto, was omitted in the first folio, for fear of giving offence to king James's countrymen. THEOBALD. Por. Por. That he hath a neighbourly charity in him; for he borrow'd 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 fealed under for another. 8 Ner. How like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony's nephew? Por. Very vilely in the morning when he is fober, and moft vilely in the afternoon when he is drunk when he is beft, he is a little worfe than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast. And the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I fhall make shift to go without him. Ner. If he should offer to chufe, and chufe the right cafket, 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 glass of Rhenish 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 married to a fpunge. Ner. You need not fear, lady, the having any of thefe lords: they have acquainted me with their de terminations, 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, 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 became 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 Shakespeare's time the Duke of Bavaria vifited London, and was made knight of the Gar ter. Perhaps in this enumeration of Portia's fuitors, there may be fome covert allufion to thofe of Queen Elizabeth. are are fo reafonable; for there is not one among them but I doat on his very abfence, and wish 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 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 beft 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 frangers 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, Sirah, go before.-While we fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. [Exeunt. A publik Place in VENICE. Sky. T HREE thousand ducats ?well. Shy. For three months?-well. Baff. For the which, as I told you, Anthonio fhall 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 answer 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 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 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, fquander'd abroad. But fhips 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. Baff. Be affur'd, you may. Shy. I will be affur'd, I may; and that I may be af- I will bethink me. May I fpeak with Anthonio? Shy. Yes, to fiell 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 |