Shy. O, father Abraham! what these Christians are, A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, And, for my love, I pray you, wrong me not. And I will go and purse the ducats straight; Ant. [Exit. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. Belmont. An Apartment in PORTIA'S House. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and his followers; PORTIA, NERISSA, and other of her Train. Flourish Cornets. Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion, THE Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind.] The folio has "This Hebrew ;" and the 4to. by Roberts, "he grows so kind." 5 - the Prince of Morocco,] The stage-direction in the folio and quartos is, "Enter Morochus a tawnie Moore, all in white, and three or foure followers The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd sun, Have lov'd it too. I would not change this hue, Bars me the right of voluntary choosing; And hedg'd me by his wit, to yield myself His wife who wins me by that means I told you, For my affection. Mor. Even for that I thank you: accordingly," &c. This is curious, as it shows the manner in which Moors were usually dressed on the stage in Shakespeare's time. Doubtless, Othello was "all in white," unless, indeed, he wore the military uniform of the Venetian state. 6 I would OUT-STARE the sternest eyes that look,] This reading is supported by Roberts's 4to, and it seems fully warranted by the sense, and by the first word of the next line, "out-brave." The other 4to, and the folio, have o're-stare, a word not at all in use. If Hercules and Lichas play at dice, Which is the better man? the greater throw So is Alcides beaten by his page'; And so may I, blind fortune leading me, And die with grieving. Por. Or swear before you choose, if you Never to speak to lady afterward choose wrong, In way of marriage: therefore be advis'd. Mor. Nor will not: come, bring me unto my chance. Por. First, forward to the temple: after dinner Your hazard shall be made. Mor. Good fortune then, [Cornets. To make me blest, or cursed'st among men! [Exeunt. SCENE II. Venice. A Street. Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO3. Laun. Certainly, my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master. The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, "Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away:" My conscience says,-"No; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo;" or, as aforesaid, "honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy heels." Well, the most courageous fiend bids 7 beaten by his PAGE ;] This is Theobald's emendation: the old copies have "beaten by his rage." Lichas was the servant of Hercules. • Enter Launcelot Gobbo.] The old copies read, "Enter the Clown alone;" and throughout the play Launcelot Gobbo is called the Clown at most of his entrances or exits. In this speech, both in the 4to. by Heyes and in the folio, he calls himself "Launcelot Jobbo," although when his father enters it is printed "old Gobbo." The 4to. by Roberts has it "Launcelot Gobbo." 66 me pack; “Via!" says the fiend; "away!" says the fiend; "for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind," says the fiend, "and run." Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me,"My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son," or rather an honest woman's son;-for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste:-well, my conscience says, "Launcelot, budge not." Budge," says the fiend: "budge not," says my conscience. Conscience, say I, you counsel well; fiend, say I, you counsel well: to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who (God bless the mark!) is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment; I will run. Enter Old GOBBO, with a Basket. Gob. Master, young man, you; I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's? Laun. [Aside.] O heavens! this is my true begotten father, who, being more than sand-blind', high-gravel blind, knows me not :-I will try confusions with him2. Gob. Master, young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's? Laun. Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, 9 fiend, say I, you counsel WELL :] Roberts's 4to. reads, "You counsel ill." Lower down it has incarnal for “incarnation." 1 more than sand-blind,] An expression of the time, signifying much the same as what we now call pur-blind. 2 I will try CONFUSIONS with him.] So the 4to. by Heyes and the folio: the other 4to. has conclusions, the printer not understanding Launcelot's joke, which he carries into effect immediately afterwards, by misdirecting his father "the way to master Jew's." Malone and the modern editors have conclusions. at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's house. Gob. By God's sonties3, 'twill be a hard way to hit. Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him, or no? Laun. Talk you of young master Launcelot?-[Aside.] Mark me now; now will I raise the waters.-[To him.] Talk you of young master Launcelot ? Gob. No master, sir, but a poor man's son: his father, though I say it, is an honest exceeding poor man; and, God be thanked, well to live. Laun. Well, let his father be what a' will, we talk of young master Launcelot. Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, sir1. Laun. But I pray you, ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you, talk you of young master Launcelot? Gob. Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership. Laun. Ergo, master Launcelot. Talk not of master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman (according to fates and destinies, and such odd sayings, the sisters three, and such branches of learning,) is, indeed, deceased; or, as you would say, in plain terms, gone to heaven. Gob. Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop. Laun. [Aside.] Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovelpost, a staff, or a prop?-[To him.] Do you know me, father? Gob. Alack the day! I know you not, young gentleman; but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy, (God rest his soul!) alive, or dead? Laun. Do you not know me, father? Gob. Alack, sir, I am sand-blind; I know you not. Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows 4 3 By God's SONTIES,] "Sonties" is a corruption of sanctities. |