Launcelot.
Shy.
Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
-- 53 --
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:—
What, Jessica!—thou shalt not gormandize,
As thou hast done with me;—What, Jessica!—
And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out;—
Why, Jessica, I say!
Laun.
Why, Jessica!
Shy.
Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.
Laun.
Your worship was wont to tell me, I
could do nothing without bidding.
Enter Jessica.
Jes.
Call you? What is your will?
Shy.
I am bid forth1 note
to supper, Jessica;
There are my keys:—But wherefore should I go?
I am not bid for love; they flatter me:
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
The prodigal Christian2 note
.—Jessica, my girl,
Look to my house:—I am right loath to go;
There is some ill a brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.
Laun.
I beseech you, sir, go; my young master
doth expect your reproach.
Shy.
So do I his.
Laun.
And they have conspired together,—I will
not say, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then
it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding
-- 54 --
on Black-Monday last3 note
, at six o'clock i'the morning,
falling out that year on Ash-wednesday was four
year in the afternoon.
Shy.
What! are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica:
Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking* note of the wry-neck'd fife4 note
,
-- 55 --
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the publick street,
To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces:
But stop my house's ears, I mean my casements;
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house.—By Jacob's staff, I swear,
I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:
But I will go.—Go you before me, sirrah;
Say, I will come.
Laun.
I will go before, sir.—
Mistress, look out at window, for all this;
There will come a Christian by,
Will be worth a Jewess' eye5 note
.
[Exit Laun.
Shy.
What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha?
Jes.
His words were, Farewell, mistress; nothing else.
Shy.
The patch is kind enough6 note; but a huge feeder,
Snail-slow in profit, and* note he sleeps by day
More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me;
Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To one that I would have him help to waste
His borrow'd purse.—Well, Jessica, go in;
Perhaps I will return immediately;
Do, as I bid you,
Shut doors7 note after you: Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.
[Exit.
-- 56 --
Jes.
Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost,
I have a father, you a daughter, lost.
[Exit.
James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
