Welcome to PhiloLogic  
   home |  the ARTFL project |  download |  documentation |  sample databases |   
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

Previous section

Next section

SCENE V. Shylock's house. Enter Shylock, and Launcelot.

Shy.
Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:—
What, Jessica!—thou shalt not gormandize2 note
,
As thou hast done with me;—What, Jessica!—

-- 168 --


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, that I could do nothing without bidding.

Enter Jessica.

Jes.
Call you? What is your will?

Shy.
I am bid forth 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 hate3 note
, to feed upon
The prodigal Christian.—Jessica, my girl,
Look to my house:—I am right loth 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, 4 note

then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding

-- 169 --

on black-monday last, 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 drum5 note


,
And the vile squeaking6 note of the wry-neck'd fife,
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' eye. 9Q0330 [Exit Laun.

Shy.
What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha?

Jes.
His words were, Farewel, mistress; nothing else.

Shy.
The patch is kind enough7 note

; but a huge feeder,

-- 170 --


Snail-slow in profit, and 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 the doors after you: Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. [Exit.

Jes.
Farewel; and if my fortune be not crost,
I have a father, you a daughter, lost.
[Exit.
Previous section

Next section


Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
Powered by PhiloLogic