Launcelot3 note.
Shy.
Well, thou shalt see; thy eyes shall be thy judge,
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, that I
could4 note do nothing without bidding.
-- 503 --
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 hate, to feed upon
The prodigal Christian.—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 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, Jessica5 note:
Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking of the wry-neck'd fife6 note,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public 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;
-- 504 --
There will come a Christian by,
Will be worth a Jewess' eye7 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 enough; but a huge feeder,
Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day8 note
More than the wild cat: 11Q0294 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 doors after you:
Fast bind, fast find,
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.
[Exit.
Jes.
Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost,
I have a father, you a daughter, lost.
[Exit.
J. Payne Collier [1842–1844], The works of William Shakespeare. The text formed from an entirely new collation of the old editions: with the various readings, notes, a life of the poet, and a history of the Early English stage. By J. Payne Collier, Esq. F.S.A. In eight volumes (Whittaker & Co. [etc.], London) [word count] [S10101].
