Vailing her high-top lower than her ribs,1
Ta kiss her burial. Should I go to church,
And see the holy edifice of stone,

And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks? Which touching but my gentle vessel's side, Would scatter all her spices on the stream; Enrobe the roaring waters with

my silks; And, in a word, but even now worth this,

And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought To think on this; and shall I lack the thought, That such a thing, bechanc'd, would make me sad? But, tell not me; I know, Antonio

Is sad to think upon his merchandize.

ANT. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this present year: Therefore, my merchandize makes me not sad.

1 Vailing her high top lower than her ribs,] In Bullokar's English Expositor, 1616, to vail, is thus explained: "It means to put off the hat, to strike sail, to give sign of submission." So, in Stephen Gosson's book, called Playes confuted in several

Actions:

"They might have vailed and bended to the king's idol.” It signifies also-to lower, to let down. Thus, in the ancient metrical romance of the Sowdon of Babyloyne, p. 60:

"Thay avaled the brigge and lete them yn." Again, (as Mr. Douce observes to me,) in Hardynge's Chronicle:

"And by th' even their sayles avaled were set." Again, in Middleton's Blurt Master Constable, 1602: "I'll vail my crest to death for her dear sake." Again, in The Fair Maid of the West, 1613, by Heywood: it did me good

66.

"To see the Spanish carveil vail her top

"Unto my mayden flag."

A carvel is a small vessel. It is mentioned by Raleigh, and I often meet with the word in Jarvis Markham's English Arcadia, 1607. STEEvens.

SALAN. Why then you are in love.

ANT.

Fye, fye!

SALAN. Not in love neither? Then let's say, you

are sad,

Because you are not merry: and 'twere as easy
For you, to laugh, and leap, and say, you are merry,
Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed
Janus,2

Nature hath fram'd strange fellows in her time:
Some that will evermore peep through their eyes,
And laugh, like parrots, at a bag-piper;
And other of such vinegar aspéct,

That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile,'
Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

Enter BASSANIO, LORENZO, and GRATIANO.

SALAN. Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman,

Gratiano, and Lorenzo: Fare

you well We leave you now with better company.

Now, by two-headed Janus,] Here Shakspeare shews his knowledge in the antique. By two-headed Janus is meant those antique bifrontine heads, which generally represent a young and smiling face, together with an old and wrinkled one, being of Pan and Bacchus; of Saturn and Apollo, &c. These are not uncommon in collections of Antiques: and in the books of the antiquaries, as Montfaucon, Spanheim, &c. Warburton.

Here, says Dr. Warburton, Shakspeare shows his knowledge of the antique: and so does Taylor the water-poet, who describes Fortune, "Like a Janus with a double-face." FARMER.

3-peep through their eyes,] This gives a very picturesque image of the countenance in laughing, when the eyes appear half shut. WARburton.

their teeth in way of smile,] Because such are apt enough to show their teeth in anger. WARBURton.

SALAR. I would have staid till I had made

merry,

If worthier friends had not prevented me.

ANT. Your worth is very dear in my regard. I take it, your own business calls on you, And you embrace the occasion to depart. SALAR. Good morrow, my good lords.

you

BASS. Good signiors both, when shall we laugh? Say, when?

You grow exceeding strange: Must it be so? SALAR. We'll make our leisures to attend on yours.

[Exeunt SALARINO and SALANIO.

5

LOR. My lord Bassanio, since you have found

Antonio,

We two will leave you: but, at dinner time,
I pray you,
have in mind where we must meet.
BASS. I will not fail

you.

GRA. You look not well, signior Antonio; You have too much respect upon the world: They lose it, that do buy it with much care. Believe me, you are marvellously chang'd.

5.

My lord Bassanio, &c.] This speech [which by Mr. Rowe and subsequent editors was allotted to Salanio,] is given to Lorenzo in the old copies: and Salarino and Salanio make their exit at the close of the preceding speech. Which is certainly right. Lorenzo (who, with Gratiano, had only accompanied Bassanio, till he should find Antonio,) prepares now to leave Bassanio to his business; but is detained by Gratiano, who enters into a conversation with Antonio. TYRWHITT.

I have availed myself of this judicious correction, by restoring the speech to Lorenzo, and marking the exits of Salarino and Salanio at the end of the preceding speech. STEEVENS.

6

lose it,] All the ancient copies read-loose; a misprint, I suppose, for the word standing in the text.

STEEVENS.

ANT. I hold the world but as the world, Gra

tiano;

A stage, where every man must play a part,"
And mine a sad one.

GRA.
Let me play the Fool:
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come;
And let my liver rather heat with wine,

Than my heart cool with mortifying groans.
Why should a man, whose blood is warm within,
Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster ?

Sleep when he wakes? and creep into the jaundice
By being peevish? I tell thee what, Antonio,
I love thee, and it is my love that speaks ;-
There are a sort of men, whose visages

9

Do cream and mantle, like a standing pond;
And do a wilful stillness' entertain,

"A stage, where every man must play a part,] The same thought occurs in Churchyard's Farewell to the World, 1593: "A worldling here, I must hie to my grave; "For this is but a May-game mixt with woe, "A borrowde roume where we our pageants play, "A skaffold plaine," &c.

Again, in Sidney's Arcadia, Book II:

She found the world but a wearisome stage to her, where she played a part against her will." STEEVENS.

Let me play the Fool:] Alluding to the common comparison of human life to a stage-play. So that he desires his may be the fool's or buffoon's part, which was a constant character in the old farces; from whence came the phrase; to play the fool. WARBURTON.

↳ There are à sort of men, whose visages.

Do cream-] The poet here alludes to the manner in which the film extends itself over milk in scalding; and he had the same appearance in his eye when writing a foregoing line; "With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”

So, also, the author of Bussu d' Ambois:

1

"Not any wrinkle creaming in their faces." HENLEY.

a wilful stillness -—] i, e. an obstinate silence.

MALONE.

With purpose to be dress'd in an opinion
Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit;
As who should say, I am Sir Oracle,
And, when I ope my lips, let no dog bark!2
O, my Antonio, I do know of these,
That therefore only are reputed wise,
For saying nothing; who, I am very sure,3
If they should speak, would almost damn those ears,"
Which, hearing them, would call their brothers,
fools.

I'll tell thee more of this another time:
But fish not, with this melancholy bait,
For this fool's gudgeon, this opinion.-
Come, good Lorenzo:-Fare ye well, a while;
I'll end my exhortation after dinner."

LOR. Well, we will leave you then till dinnertime:

I must be one of these same dumb wise men,
For Gratiano never lets me speak.

2

let no dog bark!] This seems to be a proverbial expression. So, in Acolastus, a comedy 1540: "nor there shall no dogge barke at mine ententes." STEEVENS.

*—who, I am very sure,] The old copies read—when, I am very sure. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALOne.

would almost damn those ears,] Several old editions have it, dam, damme, and daunt. Some more correct copies, damn. The author's meaning is this: That some people are thought wise, whilst they keep silence; who, when they open their mouths, are such stupid praters, that the hearers cannot help calling them fools, and so incur the judgment denounced in the Gospel. THEOBALD.

$ I'll end my exhortation after dinner.] The humour of this consists in its being an allusion to the practice of the puritan preachers of those times; who, being generally very long and tedious, were often forced to put off that part of their sermon called the exhortation, till after dinner. WARBURTON.