Chapter: SCENE 8.

Venice. A street

[Enter SALARINO and SALANIO.]

SALARINO.
Why, man, I saw Bassanio under sail;
With him is Gratiano gone along;
And in their ship I am sure Lorenzo is not.

SALANIO.
The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the Duke,
Who went with him to search Bassanio's ship.

SALARINO.
He came too late, the ship was under sail;
But there the duke was given to understand
That in a gondola were seen together
Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica.
Besides, Antonio certified the duke
They were not with Bassanio in his ship.

SALANIO.
I never heard a passion so confus'd,
So strange, outrageous, and so variable,
As the dog Jew did utter in the streets.
'My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!
Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats!
Justice! the law! my ducats and my daughter!
A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats,
Of double ducats, stol'n from me by my daughter!
And jewels! two stones, two rich and precious stones,
Stol'n by my daughter! Justice! find the girl!
She hath the stones upon her and the ducats.'

SALARINO.
Why, all the boys in Venice follow him,
Crying, his stones, his daughter, and his ducats.

SALANIO.
Let good Antonio look he keep his day,
Or he shall pay for this.

SALARINO.
Marry, well remember'd.
I reason'd with a Frenchman yesterday,
Who told me,--in the narrow seas that part
The French and English,--there miscarried
A vessel of our country richly fraught.
I thought upon Antonio when he told me,
And wish'd in silence that it were not his.

SALANIO.
You were best to tell Antonio what you hear;
Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him.

SALARINO.
A kinder gentleman treads not the earth.
I saw Bassanio and Antonio part:
Bassanio told him he would make some speed
Of his return. He answer'd 'Do not so;
Slubber not business for my sake, Bassanio,
But stay the very riping of the time;
And for the Jew's bond which he hath of me,
Let it not enter in your mind of love:
Be merry, and employ your chiefest thoughts
To courtship, and such fair ostents of love
As shall conveniently become you there.'
And even there, his eye being big with tears,
Turning his face, he put his hand behind him,
And with affection wondrous sensible
He wrung Bassanio's hand; and so they parted.

SALANIO.
I think he only loves the world for him.
I pray thee, let us go and find him out,
And quicken his embraced heaviness
With some delight or other.

SALARINO.
Do we so.

[Exeunt.]

 Salerio and Solanio are, yet again, hanging about the streets of Venice. They gossip about the latest news: Bassanio's ship has sailed with Graziano but not Lorenzo. Shylock found his daughter had disappeared and raised the Duke of Venice from his sleep to find her. They didn't locate Jessica, but the Duke did find out that she was last seen with Lorenzo in a gondola filled with love . Solanio reports that Shylock's reaction was strange--he lamented his lost ducats intermittently with his lost daughter, both stolen by a Christian: "My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats!" and so on. He was mocked by all the boys in Venice, who trailed behind him crying of ducats and daughters. Solanio says Antonio better repay Shylock on time or he'll definitely have to pay. Shylock is going to want to find someone to take his anger out on. Speaking of Antonio, Salerio announces that he recently got some bad news from a Frenchman, who told of an Italian ship that was wrecked between France and England. Salerio sure hopes it wasn't one of Antonio's ships. The men reason back and forth over whether they should tell Antonio the potentially disastrous news. Salerio credits Antonio with being one of the nicest guys on the block, and he tells of how he watched Antonio and Bassanio part as the latter was on his way to Belmont. Antonio told Bassanio not to rush but to stay as long as he needed to win Portia. Aw. In the meantime, Antonio counseled Bassanio not to worry about his debt with Shylock. Instead, he should be happy and think of love and courtship. And he had a tear in his eye as they shook hands. Aw. They set off to try to cheer Antonio up.

