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+And why it lingers on°, I’ve yet to learn.° / And why it holds me so {I am to learn}
[And such a want-wit graveness° makes of me ] {sadness}
[That I have much ado to know myself.] 20

—Salarino
Your mind is tossing on the ocean. 21
There [pointing] are your argosies° with portly sails— / grand vessels
22
Streaming° upon the wave° like proud maestros° / Moving {flood} / sea
23
Or like the grand displays of a sea pageant.
See your ships rise above° the smaller boats° 24 {overpeer} // petty boats
25
That curtsy° to them in awe and reverence / bow down / prostrate
As they fly by with their grand, woven wings. 26
¢Ah, what a sight it is!° ¦ / to see

—Salanio Believe me, sir,
Were I involved in ventures of such risk° 27 {such ventures abroad}
The better part of my concerns would rest° {affections would}
Upon° my hopes° abroad. And everyday° 28 / Within // ships
I’d toss the grass° to know where blows the wind,° 29 / which way the winds blows
And peer° in maps for ports and piers and roads— / Peering

19. +And why it lingers on, / And why is has (/grips) me so / And why it doth remain / And why I hold it so
The line found in Q1 ( I am to learn) is truncated, containing only two iambs (feet), as opposed to the usual
five—i.e., four syllables as opposed to ten. It is also missing a connector, such as ‘and.’ Thus, the line as it appears
is likely an error, and was not intended by the author. This short line could resulted from a smudge mark, rendering
the text unreadable or some other such error. [For theories about this truncated line, See Additional Notes, 1.1.5]
20. There are several anomalies with respect to Antonio’s opening lines, including the words ‘you say’ [2], the
truncated line 5, and the repetitive and unsupported content of lines 6 and 7. Clearly these later two lines [6-7] are
orphaned, repeat the sentiment of the previous lines, and weaken the overall import of the passage. Due to their
prominent position in the original play (appearing in the opening passage), and being that they stand rather harmless,
they could remain; being that they weaken the passage, may have found their way into the text by error—and in
context of the emended opening about usury—these lines should be deleted. [See Additional Notes, 1.1.6]
21. / Your mind does toss like ships upon the wave
22. {Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood} / Like proud magnificoes° upon° the wave,
burghers: wealthy Venetians, rich citizens
23. {Or as it were the pageants of the sea} / Or like the grand water-floats of a pageant
/ Or like the festive pageants of the sea
pageants of the sea: floats and displays that were used on ships, as part of a festive pageantry held on the water.
Pageants, like modern-day floats used in a parade, refer to large displays (such as castles, ships, or other staged
figures) that were wheeled about the streets in ancient shows or pageants, or ships that provided such displays.
24. {Do overpeer the petty traffickers} / Where they but dwarf the petty traffickers
overpeer: peer over, look down on, tower above
petty traffickers: / petty trading ships / petty trade vessels / smaller merchant ship / smaller trading ships
25. {That curtsey to them, do them reverence} / That come to lower their topsails in reverence / That do but bow to
them in utter reverence / And moving them to curtsy low in reverence / Impelling them to bow in awe reverence
cursy (Q1 = cursie) / curtsy: bow down. Refers to the image of: a) small ships that bob around in the wake of a
passing argosy, which seemingly (and impelled by the wake) bow down or curtsy to these larger ships, or b) small
cargo ships which would lower their topmasts as a sign of respect at the passing of a much larger ship. In both
cases, there a show of reverence, akin to a tradesman bowing to a passing dignitary of higher rank
26. woven wing: The large sails on Antonio’s ships are likened to the wings of flying bird (for their speed) or to the
‘billowing splendor’ of the clothes worn by wealthy burghers.
27. / Were all my wealth involved in such ventures
28. {I should be still} / Each day I’d be
still: always
29. {Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind}