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For the close night doth play the run-away,
And we are staid for at Baffanio's feast.

fe. I will make faft the doors, and gild my felf
With fome more ducats, and be with you ftrait.
[Ex. from above.
Gra. Now by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jew.
Lor. Befhrew me, but I love her heartily;
For the is wife, if I can judge of her;
And fair fhe is, if that mine eyes be true;
And true fhe is, as the hath prov'd her felf;
And therefore like her felf, wife, fair, and true,
Shall the be placed in my conftant foul.

Enter Jeffica, to them.

What, art thou come? on, gentlemen, away;
Our mafquing mates by this time for us ftay. [Exit.
Enter Antonio.

Anth. Who's there?

Gra. Signior Anthonio,

Anth. Fie, Gratiano, where are all the reft?
'Tis nine o'clock, our friends all stay for you;
No mafque to night; the wind is come about,
Baffanio prefently will go aboard;

I have fent twenty out to feek for you.

Gra. I'm glad on't; I defire no more delight Than to be under fail, and gone to night.

SCENE changes to Belmont.

[Exeunt.

Enter Portia with Morochius, and both their trains.

O,

Por. Go draw afide the curtains, and discover

The fev'ral caskets to this noble Prince. Now make your choice. [Three caskets are difcovered. Mor. The first of gold, which this infcription bears, Who chufeth me, fball gain what many men defire. The fecond filver, which this promise carries, Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves. This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt, Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath.

How fhall I know, if I do chuse the right?

Por. The one of them contains my picture, Prince; If you chuse that, then I am yours withal.

Mor. Some God direct my judgment! let me fee,
I will furvey th' infcriptions back again;
What fays this leaden casket?

Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath.
Muft give, for what? for lead? hazard for lead?
This casket threatens. Men, that hazard all,
Do it in hope of fair advantages:

A golden mind ftoops not to shows of drofs;
I'll then not give, nor hazard, ought for lead.
What fays the filver, with her virgin hue?
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves.
As much as he deferves? pause there, Morochius;
And weigh thy value with an even hand.
If thou be'ft rated by thy estimation,
Thou dost deserve enough; and yet enough
May not extend fo far as to the lady;
And yet to be afraid of my deferving,
Were but a weak difabling of my felf.
As much as I deferve? why, that's the lady :
I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes,
In graces, and in qualities of breeding:
But more than these, in love I do deserve.
What if I ftray'd no farther, but chose here?
Let's fee once more this faying grav'd in gold.
Who chufeth me, fhall gain what many men defire.
Why, that's the lady; all the world defires her:
From the four corners of the earth they come
To kifs this fhrine, this mortal breathing faint.
Th' Hyrcanian deferts, and the vastie wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For Princes to come view fair Portia.
The wat'ry kingdom, whofe ambitious head.
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To stop the foreign fpirits; but they come
As o'er a brook, to fee fair Portia.

One of these three contains her heav'nly picture.
Is't like, that lead contains her? 'twere damnation,
VOL. II.

D

Το

To think fo base a thought: it were too grofs
To rib her fearcloth in the obfcure grave.
Or fhall I think, in filver fhe's immur'd,
Being ten times undervalu'd to try'd gold?
O finful thought, never fo rich a gem
Was fet in worse than gold! they have in England
A coin, that bears the figure of an angel
Stamped in gold, but that's infculpt upon:
But here an angel in a golden bed

Lyes all within. Deliver me the key;

Here do I chuse, and thrive I as I may

!

Por. There take it, Prince, and if my form lye

there,

Then I am yours.

[Unlocking the gold casket. Mor. O hell! what have we here? a carrion death, Within whofe empty eye there is a scrowl:

I'll read the writing.

All that glifters is not gold,
Often have you heard that told;
Many a man his life bath fold,
But my outfide to behold.
Gilded wood may worms infold
Had you been as wife as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Four answer had not been infcrol'd
Fare you well, your fuit is cold.

Mor. Cold, indeed, and labour loft:
Then farewel, heat; and welcome, froft:
Portia, adieu; I have too griev'd a heart

To take a tedious leave: thus lofers part.

[Exit.

Por. A gentle riddance: draw the curtains; goLet all of his complexion chufe me fo.

SCENE changes to Venice.

W

Enter Solarino and Salanio.

[Exeunt.

Sal.HY, man, I faw Bassanio under fail;
With him is Gratiano gone along;

And

And in their ship, I'm fure, Lorenzo is not,

Sola. The villain Few with outcries rais'd the Duke,
Who went with him to fearch Baffanio's fhip.
Sal. He came too late, the fhip was under fail;
But there the Duke was giv'n to understand,
That in a Gondola were feen together
Lorenzo and his am'rous Jeffica:
Befides, Anthonio certify'd the Duke,
They were not with Bafanio in his fhip.
Sola. I never heard a paffion fo confus'd;
So ftrange, outrageous, and fo variable,
As the dog few did utter in the streets;
My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!
Fled with a chriftian? O my christian ducats!
Juftice, the law, my ducats, and my daughter!
A fealed bag, two fealed bags of ducats,

Of double ducats, ftoln from me by my daughter!
And jewels, two ftones, rich and precious ftones,
Stoln by my daughter! juftice! find the girl;
She hath the ftones upon her, and the ducats.

Sal. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him,
Crying his ftones, his daughter, and his ducats.
Sola. Let good Anthonio look, he keep his day;
Or he shall pay for this.

Sal. Marry, well remember'd.

I reafon'd with a Frenchman yesterday,
Who told me, in the narrow feas, that part
The French and English, there miscarried
A veffel of our country richly fraught:
I thought upon Anthonio, when he told me,
And wifh'd in filence, that it were not his.
Sola. You were beft to tell Anthonio what you hear,
Yet do not fuddenly, for it may grieve him.

Sal. A kinder Gentleman treads not the earth.

Ifaw Bassanio and Anthonio part.

Baffinio told him, he would make fome speed-
Of his return he answer'd, do not fo,
Slubber not bufinefs for my fake, Baffanio,
But ftay the very riping of the time;

And for the Jew's bond, which he hath of me,

D 2

Let

Let it not enter in your mind of love:
Be merry, and employ your chiefeft thoughts
To courtship, and fuch fair oftents of love,
As fhall 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 wond'rous fenfible

He wrung Bassanio's hand, and fo they parted.
Sola. 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 fome delight or other.

Sal. Do we fo.

SCENE changes to Belmont.

Enter Neriffa with a Servant.

[Exeunt.

UICK, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain

Ner. Qtraits

The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath,

And comes to his election presently.

Enter Arragon, his train, Portia.

The Caskets are difcover'd.

Flor. Cornets.

Por. Behold, there ftand the caskets, noble Prince; If you chufe that, wherein I am contain'd,

Strait fhall our nuptial rites be folemniz'd:
But if you fail, without more speech, my lord,
You must be gone from hence immediately.

Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath t'observe three things; First, never to unfold to any one

Which casket 'twas I chose; next, if I fail
Of the right casket, never in my life
To woo a maid in way of marriage:
Last, if I fail in fortune of my choice,
Immediately to leave you and be gone.

Por. To these injunctions every one doth fwear,
That comes to hazard for my worthless felf.
Ar. And fo have I addreft me; fortune now
Το
my heart's hope! gold, filver, and base lead.

Whe

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