Sal. He came too late, the ship 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 Baffanio 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 chriftian ducats!
Juftice, the law, my ducats, and my daughter!
A fealed bag, two fealed bags of ducats,

Of double ducats, toll'n from me by my daughter!
And jewels, two ftones, rich and precious ftones,
Stoll'n 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 fhall 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 wish'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.

I faw Baffanio and Anthonio part.

Baffanio told him, he would make some speed
Of his return: he answer'd, do not fo,
Slubber not bufinefs for my fake, Baffanio.
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 chiefeft thoughts
To courtship, and fuch fair oftents of love,

As

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 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.

Ner. QUICK, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain

ftrait;

The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath,
And comes to his election presently.

If

Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Flour. Cornets.
The Caskets are discover'd.

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

Strait shall 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 chofe; next, if I fail
Of the right casket, never in my life
To woo a maid in way of marriage :
Laft, 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 self.

Ar. And fo have I addreft me; fortune now
To my heart's hope! gold, filver, and bafe lead.
Who chufeth me, muft give and hazard all he hath.
You shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard.
What fays the golden chest ? ha, let me fee ;
VOL. II.

F

Who

Who chufeth me, fhall gain what many men defire.
What many men defire

that may

be meant

Of the fool-multitude, that chufe by show,

Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach;
Which pry not to th' interior, but like the martlet
Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
Ev'n in the force and road of casualty.
I will not chufe what many men defire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits,
And rank me with the barb'rous multitudes.
Why then to thee, thou filver treasure house :
Tell me once more, what title thou doft bear.
Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deferves;
And well faid too, for who fhall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable
Without the ftamp of merit? let none prefume
To wear an undeserved dignity:

O, that estates, degrees, and offices,

Were not deriv'd corruptly, that clear honour
Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!
How many
then fhould cover, that ftand bare?
How many be commanded, that command?

How much low peafantry would then be gleaned
From the true feed of honour? how much honour (8)
Pickt from the chaff and ruin of the times,

To be new varnish'd? well, but to my choice:
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as be deferves:

(8)

bow much bonour

Pick'd from the Chaff and Ruin of the Times,

To be new varnish'd.] Mr. Warburton very juftly obferv'd to me upon the Confufion and Difagreement of the Metapbors here; and is of Opinion, that Shakespeare might have

wrote;

To be new vanned.

i. e. winnow'd, purged: from the French Word, vanner ; which is deriv'd from the Latin, wannus, ventilabrum, the Fan ufed for winnowing the Chaff from the Corn. This Alteration, as he observes, restores the Metaphor to its Integrity: and our Poet frequently uses the fame Thought. But as Shakespeare is fo loofe and licentious in the blending of different Metaphors, I have not ventur'd to disturb the Text.

I

I will affume defert; give me a key for this,
And inftantly unlock my fortunes here.

Por. Too long a pause for that which you find there. [Unlocking the filver casket. Ar. What's here! the portrait of a blinking idiot, Prefenting me a schedule? I will read it. How much unlike art thou to Portia ? How much unlike my hopes and my defervings? Who chufes me, shall have as much as he deferves. Did I deferve no more than a fool's head? Is that my prize? are my deferts no better? Por. To offend, and judge, are distinct offices, And of opposed natures.

Ar. What is here?

The fire feu'n times tried this;

Sev'n times tried that judgment is,
That did never chufe amifs.

Some there be, that shadows kifs;
Such have but a shadow's blifs:
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'er, and so was this:
Take what wife you will to bed,
I will ever be your head:
So be gone, Sir, you are fped.

Ar. Still more fool I fhall appear,
By the time I linger here.

With one fool's head I came to woo,

But I go away with two.

Sweet, adieu! I'll keep my oath,
Patiently to bear my wrath.

Por. Thus hath the candle fing'd the moth:
O these deliberate fools! when they do chufe,
They have the wisdom by their wit to lose.
Ner. The ancient faying is no herefy,
Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.
Por. Come, draw the curtain, Neriffa.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Where is my lady?

[Exit.

F 2

Por.

Por. Here, what would lord?

my

Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate
Venetian, one that comes before
To fignify th' approaching of his lord,

Α

young

From whom he bringeth fenfible regreets;
To wit, befides commends and courteous breath,
Gifts of rich value; yet, I have not seen
So likely an ambassador of love.

A day in April never came fo fweet,
To fhow how coftly fummer was at hand,
As this fore-fpurrer comes before his lord.

Por No more, I pray thee; I am half afraid,
Thou'lt fay anon, he is fome kin to thee:
Thou spend'ft fuch high-day wit in praifing him :
Come, come, Neriffa, for I long to fee
Quick Cupid's poft, that comes fo mannerly.

Ner. Baffanio, lord Love, if thy will it be! (9)

[Exeunt.

SCENE, a Street in VENICE.

Enter Salanio and Solarino.

SOLARIN O.

OW, what news on the Ryalto?

NOW Sal. Why, yet it lives there uncheckt, that

Anthonio hath a fhip of rich lading wreckt on the narrow feas; the Godwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcafes

(9) Raffanio Lord, love, if] Mr. Pope, and all the preceding Editors have follow'd this pointing; as imagining, I fupmeans, Lord Baffanio; but pofe, that Bafanio lord Lord must be coupled to Love: as if the had faid, " Imperial "Love, if it be thy Will, let it be Bafanio whom this

"Messenger foreruns.

of