Plucking the grafs *, to know where fits the wind; Sa'anio. My wind, cooling my broth, And not bethink me ftrait of dangerous rocks? And, in a word, but even now worth this, And now worth nothing. Shall I have the thought Is fad to think upon his merchandize. But when he denies that any reflection upon the ftate of his fortune, or that even the paffion of love, has wrought this grave effect upon his fpirits, they then remain quite at a lofs to account farther for it, referring it merely to the peculiarity of his character, or particular complexion of mind; which is defcribed and contrafted with one of an oppofite cast, with admirable humour: Sclarino. Not in love, neither! Then let's fay, you're fad, Because you are not fad. Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath framed ftrange fellows, in her time; Some that will evermore peep through their eyes, And others of fuch vinegar afpect, That they'll not fhew their teeth, in way of smile, Gratiano then coming in, and taking notice of the feriousness of Anthonio's afpect, alike imputes it to the fame caufe his other friends had done: To throw up into the air. You You look not well, Signior Anthonio; You have too much refpect upon the world; To which he replies: I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, Upon this, Gratiano enters into the fame humorous defcription of the different characters of men, as Solarino had done. Let me play the fool; With mirth and daughter let old wrinkles come; Than my heart cool with martifying groans. Why should a man, whose blood is warm within, Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice For faying nothing; who, I'm very fure, If they should fpeak, would almost damn those ears, For this fool's gudgeon, this opinion, Another very common character in life is alfo defcribed in the fame fcene; though I think not fairly applicable to the perfon who was capable of making the fpeech above cited: Baffanio. "Gratiano fpeaks an infinite deal of nothing, more "than any man in all Venice. His reafons are as two grains of "wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; you may seek all day ere you "find them; and when you have them, they are not worth the "fearch." Alluding to the Scripture text, He that calleth his brother a fool, &c. In the following paffage of the fame Scene, there is a warmth of affection and generous friendship, fondly and beautifully expreffed. Baffanio and Anthonio, I owe the most in money, and in love; Anthonio. I pray you, good Baffanio, let me know it; You know me well; and herein fpend but time, Go prefently inquire, and fo will I, Where money is; and I no question make, Again, in the third Scene of Act the Third, the fame noble spirit is carried on. Portia and Baffanio. Pertia. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble? Portia. What fum owes he the Jew? What! no more? Pay him fix thoufand, and deface the bond; Double Double fix thoufand, and then treble that, Shall lofe a hair thro' my Baffanio's fault. And from the Fifth Scene of the fame Act, another paffage may be quoted, which breathes the fame ftrain. Portia and Lorenzo. Lorenzo. Madam, altho' I speak it in your presence, Of godlike amity; which appears most strongly, 1 There is a becoming referve and modesty in this laft fentence, which gives an additional beauty to the character of Portia. But I must now return again to the First Act, that I may recover the order of the reflections which are made in this Piece. SCENE II. Here the golden mean is well recommended, by hewing the excefs on either fide, to be equally bad: Portia and Neriffa. Portia. By my troth, Neriffa, my little body is weary of this great world. E 4 Nerifa Neriffa. You would be, fweet madam, if your miferies were in the fame abundance as your good fortunes are. And yet, for aught I fee, they are as fick that furfeit with too much, as they that ftarve with nothing; therefore, it is no mean happiness to be feated in the mean; fuperfluity comes fooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer." From thence Portia takes occafion to hint at the inefficacy of good counsel towards governing or reftraining our passions: Portia. Good fentences, and well pronounced. Neria. They would be better, if well followed. Pertia. If to do, were as eafy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men's cottages princes palaces. He is a good divine that follows his own inftructions; I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than to be one of the twenty to follow my own teaching. The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree; fuch a hare is madnefs, the youth, to skip o'er the mashes of good counfel, the cripple. The next paffage that occurs, is a reflection on the cafualties of fortune, which no merit, no industry, no prudence can controul. Morochius to Portia. Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets, And fo may I, blind Fortune leading me, Page to Hercules. 2 SCENE |