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Lor. Befhrew me, but I love her heartily;
For fhe is wife, if I can judge of her;
And fair fhe is, if that mine eyes be true;
And true fhe is, as fhe has prov'd herself;
And therefore like herself, 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 stay..
Enter Anthonio. :

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,
Bajanio 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.

Por.

SCENE changes to Belmont.

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[Exit.

[Exeunt!

Enter Portia with Morochius, and both their trains. O, draw afide the curtains, and difcover The fev'ral cafkets to this noble Prince. Now make your choice. [Three Cafkets are discovered. Mor. The firit of gold, which this infcription bears, Who chufeth me, fhall gain what many men defire. The fecond filver, which this promife 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 chufe the right?

Por. The one of them contains my picture, Prince; If you chufe that, then I am yours withal. Mor. Some God direct my judgment! let me fee, I will furvey the infcriptions back again : What fays this leaden casket?

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Who chufeth me must give and hazard all he hath.
Must give, for what? for lead? hazard for lead?
This cafket threatens, men, that hazard all,
Do it in hope of fair advantages:

A golden mind ftoops not to fhows 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 eftimation,
Thou doft deferve 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 myself.
As much as I deferve?—why, that's the lady :
I do in birth deferve 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, fball 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 vasty wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For Princes to come view fair Portia.

The watʼry kingdom, whofe ambitious head
Spits in the face of heav'n, is no bar

To stop the foreign fpirits; but they come

As o'er a brook, to see fair Portia.

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

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 chufe, 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 hath fold,
But my outfide to behold.
Gilded wood may worms infold;
Had you been as wife as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your anfwer had not been infcrol'd;
Fare you well, your suit is cold.

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

To take a tedious leave: thus lofers part.

[Exit.

Por. A gentle riddance: draw the curtains; go

Let all of his complexion chufe me fo.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Venice.

Enter Solarino and Salanio.

Sal. WHY, man, I faw Bassanio under fail;

With him is Gratiano gone along;

And in their fhip, 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 seen together

Lorenzo and his am'rous Jeffica:

Befides

Befides, Anthonio certify'd the Duke,
They were not with Baffanio in his ship.
Sola. I never heard a paffion fo confus'd,
So ftrange, outrageous, and fo 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!
Juftice, the law, my ducats, and my daughter!
A fealed bag, two fealed bags of ducats,

Of double ducats, ftol'n from me by my daughter!
And jewels, two ftones, rich and precious ftones,
Stol'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 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 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 Bafanio and Anthonio part.

Bafanio told him, he would make fome speed
Of his return: he anfwer'd, do not fo,
Slubber not business for my fake, Baffanio,
But ftay the very riping of the time!

And for the Jew's bond, which he hath of me,
Let it not enter into 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

VOL. II

F

He

He wrung Bafanio'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 heavinefs
With fome delight or other.

Sal. Do we fo.

Ner.

SCENE changes to Belmont.

Q

Enter Neriffa with a Servant.

[Exeunt.

UICK, quick, I pray thee,draw the curtain strait; The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath, And comes to his election presently.

Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Florish Cornets, The Cafkets are discover'd.

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

Strait fhall our nuptual rites be folemniz'd:

But if you fail, without more fpeech, my lord,
You must be gone from hence immediately.

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

Which casket 'twas I chose; next, if I fail
Of the right cafket, 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 thefe injunctions every one doth fwear,
That comes to hazard for my worthless felf.

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 bath.
You shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard.
What fays the golden cheft? ha, let me fee,
Who chufeth me, shall gain what many men defire.
What many men defire- - that may be meant
Of the fool-multitude, that chufe by fhow,
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach;
Which pry not to th' interior, but like the martlet

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