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 thefe, 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 kiss the shrine, this mortal breathing faint.
Th' Hyrcanian deserts, and the vasty wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For Princes to come view fair Portia.
The wat'ry kingdom, whose ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To ftop the foreign spirits; 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 so 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
Lies 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 lie
[Unlocking the gold cafket.
Mor. O hell! what have we here? a carrion death, Within whose 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 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.
Por. A gentle riddance: draw the curtains; goLet all of his complexion chufe me fo.
WHY, man, I faw Baffanio under fail; With him is Gratiano gone along; And in their fhip, I'm fure, Lorenzo is not.
Sola. The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the Duke, Who went with him to fearch Baffario's fhip.
Sal. He came too late, the fhip was under fail;
But there the Duke was given 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 Bassanio in his ship.
Sola. I never heard a paffion so 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 chriftian? O my chriftian ducats!
Juftice, the law, my ducats, and my daughter!
A fealed bag, two fealed bags of ducats,
Of double ducats, ftoll'n from me by my daughter!
And jewels too, ftones, rich and precious ftones,
Stoll'n by my daughter! justice! 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. I faw Baffanio and Anthonio part.
Baffanio told him, he would make some speed
Of his return: he answer'd, do not so,
Slubber not business 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 such fair oftents of love,
As fhall conveniently become you there.
And even there, his eye being big with tears,
Turning his face, he puts his band behind him,
And with affection wond'rous fenfible
He wrung Baffanio's hand, and fo they parted. Sola. I think, he only loves the world for him, pray thee, let us go and find him out,
And quicken his embraced heaviness
With fome delight or other.
Changes to Belmont.
Enter Neriffa with a Servant.
Ner. QUICK, quick, I pray thee, draw the cur
The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath,
And comes to his election presently.
Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Flor. 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 nuptial 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; Firft, 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 worthlefs felf.
Ar. And fo have I addreft me; fortune now To my heart's hope! gold, filver, and base lead. Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all he hath. You fhall 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
Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
Ev'n in the force and road of cafualty.
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, fhall get as much as he deferves;
And well faid too, for who shall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable
Without the ftamp of merit? let none presume
To wear an undeferved dignity:
O, that eftates, degrees, and offices,
Were not deriv'd corruptly, that clear honour
Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!
How many then should 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
Pickt from the chaff and ruin of the times,
To be new vanned? well, but to my choice:
Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deferves:
I will affume defert; give me a key for this,
And instantly unlock my fortunes here.
Por. Too long a paufe for that which you find there.
[Unlocking the filver cafket.
Ar. What's here! the portrait of a blinking idiot,
Presenting me a schedule? I will read it.
How much unlike art thou to Portia ?
How much unlike my hopes and my deservings?
Who chufes me, fhall 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 oppofed natures.
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