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 fome fpeed
Of his return. He anfwer'd, Do not fo;
Slubber not business for my fake, Bassanio;
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 chiefest 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 Baffanio'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 X.

[Exeunt.

Changes to Belmont.

Enter Neriffa with a fervant.

Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath,

And comes to his election presently.

[ftrait;

Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Flor. Cornets. The cafkets are difcover'd.

Por. Behold, there ftand the caskets, Noble Prince: chufe that wherein I am contain'd,

If you

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 injoin'd by oath t'obferve three things:

First, never to unfold to any one

Which cafket '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

Immediately to leave you, and be gone.

Por. To thefe injunctions every one doth swear,
That comes to hazard for my worthlefs felf.

Ar. And fo have I addrefs'd me; fortune now
To my heart's hope! gold, filver, and bafe 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, hall 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 casualty.
I will not chufe what many men defire,
Because I will not jump with common fpirits,
And rank me with the barb'rons 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 fhall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable

Without the ftamp of merit? Let none prefume
To wear an undeserved 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 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
Pick'd 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 inftantly 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,
Prefenting
me a fchedule? I will read it.
How much unlike art thou to Portia ?

How

How much unlike my hopes and my defervings?
Who chufes me, shall have as much as he deferves.
Did I deserve 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.

Ar. What is here?

The fire fev'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 fhadow's blifs:
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'er, and fo was this.
Take what wife you will to bed,
I will ever be your bead:
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 thefe 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 deftiny.

Por. Come, draw the curtain, Neriffa.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Where is my Lady?

Por, Here, what would my Lord?
Ser. Madam, there is alighted at your gate
A young Venetian, one that comes before
To fignify th' approaching of his Lord,
From whom he bringeth fenfible regreets;

[Exit.

To wit, befides commends and courteous breath,
Gifts of rich value; yet I have not feen

So likely an ambassador of love.

A day in April never came fo fweet,

Το

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
Thoul't fay, anon, he is fome kin to thee;
Thou fpend'ft fuch high-day wit in praifing him:
Come, come, Neriffa, for I long to fee
Quick Cupid's poft, that comes to mannerly.
Ner. Baffanio, Lord Love, if thy will it be!

Enter Salanio and Solarino.

YOW, what news on the Ryalto?

[Exeunt.

Sola. Sal. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd, that

Anthonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow feas; the Godwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcafes of many a tall fhip lie bury'd, as they fay, if my goffip Report be an honeft woman of her word.

Sola. I would fhe were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knapt ginger, or made her neighbours believe the wept for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any flips of prolixity, or croffing the plain highway of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honest Ănthonio O that I had a titie good enough to keep his name company!

Sal. Come, the full ftop.

Sola. Ha, what fay't thou? why, the end is, he hath loft a fhip.

Sal. I would it might prove the end of his loffes. Sola. Let me fay amen betimes, left the devil cross thy prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants?

Enter Shylock.

Shy. You knew (none fo well, none fo well as you) of my daughter's flight.

Sal. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings fhe flew withal.

Sola.

Sola. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledg'd, and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.

Shy. She is damn'd for it.

Sal. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge. Shy. My own fleth and blood to rebel !

Sola. Out upon it, old carrion, rebels it at these years?

Shy. I fay, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

Sal. There is more difference between thy flesh and her's, than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods, than there is between red wine and rhenish: but tell us, do you hear, whether Anthonio have had any lofs at fea, or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, for a prodigal, who dares scarce fhew his head on the Ryalto; a beggar, that us'd to come fo fmug upon the mart! let him look to his bond; he was wont to call me ufurer; let him look to his bond; he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtefy; let him look to his bond.

Sal. Why, I am fure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh: what's that good for?

11

Shy. To bait fifh withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath difgrace'd me, and hinder'd me of half a million, laugh'd at my loffes, mock'd at my gains, fcorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies. And what's his reafon? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimenfions, fenfes, affections, paffions? fed with the fame food, hurt with the fame weapons, fubject to the fame difeafes, healed by the fame means, warm'd and cool'd by the fame winter and fummer, as a Chriftian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, fhall we not revenge? If we are like you in the reft, we will refemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? revenge. If a Chriftian wrong a Jew, what fhould his fufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge. The villany you

teach