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.
SCENE VIII. Changes to Belmont. Enter Portia with Morochius, and both their trains?
Por. Go, draw afide the curtains and discover The fev'ral cafkets to this Noble Prince. Now make your choice. [Three cafkets are difcover'd. Mor. The firft of gold, which this infcription bears, Who chufeth me, shall gain what many men defire. The fecond filver, which this promife carries, Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deferves. This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt, Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all he hath. How fhall I know, if I do chuse the right?
Por. The one of them contains my picture, Prince ;' chuse that, then I am your's withal.
Mor. Some God direct my judgment! let me fee,
I will furvey th' infcriptions back again;
What fays this leaden cafket?
Who chufeth me, muft give and hazard all be bath.
Muft give, for what? for lead? hazard for lead?
This casket 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, aught 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? paufe there, Morochius ;
And weigh thy value with an even hand.
If thou be'ft rated by thy eftimation,
Thou doft deserve 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 deferve.
What if I ftray'd no farther, but chose here?
VOL. II.
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 kifs this fhrine, this mortal breathing faint.
Th' Hyrcanian deferts, and the vafty wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For Princes to come view fair Portia.
The wat'ry kingdom, whofe ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To stop the foreign fpirits; but they come,
As o'er a brook, to fee fair Portia.
One of these three contains her heav'nly picture.
Is 't like, that lead contains her? 'twere damnation, To think fo bafe a thought it were too grofs
To rib her cerecloth 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 worfe 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 there, Then I am your's. [Unlocking the gold cafket. Mor. O hell! what have we here? a carrion death, Within whofe empty eye there is a scrowl:
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 inferol'd
Fare you well, your fuit is cold.
Mor. Cold, indeed, and labour lost;
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; go
Let all of his complexion chufe me fo.
Enter Solarino and Salanio.
Sal. 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 Baffanio'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 Baffanio in his fhip.
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 Chriftian 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 too, 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 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 Bassanio and Anthonio part.
Baffanio told him, he would make some speed
Of his return. He anfwer'd, Do not fo;
Slubber not business for my fake, Bassanio;
But ftay 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 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,
Ee 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.
Enter Neriffa with a fervant.
Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain The Prince of Aragon has ta'en his oath,
And comes to his election presently.
Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Flor. Cornets. The cafkets are difcover'd.
Por. Behold, there ftand the cafkets, Noble Prince : 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 injoin'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 cafket, never in my life
To woo a maid in way of marriage;
Last, 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 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 shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard.
What fays the golden cheft? ha, let me fee;
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 cafualty.
I will not chufe what many men defire,
Because I will not jump with common fpirits,
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 s
And weil 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. purchased 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
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 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 ?
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