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 speed
Of his return. He anfwer'd, Do not fo;
Slubber not business for my fake, Bassanio;
But stay the very niping 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 shall 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 sensible,

He wrung Baffanio's hand, and so 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.

SCENEX.

[Exeunts

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 discover'd.

Por. Behold, there stand the caskets, Noble Prince:
If you chufe that wherein I am contain'd,
Strait shall 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' observe three things:
First, never to unfold to any one
Which cafket 'twas I chose; 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 these injunctions every one doth swear, That comes to hazard for my worthless felf.

Ar. And fo have I address'd me; fortune now
To my heart's hope! gold, filver, and base lead.
Who chuseth me, must give and hazard all he hath.
You shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard,
What says the golden chest? ha, let me fee;
Who chuseth me, shall gain what many men defire.
What many men defire that may be meant
Of the fool-multitude, that chuse 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 chuse 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 silver treasure-house;
Tell me, once more, what title thou dost bear?
Who chuseth me, shall get as much as he deferves;
And well faid too, for who shall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable
Without the stamp of merit? Let none prefume
To wear an undeserved dignity :
O that estates, degrees, and offices,

Were not deriv'd corruptly, that elear honour
Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer !
How many then should cover, that stand 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 desert; give me a key for this,
And instantly unlock my fortunes here.

Por. Too longa 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?

13

How

How much unlike my hopes and my deservings? T
Who chuses me, shall have as much as he deserves.
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 diftinct 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 chuse amiss,
Some there be that shadows kiss,
Such have but a shadow's bliss :
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd d'er, and fo was this.
Take what wife you will to bed,
I will ever be your head:
So be gone, Sir, you are sped.

Ar. Still more fool I shall 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:
Othese deliberate fools! when they do chuse,
They have the wisdom by their wit to lose.
Ner. The ancient faying is no heresy,

Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.
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

[Exit.

A young Venetian, one that comes before
To fignify th' approaching of his Lord,
From whom he bringeth sensible regreets;
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 so sweet,

To

To show how costly fummer was at hand,
As this fore-spurrer comes before his Lord.
Por. No more, I pray thee; I'am half afraid
Thoul't say, anon, he is fome kin to thee;
Thou spend'st such high-day wit in praising him:
Come, come, Neriffa, for I long to fee
Quick Cupid's post, that comes so mannerly.
Ner. Baffanio, Lord Love, if thy will it be!

Sola.

N

ACT III. SCENE I.

A Street in Venice.

Enter Salanio and Solarino.
OW, what news on the Ryalto?

[Excunt:

Sal. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd, that Anthonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on thenarrow feas; the Godwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie bury'd, as they say, if my goffip Report be an honest woman of her word...

Sola. I would she 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 Anthonio- O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company !

Sal. Come, the full stop.

/

Sola. Ha, what fay'st thou? why, the end is, he hath loft a ship.

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

Enter Shylock.

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

Sal. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the tai

lor that made the wings the 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 ficsh 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 loss at fea, or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, for a prodigal, who dares scarce thew his head on the Ryalto; a beggar, that us'd to come so smug 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 courtesy; let him look to his bond.

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

Shy. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgrace'd me, and hinder'd me of half a million, laugh'd at my loffes, mock'd at my gains, scorn'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 diseases, healed by the fame means, warm'd and cool'd by the fame winter and fummer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poifon us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the reit, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his fufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge. The villany you