Imatges de pàgina
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Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all he 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? 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 my self.
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, shall 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 vaftie 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 fearcloth in the obscure grave.
Or fhall I think, in filver she'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

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 whose empty eye there is a scrowl:

I'll read the writing,

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All that glifters is not gold,

Often have you beard that told;
Many a man his life bath 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 answer 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.

[Exit.

Por. A gentle riddance: draw the curtains; go

[Exeunt.

Let all of his complexion chufe me fo.

SCENE

Changes to Venice.

IX.

Enter Solarino and Salanio.

Sal.
WHY, man, I faw Bassanio under fail;
With him is Gratiano gone along;

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And

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:
Besides, 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 few did utter in the streets ;
My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter,
Fled with a chriftian? O my christian 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! juftice! find the girl;
She hath the stones 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

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 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

He wrung Bafanio'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 9 embraced heaviness
With fome delight or other.

Sal. Do we fo.

S

CENE X.

Changes to Belmont.

Enter Neriffa with a Servant.

[Exeunt

Ner.QUICK, quick, I pray thee, draw the cur

;

The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath,
And comes to his election prefently.

If

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

Por. Behold, there ftand the caskets, noble Prince; you chufe that, wherein I am contain❜d,

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EMBRACED heaviness] This unmeaning epithet would make me choose rather to read,

ENRACED heaviness,

from the French enraciner, accrefcere, inveterafcere. So in Much ado about nothing,

I could not have owed her a more ROOTED love.

And again in Othello

With one of an INGRAFT infirmity.

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Strait

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; First, never to unfold to any one

Which casket '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 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 base lead.
Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath.
You fhall 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, fhall get as much as he deferves;
And well faid too, for who fhall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable
Without the stamp 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

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