Had been the very lum of my confeffion.
O happy torment, when my torture
Doth teach me anfwers for deliverance!
But let me to my fortune and the cafkets.

If

Por. Away then! I am lockt in one of them: do love me, you will find me out.

you
Nariffa and the reft, ftand all aloof,

Let mufick found, while he doth make his choice:
Then, if he loofe, he makes a swan-like end,
Fading in mufick. That the comparison
May ftand more juft, my eye fhall be the ftream
And watry death bed for him: He may win,
And what is mufick then? then mufick is
Even as the flourish, when true fubjects bow
To a new-crowned monarch; fuch it is,
As are thofe dulcit founds in break of day,
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,
And fummon him to marriage. Now he goes,
With no less prefence, but with much more love,
Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin tribute: paid by howling Troy,
To the fea monster: Iftand for facrifice;
The reft aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With bleared vifages come forth to view
The infue of th'exploit. Guerenies
Live thou, I live; with much, much more difmay
I view the fight, than thou that mak't the fray.

[Mufick within A fong, whilst Baffanio comments on the caskets to bimself.

Tell me where is fancy bred,

Or in the heart, or in the head?

How begot, bow nourished?

Reply, reply.

It is engender'd in the eye,
With gazing fed, and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lies:

Let us all ring faney's knell,

I'll begin it.

Ding dong bell.

All. Ding, dong, bell.

Baff. So may the outward fhows be leaft themselves :

The

The world is ftill deceiv'd with ornament.

In law what plea fo tainted and corrupt,
But being feafon'd with a gracious voice,
Obfcures the fhow of evil? in religion,
What damned error, but fome fober brow
Will blefs it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the groffnefs with fair ornament ?
There is no vice so fimple, but affumes
Some marks of virtue on its outward parts.
How many cowards, whofe hearts are all as falle
As stairs of fand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars;
Who inward fearcht, have livers white as milk?
And these affume but valour's excrement,
To render them redoubted. Look on beauty,
And you shall see 'tis purchas'd by the weight,
Which therein works a miracle in nature,
Making them lightest, that wear most of it.
So are thofe crispy snaky golden locks,
Which make fuch wanton gambols with the wind
Upon fuppofed fairness, often known

To be the dow'ry of a second head,

The skull, that bred them, in the fepulchre..
Thus ornament is but the gilded shore

To a moft dangerous fea; the beauteous scarf
Veiling an Indian beauty; in a word,

The feeming truth which cunning times put on
T'entrap the wifeft. Then, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee;
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge
"Tween man and man; but thou, thou meager lead,,
Which rather threat'neft, than doft promife aught,,
Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence ;,
And here chufe I; joy be the confequence..

Por. How all the other paffions fleet to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rafh embrac'd despair,.
And thudd'ring fear, and green ey'd jealousy.
O love be moderate, allay thy extasy ;
In measure reign thy joy, fcant this excefs,.
Efeel to much thy bleffing, make it lefs,
For fear I forfeit.

Baff What find I here?

EOpening the leaden caskets.

D 3

Fair

Fair Portia's counterfeit ; what demy god
Hath come fo near creation? move thefe eyes?
Or whether riding on the balls of mine,
Seem they in motion? here are fever'd lips
Parted with fugar breath; fo fweet a bar
Should funder fuch fweet friends; here in her hairs
The painter plays the fpider, and hath woven
A golden mesh t'entrap the hearts of men,
Faller than gnats in cobwebs: but her eyes-→→
How could he fee to do them? having made one,
Methinks it fhould have power to steel both his,
And leave itself unfinish'd; yet how far

The fubftance of my praise doth wrong this fhadow
In underprizing it; fo far this fhadow

Doth limp behind the fubftance. Here's the fcroll,.
The continent and fummary of my fortune.
You that chufe not by the view,
Chance as fair, and chufe as true;
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content, and feek no new.
If you be well pleas'd with this,
And bold your fortune for your bliss,
Turn you where your lady is,

And claim ber with a loving kiss.
A gentle fcroll; fair lady, by your leave;

I come by note, to give and to receive.
Like one of two contending in a prize,

[Kifing ber.

That think's he hath done well in th' people's eyes ::
Hearing applaufe and univerfal fhout,
Giddy in fpirit, gazing fill in doubt,

Whether those peals of praife be his or no:

So (thrice fair lady) ftand I, even so,

As doubtful whether what I fee be true,

Until confirm'd, fign'd, ratify'd by you.

Por. You fee me, lord Baffanio, where I ftand,
Such as I am; tho' for myself, alone,

I would not be ambitious in my wish,
To with myself much better; yet for you,
I would be trebled twenty times m felf,

A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times
More rich; that to ftand high in your account,

I might

I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account: but the full fum of me
Is fum of fomething, which, to termin grofs,
Is an unleffon'd girl, unfchool'd, unpractis'd:
Happy in this; the is not yet fo old

But the may learn; more happy then in this,.-
She is not bred fo dull. but the can learn';
Happiest of all, is, that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myfelf, and what is mine, to you and yours
Is now converted. But now I was the lord'
Of this fair manfion, master of my fervants,
Queen o'er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, thefe fervants, and this fame myself
Are yours, my lord: I give them with this ring,
Which, when you part from, lofe or give away,
Let it prefage the ruin of your love,

And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

Ba. Madam, you have bereft me of all words,
Only my blood fpeaks to you in my veins;
And there is fuch confufion in my pow'rs,
As, after fome oration fairly fpoke

By a beloved prince, there doth appear
Among the buzzing pleased multitude:
Where ev'ry fomething, being blent together,
Turns to a wild of nothing, fave of joy
Expreft, and not expreft. But when this ring
Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence;
O, then be bold to fay, Baffanid's dead.

Ner. My lord and lady, it is now our time,
That have stood by, and feen our wishes profper,
To cry, great joy, good joy, my lord and lady!

Gra. My lord, Baffanio, and my gentle lady,
I wish you all the joy that you can with;
For, I am fure, you can wish none from me:
And when your honours mean to folemnize
The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you,
E'en at that time I may be married too.

Baff. With all my heart, fo thou canst get a wife.
Gra. I thank your lordship, you have got me one,
My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours;

You

You faw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You lov'd; I lov'd; for intermifion
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune flood upon the casket there;
And fo did mine too, as the matter falls:
For wooing here until I sweat again,
And fwearing, till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love; at laft, if promise last,
got a promise of this fair one here,

To have her love, provided that
Atchiev'd her mistress.

Por. Is this true, Neriffa?

your

fortune

Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal.
Baff. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, faith, my lord.

Baff. Our feaft, fhall be much honour'd in your marriage.

Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy for a thousand ducats.

Ner. What, and stake down?

Gra. No, we fhall, ne'er win at the sport and

down.

But, who comes-here, Lorenzo and his infidel?
What, and my old Venetian friend, Salanio?

Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica and Salario..

Baff. Lorenzo and Salanio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new interest, here
Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave,
I bid my very friends and countrymen,

(Sweet Portia) welcome..

Por. So do I, my lord; they are entirely welcome. Lor. I thank your honour; for my part, my lord,, My purpose was not to have feen you here;

But meeting with Salanie by the way,,

He did intreat me, patt all faying nay,.
To come with him along..

Sal. I did, my lord.

And I have reason for't; Signior Anthonia
Commends him to you.

Baff 'Ere I ope this letter,

[Gives Baffanio a letter.

I pray you tell me how my good friend doth.
Sal. Not fick, my lord, unless it be in mind;