Ner.

Q

SCENE changes to Belmont.
Enter Nerissa with a Servant.

UICK, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain straight;

The Prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath,

And comes to his election presently.

Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. F/or. Cornets.
The Caskets are discover'd.

Tor. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble Prince;
you chose that, wherein I am contain'd,

If y

Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemnized;

But if you fail, without more speech, my lord,
You must be gone from hence immediately.

Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath t'observe three things;
First, never to unfold to any one

Which casket 'twas I chose; next, if I fail
Of the right casket, 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 these injunctions every one doth swear.
That comes to hazard for my worthless self.

Ar. And so have I addrest me; fortune now
To my heart's hope! gold, silver, and base lead.
Who chuseth me, must give and hazard all he hath.
You shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard.
What fays the golden chest ? ha, let me fee ;
Who chuseth me, shall gain what many men desire.
What many men desire 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,
Even in the force and road of casualty.
I will not chuse what many men desire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits,
And rank me with the barbarous 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 hi deserves ;
B 5

And

And well said too, for who shall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable
Without the stamp of merit? let none presume
To wear an undeserved dignity:

O, that estates, degrees, and offices,

Were not deriv'd corruptly, that clear 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 pleasantly would then be gleaned
From the true seed of honour ? how much honour
Pickt from the chaff and ruin of the times,

To be new varnish'd? well, but to my choice:
Who chuseth me, Shall get as much as be deserves:
I will assume desert; give me a key for this,
And instantly unlock my fortunes here.

Per. Too long a pause for that which you find there.
[Unlocking the silver casket.
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 ?

How much unlike my hopes and my deservings?
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 deserts no better?
Por. To offend, and judge, are distinct offices*
And of opposed natures.

Ar. What is here?

The sire seven times tried this ;

Seven times tried that judgment is,
That did never chuse amiss.

Some there he, that shadows kiss;
Such have but a shadow's blifs :
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'er, and so 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 (hall appear,
By the time I linger here.

With one fool's head I came to woo,

But I go away with two.

Sweet,

Sweet, adieu! I'll keep my oath,
Patiently to bear my wrath.

Por. Thus hath the candle sing'd the moth:
O these deliberate fools! when they do chuse,
They have the wisdom by their wit to lose.
Ner. The antient faying is no heresy,
Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.
Por. Come, draw the curtain, Nerissa.
Enter a Servant.

Ser. Where is my lady?

Por. Here, what would my lord?
Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate
A young Venetian, one that comes before
To signify th' approaching of his lord,
From whom he bringeth sensible regrets ;
To wit, besides commends and courteous breath,
Gifts of rich value; yet, I have not seen
So likely an ambassador of love.
A day in April never came so sweet,
To show how costly summer was at hand,
As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord.

;

Por. No more, I pray thee; I am half afraid,
Thou'lt fay anon, he is some kin to thee
Thou spend'st such high-day wit in praising him ;
Come, come, Nerissa, for I long to see
Quick Cupid's post, that comes so mannerly.
Ner. Bafanio, lord Love, if thy will it be !

[Exit.

}

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE, a Street in Venice.
Enter Salanio and Solarino.

SOLARIN O.

NOW, what news on the Ryalto?

Ν

Sal. Why, yet it lives there uncheckt, that Anthonio hath a ship of rich lading wreckt on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the car

cafes

cafes of many a tall ship lye bury'd, as they fay, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word.

Sola. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapt ginger; or made her neighbours believe, she wept for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honest Anthonio that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!

-

Sal. Come, the full stop.

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

Sal. I would it might prove the end of his losses.

Sola. Let me fay Amen betimes, lest 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 so well, none so well as you) of my daughter's flight.

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

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 flesh and blood to rebel!

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

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

Sal. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers, 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 sea or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match; ; bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares scarce show 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 usurer; let him look to his bond; he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy ; let him look to his bond.

al.

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

:

Shy. To bait sish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge; he hath disgrac'd me, and hinder'd me of half a million, laught at my losses, mockt at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the fame weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the fame means, warmed and cool'd by the fame winter and summer, as a Christian 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? if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? if we are like you in the rest, 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 sufferance be by Christian example? why, Revenge. The Villany, you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction.

Enter a Servant from Anthonio.

Serv. Gentlemen, my master Anthonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both.

Sal. We have been up and down to seek him.

Sola. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be match'd, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

[Exeunt Sala. and Solar. Shy. How, now, Tubal, what news from Genoua? hast thou found my daughter?

Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.

Shy. Why there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! the curse never sell upon our nation 'till now, I never felt it 'till now; two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels! I would, my daughter were dead at my foot, and the Jewels in her ear; O, would she were hers'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin. No news of them; why, so! and I know not what's

spent