Gra. I am glad on't; I desire no more de. | Lies all within.-Deliver me the key; light, Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may ! Than to be under sail, and gone to-night. Por. There, take it, prince, and if my form lie there,

I reason'd with a Frenchman yesterday;
Who told me,-in the narrow seas, that part
The French and English, there miscarried
A vessel of our country richly fraught:

I thought upon Antonio, when he told me ;
And wish'd in silence, that it were not his.
Salan. You were best to tell Antonio what
you hear;

Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him.
Salar. A kinder gentleman treads not the
I saw Bassanio and Antonio part :
(earth.
Bassanio told him, he would make some speed
Of his return; he answer'd-Do not so,
Stubber not business for my sake, Bassanio,
in 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 chiefest thoughts

and that clear

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 peasantry would then be glean'd
From the true seed of honour? and how much
honour

Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times,
To be new varnish'd? Well, but to my choice:
Who chooseth me, shall get as much as he
deserves.

I will assume desert ;-Give me a key for this,
And instantly unlock my fortunes bere.

Por. Too long a pause for that which you find there.

• The heaviness he is fond of.
1 Power

Salar. Come, the full stop.

Salan. Ha,-what say'st thou ?-Why end is, he hath lost a ship.

Salar. I would it might prove the end of losses!

the

his

thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels.-1 would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! 'would she were hears'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin !-No news of them ?-Why, so :-and Salan. Let me say amen betimes, lest the de-I know not what's spent in the search: Why, vil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.

Enter SHYLOCK.

How now, Shylock?, what news among the
Inerchants?

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

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

Salan. 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.

thou loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill-luck stirring, but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs, but o' my breathing; no tears, but o' my shedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Antonio, as I heard in Genoa,

Shy. What, what, what? ill luek, ill luck? Tub. -bath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.

Shy. I thank God, I thank God:-Is it true? is it true?

Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that

Salar. That's certain, if the devil may be escaped the wreck. her judge.

Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel.

Salan. Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at

these years?

Shy. I say my daughter is my flesh and blood. Salar. There is more difference between thy flesh and ber'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 Antonio have had any loss at sea or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his bead on the Rialto;-a beggar, that used to come so smug upon the mari;-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.

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

Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal ;-Good news, good news: ha! ha!-Where? in Genoa ? Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats.

Shy. Thou stick'st a dagger in me :--I shall never see my gold again: Fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats!

Tub. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break.

Shy. I am very glad of it: I'll plague him; I'll torture him; 1 am glad of it.

Tub. One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey.

Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal it was my torquoise; I had it of leah, when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkies.

House.

Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone. Shy. Nay that's true, that's very true: Go, Tubal, fee me an officer, bespeak him a fortnight Shy. To bait fish withal: it it will feed no-before, I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit thing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath for were he out of Venice, I can make what disgraced me, and hindered me of half a mil-merchandise 1 will: Go, go, Tubal, and meet lion; laughed at my losses, mocked at my me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bar-synagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt. gains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew: Hath not SCENE II.-Belmont.-A Room in PORTIA'S a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, the same food, hurt with the same weapons, and Attendants. The caskets are set out. subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter Por. I pray you, tarry; pause a day or two, and summer, as a Christian is? if you prick us, Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not lose your company; therefore, forbear a while : laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if There's something tells me, (but it is not love,) you wrong us, shall we pot revenge? if we are would not lose you; and you know yourself, like you in the rest, we will resemble yon in Hate counsels not in such a quality: that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his But lest you should not understand me well, humility? revenge: If a Christian wrong a Jew, (And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,) what should his sufferance be by Christian ex-I would detain you here some month or two, I could teach you, ample? why, revenge. The villany you teach Before you venture for me. me. I will execute; and it shall go hard, but I How to choose right, but then I am forsworn ; will better the instruction. So will I never be so may you miss me; But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin, That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes, They have o'erlook'd me, and divided me; One half of me is your's, the other half your's,Mine own, I would say, but if mine, then your's,

Enter a SERVANT.

Serv. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both. Salar. We have been up and down to seek bim.

Enter TUBAL.

Salan. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself torn Jew.

[Exeunt SALAN. SALAR. and SERVANT. Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? bast thou found my daughter ?

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

Shy. Why there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now; -two

And so all your's: Oh! these naughty times
Put bars between the owners and their rights;
And so, though your's, not your's.--Prove it so,
Let fortune go to hell for it,-not I.

I speak too long; but 'tis to peize the time;
To eke it, and to draw it out in length,
To stay you from election.

Bass. Let me choose;

For as I am, I live upon the rack.

Por. Upou the rack, Bassanio? then confess What treason there is mingled with your love. ↑ Delay.

A precious stone.

Bass. None, but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear the enjoying of my love: There may as well be amity and life 'Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. Por. Ay, but I fear, you speak upon rack,

the

Where men enforced do speak any thing.
Bass. Promise me life, and I'll confess the
truth.

Por. Well then, confess, and live.
Bass. Confess and love,

Had been the very sum of my confession:
O happy torment, when my torturer

Doth teach me answers for deliverance !
But let me to my fortune and the caskets.
Por. Away then: I am lock'd in one
them;

To be the dowry of a second bead,
The skull that bred them, in the sepulchre.
Thus ornament is but the guiled • shore
To a most dangerous sea; the beauteous scarf
Veiling an Indian beauty; in a word,
The seeming truth which cunning times put en
To entrap the wisest. Therefore, thou gandy
gold,

Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee:
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common dradee
*Tween man and man: but thou, thou meagre
lead,

Which rather threat'nest, than dost promise
aught,

Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence, of And here choose I; Joy be the consequence! Por. How all the other passions fleet to air, As doubtful thoughts, and rash embrac'è despair,

If you do love me, you will find me out.-
Nerissa, and the rest, stand all aloof.-
Let music sound, while he doth make nis choice;
Then, if he lose, he makes a swanlike end,
Fading in music: that the comparison
May stand more proper, my eye shall be
stream,

the

And wat❜ry death-bed for him: He may win;
And what is music then? then music is
Even as the flourish when true subjects bow
To a new-crowned monarch: such it is,
As are those dulcet sounds in break of day,
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear,
And summon him to marriage. Now he goes,
With no less presence, but with much more
love,

Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin tribute paid by howling Troy
To the sea-monster; I stand for sacrifice,
The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With bleared visages, come forth to view
The issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules!
Live thou, I live :-With much much more dis-
may

I view the fight, than thou that mak'st the fray.
Music, whilst BASSANIO, comments on the
caskets to himself.
SONG.

1. Tell me, where is fancy + bred,
Or in the heart, or in the head?
How begot, how nourished?
Reply. 2. It is engender'd in the eyes,
With gazing jed; and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lies:

All.

Let us all ring fancy's knell :
I'll begin it,--Ding, dong, bell.
Ding, dong, bell.

Bass. So may the outward shows be least
themselves;

The world is still deceiv'd with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt,
But, being season'd with a gracious voice,
Obscures the show of evil? In religion,
What damned error, but some sober brow
Will bless it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?
There is no vice so simple, but assumes
Some mark of virtue on his outward parts.
How many cowards, whose hearts are all as
false

As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars,
Who, inward search'd, have livers white
milk?

And these assume 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 those crisped § suaky golden locks,
Which make such wanton gambols with
wind,

Upon supposed fairness, often known

And shudd'ring fear, and green-ey'd jealoncy.
O love, be moderate, allay thy extacy,

In measure rain thy joy, scaut this excess;
I feel too much thy blessing, make it less,
For fear I surfeit !

Bass. What find I here?

[Opening the leaden earket-
Fair Portia's counterfeit ? What demi-god
Hath come so near creation? Move these eyes!
Or, whether, riding on the balls of mine,
Seem they in motion? Here are sever'd lips
Parted with sugar breath; so sweet a bar
Should sunder such sweet friends: Here in ber

hairs

The continent and summary of my fortune.
You that choose not by the view,
Chance as fair, and choose as true!
Since this fortune falls to you,

Be content and seek no new.

If you be well pleas'd with this,
And hold your fortune for your bliss,
Turn you where your lady is,
And claim her with a loving kiss.
A gentle scroll ;-Fair lady, by your leave;
[Kissing her.

I come by note, to give, and to receive.
Like one of two contending in a prize,
That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes,
Hearing applause, and universal shent,
Giddy in spirit, still gazing, in a doubt
Whether those peals of praise be his or no ;
So, thrice fair lady, stand I, even so;
As doubtful whether what I see be true,
Until confirm'd, sign'd, ratified by you.

Por. You see me, lord Bassanio, where I
stand,

Such as I am: though for myself alone,
I would not be ambitious in my wish,
as To wish myself much better; yet, for you,
I would be trebled twenty times myself;
A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times
More rich;

the

Than only to stand high on your account,

I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account: but the full sum of me

Is sum of something; which, to term in grosz,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractis'd:
Happy in this, she is not yet so oid

But she may learn; and happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn

Happiest of all, is, that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to your's to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself, and what is mine, to you, and your's
Is now converted but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants,
Queen o'er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, these servants, and this same my-I
self,

Are your's, my lord; I give them with this
ring,

Which, when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love.
And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

Bass. Madam, you have bereft me of all
words,

Only my blood speaks to you in my veins :
And there is such confusion in my powers,
As, after some oration fairly spoke

By a beloved prince, there doth appear
Among the buzzing pleased multitude;
Where every something, being blent * together,
Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy,
Express'd, and not express'd: But when this
ring

Parts from this finger, then parts life from
hence;

Oh! then be bold to say, Bassanio's dead.

Ner. My lord and lady, it is now our time, That have stood by, and seen our wishes prosper,

To cry, good joy; Good joy, my lord and lady!
Gra. My lord Bassanio, and my gentle lady,
I wish you all the joy that you can wish;
For I am sure, you can wish none from me :
And, when your bonours mean to solemnize
The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you,
Even at that time I may be married too.
Bass. With all my heart, so thou canst get a
wife.

Gra. I thank your lordship; you have got me

one.

My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as your's:
You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You lov'd, I lov'd; for intermission +
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune stood upon the caskets there;
And so did mine too, as the matter falls :
For wooing here, until I sweat again;
And swearing, till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love: at last,-if promise last,-
I got a promise of this fair one here,
To have her love, provided that your fortune
Achiev'd her mistress.

Por. Is this true, Nerissa?

Ner. Madam, it is, so you stand pleas'd withal.

Bass. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?

Gra. Yes, 'faith, my lord.

Bass. Our feast shall 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 shall ne'er win at that sport,
and stake down.--

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

Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, and SALERIO.
Bass. Lorenzo, and Salerio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new interest bere
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 seen you here;
But meeting with Salerio by the way,

He did entreat me, past all saying nay,
To come with him along.
Saler. I did, my lord,

And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio
Commends him to you.

[Gives BASSANIO a letter. Bass. Ere I ope his letter,

pray you, tell me how my good friend doth.
Saler. Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind;
Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there
Will show you his estate.

Gra. Nerissa, cheer yon' stranger; bid her
welcome.

Your hand, Salerio; What's the news from
Venice ?

How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?
I know, he will be glad of our success;
We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.
Saler. 'Would you had won the fleece that he
hath lost!

Por. There are some shrewd contents in yon'
same paper,

That steal the colour from Bassanio's cheek:
Some dear friend dead: else nothing in the
Could turn so much the constitution [world
Of any constant man. What, worse and worse?
With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,
And I must freely have the half of any thing
That this same paper brings you.

Bass. O sweet Portia,

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words,
That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady,
When I did first impart my love to you,
I freely told you all the wealth I had
Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;
And then I told you true: and yet, dear lady,
Rating myself at nothing, you shall see
How much I was a braggart; when I told you
My state was nothing, I should then have told
you

That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,
I have engag'd myself to a dear friend,
Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady;
The paper is the body of my friend,
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Issuing life-blood.-But is it true, Salerio ?
Have all his ventures fail'd? What, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And not one vessel 'scape the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks ?

Saler. Not one, my lord.

Besides, it should appear, that if he had
The present money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it: Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man :
He plies the duke at morning and at night;
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,
The duke himself, and the magnificoes*
Of greatest port, have ali persuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.

Jes. When I was with him I have heard
him swear,

To Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen,
That he would rather have Antonio's flesh.
Than twenty times the value of the sum
That he did owe him and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and power deny not,
It will go hard with poor Antonio.

Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in
trouble?

Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest