He wrung Bafanio's hand, and fo 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.

Ner.

SCENE changes to Belmont..

Enter Neriffa with a Servant.

[Exeunt.

The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath,

quick, Ipray thee, draw the curtain fait,

And comes to his election presently.

Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Florish Cornets.
The Cafkets are difcover'd.

Por. Behold, there ftand the caskets, noble Prince;
If you chufe that, wherein I am contain'd,
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 cafket '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 bafe lead. Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all he hath. You fhall look fairer, ere I give or hazard. What fays the golden cheft? ha, let me fee, Who chufeth me, shall 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 dost 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 ftamp 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 peafantry would then be gleaned
From the true feed of honour? how much honour (13)
Pickt from the chaff and ruin of the times,
To be new varnish'd? well, but to my choice:
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves.
I will affume defert; give me a key for this,
And inftantly unlock my fortunes here.

Por. Too long a pause for that which you find there. [Unlocking the filver casket.

(13)

bow much bonour

Pick'd from the Chaff and ruin of the times,

To be new varnish'd.] Mr. Warburton very justly observ'd to me upon the confufion and difagreement of the Metaphers here; ani is of opinion, that Shakespeare might have wrote;

To be new vanned.

i. e. winnow'd, purged: from the French word, vanner; Which is deriv'd from the Latin, Vannus, ventilabrum, the Fann ufed for winnowing the chaff from the corn. This alteration, as he obferves, reftores the metaphor to its integrity: and our poet frequently uses the fame thought So, in the 2d part of Henry IV.

We shall be rinnow'd with so rough a wind, That ev'n our corn fhall feem as light as chaff. And, again, in K. Henry V.

Such, and fo finely boulted did'ft thou feem,

for boulted fignifies fifted, refin'd. The correction is truly ingenious, and probable: But as Shakespeare is fo loofe and licentious in the blending of different metaphors," I have not ventur'd to disturb the text.

Ar. What's here! the portrait of a blinking idiot, Prefenting me a schedule? I will read it: How much unlike art thou to Portia? How much unlike my hopes and my defervings? Who chufes me, shall have as much as he deferves. Did I deferve 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.

dr. What is here?

The fire fev'n times tried this ;
Sev'n times tried that judgment is,
That did never chufe amifs.
Some there be, that fhadows kifs;
Such have but a fhadow's blifs:
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'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 fhall 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 wroth.

Por. Thus hath the candle fing'd the moth:
O thefe deliberate fools! when they do chufe,
They have the wisdom by their wit to lofe.
Ner. The ancient faying is no herefy,
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 ?

Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate
A young Venetian, one that comes before
To fignify th' approaching of his lord,

[Exit.

From

From whom he bringeth fenfible regreets;
To wit, befides commends and courteous breath,
Gifts of rich value; yet, I have not seen
So likely an ambaffador of love.
A day in April never came fo fweet,
To fhow how coftly fummer was at hand,
As this fore-fpurrer comes before his lord.
Por. No more, I pray thee; I am half afraid,
Thou'lt fay anon, he is fome kin to thee;
Thou fpend'ft fuch high-day wit in praifing him:
Come, come, Neriffa, for I long to fee

Quick Cupid's poft, that comes fo mannerly.

Ner. Bajanio, lord Love, if thy will it be! (14)

Realto?

Now, what news on the Rre uncheck'd, that Anthonio hath a fhip of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow feas; the Godwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcafes of many a tall fhip lye bury'd, as they fay, if my goffip Report be an honeft woman of her word.

Sola. I would fhe were as lying a goffip in that, as ever knapt ginger; or made her neighbours believe, the wept for the death of a third hufband. But it is true, (14) Bassanio Lord, love, if] Mr. Pope, and all the preceding editors have follow'd this pointing; as imagining, I fuppofe, that Eaffanio lord---means, Lord Baffanio; but Lord must be coupled to Love: as if she had faid, imperial love, if it be thy will, let it be Bassanio 'whom this meffenger fore-runs. F 3

without

without any flips of prolixity, or croffing the plain high-way of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honeft O that I had a title good enough to

Anthonio

keep his name company.

Sal. Come, the full ftop.

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

Sal. I would, it might prove the end of his loffes. Sola. Let me fay Amen betimes, left the devil cross thy prayer, (15) for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. How now, Shylock, what news among the mer

chants?

Enter Shylock.

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

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

Sela. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledg'd, and then it is the complection 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 thefe years?
Shy. I fay, 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 lofs at fea or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares scarce fhew his head on the Ryalto; a beggar, that us'd to come fo fmug 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 chriftian courtefy; let him look to his bond.

(15) left the devil cross my prayer ] But the prayer was Salanio's. The other only, as clerk, fays Amen to it. We must therefore read -thy prayer. Mr. Warburton.

Sal