Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true, goe Tnball, fee me an Officer, bespeake him a fortnight before, I will have the heart of him if he forfeit, for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandize I will: goe Tuball, and meete me at our Sinagogue, goe good Tuball, at our Sinagogue Tuball. Exeunt.
[Scene ii. Belmont. A room in Portia's house.]
Enter Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, and all their traine.
Por. I pray you tarrie, pause a day or two
Before you hazard, for in choosing wrong
I loose your companie; therefore forbeare a while,
There's something tels me (but it is not love)
I would not loose you, and you know your selfe,
Hate counsailes not in such a quallitie;
But least you should not understand me well,
And yet a maiden hath no tongue, but thought,
I would detaine you here some month or two
Before you venture for me.
I could teach you
How to choose right, but then I am forsworne,
So will I never be, so may you misse me,
But if you doe, youle make me wish a sinne,
That I had beene forsworne: Beshrow your eyes,
They have ore-lookt me and devided me,
One halfe of me is yours, the other halfe yours,
Mine owne I would say: but of mine then yours,
And so all yours; O these naughtie times
Puts bars betweene the owners and their rights.
119. Tnball: Tuball-QQ. 2-4F.
122. I will: goe: I will. Go, go (I will go: go)-1'Q. 12. then I am: I am then-IQ.
And so though yours, not yours (prove it so)
Let Fortune goe to hell for it, not I.
I speake too long, but 'tis to peize1 the time,
To ich it, and to draw it out in length,
To stay you from election.
Bass. Let me choose,
For as I am, I live upon
Por. Upon the racke Bassanio, then confesse
What treason there is mingled with your love.
Bass. None but that uglie treason of mistrust.
Which makes me feare the enjoying of my love:
There may as well be amitie and life,
'Tweene snow and fire, as treason and my
Por. I, but I feare you speake upon the racke, Where men enforced doth speake any thing.
Bass. Promise me life, and ile confesse the truth. 1 Por. Well then, confesse and live.
Bass. Confesse and love Had beene the verie sum of
O happie torment, when my torturer
Doth teach me answers for deliverance:
But let me to my fortune and the caskets.
Por. Away then, I am lockt in one of them,
If you doe love me, you will finde me out.
Nerryssa and the rest, stand all aloose,
Let musicke sound while he doth make his choise,
Then if he loose he makes a Swan-like end,
Fading in musique. That the comparison
May stand more proper, my eye shall be the streame
And watrie death-bed for him: he may win,
And what is musique than? Than musique is
Even as the flourish, when true subjects bowe
24. ieb: eke (eck-12.)-JOHNSON.
45. aloose: aloof-QQ.2-4F.
To a new crowned Monarch: Such it is,
As are those dulcet sounds in breake of day,
That creepe into the dreaming bride-groomes eare,
And summon him to marriage. Now he goes
With no lesse presence, but with much more love
Then yong Alcides, when he did redeeme
The virgine tribute, paied by howling Troy
To the Sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice,
The rest aloofe are the Dardanian wives:
With bleared visages come forth to view
The issue of th'exploit: Goe Hercules,
Live thou, I live with much more dismay
I view the fight, then thou that makʼst the fray.
Here Musicke.
A Song the whilst Bassanio comments on the
Caskets to himselfe.
Tell me where is fancie bred,
Or in the heart, or in the head:
How begot, bow nourished.
It is engendred in the eyes,
With gazing fed, and Fancie dies,
In the cradle where it lies:
Let us all ring Fancies knell.
Ile begin it.
Ding, dong, bell.
Bass. So may the outward showes be least themselves
The world is still deceiv'd with ornament.
64. live with: live: with-2Rowe.
64. much more: much much more-2Q.2-3F. 76-7. 1 1.-JOHNSON.
In Law, what Plea so tanted and corrupt,
But being season'd with a gracious voice,
Obscures the show of evill? In Religion,
What damned error, but some sober brow
Will blesse it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grosenesse with faire ornament:
There is no voice so simple, but assumes
Some marke of vertue on his outward parts;
How manie cowards, whose hearts are all as false
As stayers of sand, weare yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars,
Who inward searcht, have lyvers white as milke,
And these assume but valors excrement,
To render them redoubted.
And you shall see 'tis purchast by the weight,
Which therein workes a miracle in nature,
Making them lightest that weare most of it:
So are those crisped snakie golden locks
Which makes such wanton gambols with the winde
Upon supposed fairenesse, often knowne
To be the dowrie of a second head,
The scull that bred them in the Sepulcher.
Thus ornament is but the guiled shore
To a most dangerous sea: the beautious scarfe
Vailing an Indian beautie; In a word,
The seeming truth which cunning times put on
To intrap the wisest. Therefore then thou gaudie gold, Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee,
Nor none of thee thou pale and common drudge 'Tweene man and man: but thou, thou meager lead Which rather threatnest then dost promise ought, 111
87. voice: vice-2-4F.
99. makes: make-POPE.
107. Therefore then thou: Therefore thou-IQ.
Thy palenesse moves me more then eloquence,
And here choose I, joy be the consequence.
Por. How all the other passions fleet to ayre,
As doubtfull thoughts, and rash imbrac'd despaire:
And shuddring feare, and greene-eyed jealousie.
O love be moderate, allay thy extasie,
In measure raine thy joy, scant this excesse,
I feele too much thy blessing, make it lesse,
For feare I surfeit.
Bas. What finde I here?
Faire Portias counterfeit.
[Opening the leaden casket.] What demie God
Hath come so neere creation? move these eies?
Or whether riding on the bals of mine
Seeme they in motion? Here are sever'd lips
Parted with suger breath, so sweet a barre
Should sunder such sweet friends: here in her haires
The Painter plaies the Spider, and hath woven
A golden mesh t'intrap the hearts of men
Faster then gnats in cobwebs: but her eies,
How could he see to doe them? having made one,
Me thinkes it should have power to steale both his
And leave it selfe unfurnisht: Yet looke how farre
The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow
In underprising it, so farre this shadow
Doth limpe behinde the substance. Here's the scroule,
The continent, and summarie of my fortune.
You that choose not by the view
Chance as faire, and choose as true:
Since this fortune fals to you,
Be content, and seeke no new.
117. O love: separate 1.-GLOBE.
118. raine: rein (reine)-3Q.
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