Portia, adieu! I have too grieved a heart go;- [Exit. Draw the curtains, Let all of his complexion choose me so. SCENE VIII-Venice. A Street. Enter SALARINO and SALANIO. [Excunt. Salar. Why, man, I saw Bassanio under sail; With him is Gratiano gone along; And in their ship, I am sure, Lorenzo is not. Salan. The villain Jew with outcries raised the duke; Who went with him to search Bassanio's ship. Salar. He came too late, the ship was under sail : They were not with Bassanio in his ship. My daughter!-O my ducats!-O my daughter. Of double ducats, stolen from me by my daughter! Salar. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him, Salar. Marry, well remembered: 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 earth. I saw Bassanio and Antonio part: Bassanio told him, he would make some speed Of his return;-he answer'd-Do not so, Slubber not business for my sake, Bassanio, And for the Jew's bond. which he hath of me, Be merry; and employ your chiefest thoughts He wrung Bassanio's hand, and so they parted. And quicken his embraced heaviness With some delight or other. Salar. Do we so. [Exeunt. SCENE IX.- Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Enter NERISSA, with a Servant. Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain straight; The prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath, And comes to his election presently. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Arragon, PORTIA, and their trains. Por. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince : If you choose that wherein I am contain'd, 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 to 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; lastly, Immediately to leave you and begone. Por. To these injunctions every one doth swear, That comes to hazard for my worthless self. Ar. And so have I address'd me. Fortune now To my heart's hope !- Gold, silver, and base lead. Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath. You shall look fairer, ere I give, or hazard. What says the golden chest? ha! let me see: Who chooseth me, shall gain what many men desire. What many men desire ?-That many may be meant By the fool multitude, that choose by show, Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach; I will not choose what many men desire, Without the stamp of merit! Let none presume O, that estates, degrees, and offices, Were not derived corruptly! and that clear honour How many then should cover, that stand bare? How much low peasantry would then be glean'd From the true seed of honour? and how much honour To be new varnish'd? Well, but to my choice: Por. Too long a pause for that, which you find there. 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 chooseth 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 fire seven times tried this; Seven times tried that judgment is, Some there be, that shadows kiss: There be fools alive, I wis, Still more fool I shall appear With one fool's head I came to woo, [Exeunt Arragon and train. Por. Thus hath the candle singed the moth. Ner. The ancient saying is no heresy ;- Serv. Where is my lady? Por. Here; what would my lord? Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate To wit, besides commends, and courteous breath, 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 afear'd. Thou spend'st such high-day wit in praising hun.- Quick Cupid's post, that comes so mannerly. [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.Venice. A Street. Enter SALANIO and SALARINO. Salan. Now, what news on the Rialto? Salar. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip report be an honest woman of her word. Salan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapp'd 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 Antonio, the honest Antonio, O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company! Salar. Come, the full stop. Salan. Ha, what say'st thou ?- Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship Salar. I would it might prove the end of his losses! Salan. Let me say Amen betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. Enter SHYLOCK. How now, Shylock? what news among the merchants? 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 fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam. Shy. She is damn'd for it. Salar. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge. Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel ! [years? Salan. Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these Shy. I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood. Salar. 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 Antonio have had any loss at sea or no? Shy. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares scarce shew his head on the Rialto;- a beggar, that used 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. Salar. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh; What's that good for? Shy. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else. it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me of half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and |