You that chufe not by the view,
Chance as fair, and chufe as true:
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content, and feek no new.
If you be well pleas'd with this,
And hold your fortune for your blifs,
Turn you where your lady is,

And claim her with a loving kifs.

A gentle fcrowl; fair lady, by your leave;

[Kifing 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 applaufe and univerfal fhout,
Giddy in fpirit, gazing ftill in doubt,
Whether thofe peals of praife be his or no;
So (thrice fair Lady) ftand I, even so,
As doubtful whether what I fee be true,
Until confirm'd, fign'd, ratify'd by you.

Por. You fee me, Lord Baffanio, where I ftand, Such as I am tho' for myself alone,

I would not be ambitious in my wifh,
To with myself much better; yet for you,
I would be treble twenty times myself,

A thousand times more fair; ten thousand times
More rich; that, to ftand high in your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account: but the full fum of me
Is fome of fomething, which, to term in grofs,
Is an unleffon'd girl, unfchool'd, unpractis'd:
Happy in this, fhe is not yet fo old

But the may learn; more happy then in this,
She is not bred fo 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:
Myfelf, and what is mine, to you and your's
Is now converted. But now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, mafter of my fervants,
Queen o'er myfelf; and even now, but now,
This house, thefe fervants, and this fame myself,

Arc

Are your's, my Lord: I give them with this ring,
Which when you part from, lofe or give away,
Let it prefage the ruin of your love,

And be my vantåge to exclaim on you.

Ba. Madam, you have bereft me of all words, Only my blood speaks to you in my veins; And there is fuch confufion in my pow'rs, As, after fome oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appear Among the buzzing pleafed multitude; Where every fomething, being blent together, Turns to a wild of nothing, fave of joy Exprefs'd, and not exprefs'd. But when this ring Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence; O, then be bold to say, Baffanio's dead.

h;

Ner. My Lord and Lady, it is now our time, That have food by, and feen our wifhes profper, To cry, Good joy, good joy, my Lord and Lady! Gra. My Lord Baffanio, and my gentle Lady, I wish you all the joy that you can wifh For, I am fure, you can wifh none from me And when your Honours mean to folemnize The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, Ev'n at that time I may be married too.

Baff. With all my heart, fo thou canft get a wife.
Gra. I thank your Lordship, you have got me one.
My eyes, my Lord, can look as fwift as your's;
You faw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You lov'd, I lov'd; for intermiffion

No more pertains to me, my Lord, than you.
Your fortune ftood upon the casket there;
And fo did mine too, as the matter falls:
For wooing here until I sweat again,
And fwearing, till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love; at laft, if promise last,
I got a promife of this fair one here,

To have her love, provided that your fortune
Atchiev'd her mistress.

Por. Is this true, Nerissa?

Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal.

* That is, diftinct from me and my wishes.

Baff

Baff. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith? Gra. Yes, faith, my Lord.

Baff. Our feaft fhall be much honour'd in your marə riage.

Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy for a thousand ducats.

Ner. What, and ftake down?

Gra. No, we fhall ne'er win at that sport, and stake

down.

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

Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salanio.

Baff. Lorenzo and Salanio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new interest here
Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave,
I bid my very
friends and country-men,

(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 Salanio by the way,
He did intreat me, past all faying nay,

To come with him along.

Sal. I did, my Lord,

And I have reason for't; Signior Anthonio

Commends him to you.

Bal. Ere I ope his letter,

[Gives Baffanio a letter.

I pray you tell me how my good friend doth.
Sal Not fick, my Lord, unless it be in mind;
Nor well, unless in mind; his letter there

Will fhew you his estate. [Baffanio opens the letter.
Gra. Neriffa, cheer yond ftranger: bid her wel

come.

Your hand, Salanio; what's the news from Venice
How doth that royal merchant, good Anthonio?
I know he will be glad of our fuccefs:

We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece.

Sal. Would you had won the fleece that he hath loft !

Por. There are fome fhrewd contents in yond fame That steal the colour from Baffanio's cheek: [paper, Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world Could turn fo much the conftitution

Of any conftant man.

What, worfe and worse!

With leave, Baffanio, I am half yourself,
And I must have the half of any thing
That this fame paper brings you.
Baff. Of fweet Portia !

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words
That ever blotted paper. Gentle Lady,
When I did firft 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 fee

How much I was a braggart. When I told you,
My state was nothing, I fhould then have told you,
That I was worse than nothing. For indeed
I have engage'd myself to a dear friend,
Engage'd my friend to his mere enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, Lady,
The paper, as the body of my friend;
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Iffuing life-blood. But is it true, Salanio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? what not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, from England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And not one veffel 'fcap'd the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?

Sal. Not one, my Lord.

Befides, it fhould appear, that if he had
The prefent 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 juftice. Twenty merchants,
The Duke himself, and the magnificoes
Of greatest port, have all perfuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
VOL. II.

Р

Of

Of forfeiture, of juftice, and his bond.

Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him fwear, To Tubal and to Chus his countrymen,

That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh,
Than twenty times the value of the fum
That he did owe him; and I know, my Lord,
If law, authority, and pow'r deny not,

It will go hard with poor Anthonio.

Por. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble? Baff. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man, The beft-condition'd: an unweary'd spirit

In doing courtefies; and one in whom

The ancient Roman honour more appears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Por. What fum owes he the Jew?
Baff. For me three thoufand ducats.
Por. What, no more?

Pay him fix thousand, and deface the bond?.
Double fix thoufand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this defcription

Shall lofe a hair through my Baffanio's fault.
Firft, go with me to church, and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend:
For never fhall you lie by Fortia's fide
With an unquiet foul. You fhall have gold.
To pay the petty debt twenty times over.
When it is paid, bring your true friend along;
My maid Neriffa and myfelf, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows: come, away!
For you fhall hence upon your wedding-day
But let me hear the letter of your friend.

*

Baff. reads. Sweet Baffanio, my ships have all mifcarry'd, my creditors grow cruel, my eftate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impoffible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and me, if I might but fee you at my death; notwithStanding, ufe your pleasure: if your love do not perfuade you to come, let not my letter.

your wedding-day,

Bid your friends welcome, fhew a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear,
But let une hear, &c.

}

Por.