Music, whilst BASSANIO comments on the caskets

to himself.
SONG.

Tell me where is fancy* bred,
Or in the heart or in the head?
How begot, how nourished?
Reply, reply.

It is engender'd in the eyes,
With gazing fed; and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lies.

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

All. Ding, dong, bell.
Bass.

*Love.

70

So may the outward shows be least themselves:

80

The world is still deceived 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 as milk;
And these assume but valour's excrement*
To render them redoubted! Look on beauty,
And you shall see 'tis purchased by the weight;
Which therein works a miracle in nature,
Making them lightest that wear most of it:
So are those crispedt snaky golden locks
Which make such wanton gambols with the wind,
Upon supposed fairness, often known
To be the dowry of a second head,

90

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 on

99

To entrap the wisest. Therefore, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee;
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge
'Tween man and man: but thou, thou meagre

lead, *Any outward show. †Curled. Treacherous. Which rather threatenest than dost promise aught, Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence; And here choose I: joy be the consequence!

Por. [Aside] How all the other passions fleet to air,

As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair,
And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy!
O love,

Be moderate; allay thy ecstasy;

In measure rein thy joy; scant* this excess.
I feel too much thy blessing: make it less,
For fear I surfeit.

Bass.

What find I here?

III

*Cut short.

[Opening the leaden casket. 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 her

hairs

*Portrait.

I 20

The painter plays the spider and hath woven
A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men
Faster than gnats in cobwebs: but her eyes,-
How could he see to do them? having made one,
Methinks it should have power to steal both his
And leave itself unfurnish'd. Yet look, how far
The substance of my praise doth wrong this
shadow

In underprizing it, so far this shadow

Doth limp behind the substance. Here's the scroll,

The continent and summary of my fortune.
[Reads] 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 pleased with this

130

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;
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 shout,
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.

140

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,

To wish myself much better; yet, for you
I would be trebled twenty times myself;

151

A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times More rich;

That only to stand high in 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 gross,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractised; 161
Happy in this, she is not yet so old

+But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn;
Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself and what is mine to you and yours
Is now converted: but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants, 170
Queen o'er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, these servants and this same myself
Are yours, 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,

180

Express'd and not express'd. But when this ring

Parts from this finger; then parts life from hence: O, 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 honours 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 yours:
You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You loved, I loved for intermission.
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune stood upon the casket 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
Achieved her mistress.

200

210

Por.
Is this true, Nerissa?
Ner. Madam, it is, so you stand pleased 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, and my old Venetian friend Salerio?

Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, and SALERIO,
a Messenger from Venice.

220

Bass. Lorenzo and Salerio, 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 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 intreat me, past all saying nay,
To come with him along.

230

Saler. I did, my lord; And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio Commends him to you. [Gives Bassanio a letter. Ere I ope his letter,

Bass.

I 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.

240 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. I would you had won the fleece that he hath lost.

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

That steals the colour from Bassanio's cheek: Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world Could turn so much the constitution

Of any constant man. What, worse and worse! With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,

251