I have no mind of Feafting forth to Night:
But I will go, go you before me, Sirrah:
Say I will come.
Laun. I will go before, Sir.
Miftrefs, look out at a Window for all this;
There will come a Chriftian by,
Will be worth a Jew's Eye.
Shy. What fays that Fool of Hagar's Off.fpring? ha.
Jef. His Words were Farewel Miftrels, nothing else.
Shy. The Patch is kind enough, but a huge Feeder:
Snail-flow in profit, but fleeps by day
More than the wild Cat; Drones hive not with me,
Therefore I part with him, and part with him
To one that I would have him help to wafte
His borrowed Purfe. Well, Jeffica, go in,
Perhaps I will return immediately;
Do as I bid you, but Doors after you, fast bind, fast find,
A Proverb never ftale in thrifty Mind.
Jef. Farewel; and if my Fortune be not croft,
I have a Father, you a Daughter lon.
Enter Gratiano and Salanio in Masquerade.
Gra. This is the Pent-house under which Lorenzo defired
us to make a ftand.
Sal. His Hour is almoft paft,
Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour,
For Lovers ever run before the Block.
Sal. O ten times fafter Venus Pigeons fly
To fteal Loves Bonds new made, than they are wont
To keep obliged Faith unforfeited.
Gra. That ever holds. Who rifeth from a Feaft
With that keen Appetite that he fits down?
Where is the Horfe that doth untread again
His tedious Meafures with the unbated Fire
That he did pace them firft? All things that are,
Are with more Spirit chafed than enjoy'd.
How like a Younker or a Prodigal
The skarfed Bark puts from her native Bay,
Hugg'd and embraced by the ftrumpet Wind;
How like a Prodigal fhe doth return
With over-wither'd Ribs and ragged Sails,
Lean, rent and beggar'd by the ftrumpet Wind?
Sal. Here comes Lorenzo, more of this hereafter.
Lor. Sweet Friends, your Patience for my long abode,
Not I, but my Affairs have made you wait;
When you shall please to play the Thieves for Wives,
I'll watch as long for you then; approach;
Here dwells my Father Jew. Hoa, who's within?
Jeffica above in Boy's Cloaths.
Jef. Who are you? tell me for more certainty,
Albeit I'll fwear that I do know your Tongue.
Lor. Lorenzo, and thy Love.
Jef Lorenzo certain, and my Love indeed,
For who love I fo much? And now who knows
But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours?
Lor. Heav'n and thy Thoughts are Witness that thou art.
Jef. Here, catch this Casket, it is worth thy pains.
I am glad 'tis Night, you do not look on me,
For I am much afham'd of my exchange;
But Love is blind, and Lovers cannot fee
The pretty Follies that themselves commit;
For if they could, Cupid himself would blush
To fee me thus transformed to a Boy.
Lor. Defcend, for you must be my Torch-bearer.
Jef. What, muft I hold a Candle to my Shame?
They in themfelves good footh are too too light.
Why, 'tis an Office of difcovery, Love,
And I fhould be obfc r'd,
Even in the lovely Garnish of a Boy; but come at once, For the clofe Night doth play the Run-away,
And we are ftaid for at Baffanio's Feaft.
Jef. I will make faft the Doors, and gild my felf
With fome more Ducats, and be with you ftraight.
Gra. Now by my Hood, a Gentile, and no few.
Lor. Behrew me but I love her heartily.
For fhe is wife, if I can judge of her,
And fair fhe is, if that mine Eyes be true,
And true he is, as the hath prov'd her felf;
And therefore like her felf, wife, fair, and true,
Shall he be placed in my conftant Soul.
Enter Jeffica.
What, art thou come? on Gentlemen, away,
Our masking Mates by this time for us ftay.
Enter Anthonio.
Anth. Who's there?
Gra Signior Anthonio.
Anth. Fie, fie, Gratiano, where are all the rest?
'Tis nie a Clock, our Friends all stay for you,
No Mask to Night, th: Wind is come about,
Ballanio pr. fently will go aboard,
I have fent twenty out to feek for you.
Gra. I am glad on't, I defire no more Delight
Than to be under Sail, and gone to Night.
Enter Portia with Morrochius and both their Trains.
Por. Go, draw afide the Curtain, and difco ver
The feveral Caskets to this Noble Prince.
Now make your Choice. [Three Caskets are discovered.
Mor. The firft of Gold, who this Infcription bears,
Who chufeth me, shall gain what many Men defire.
The fecond Silver, which this Promife carries,
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves,
This third, dull Lead, with warning all as blunt,
Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all he hath.
How fhall I know if I do chufe the right?
Por. The one of them contains my Picture, Prince, you chufe that, then I am yours withal.
Mor. Some God direct my Judgment, let me fee, I will furvey the Infcriptions back again;
What fays this Leaden Casket?
Who chufeth me, 'muft give and hazard all he hath.
Muft give for what? for Lead?
This Casket threatens. Men that hazard all,
Do it in hope of fair Advantages:
A golden Mind ftoops not to fhows of Drofs,
I'll then nor give nor hazard ought for Lead.
What fays the Silver with her Virgin hue?
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves,
As much as he deferves; pause there, Morrochias,
And weigh thy value with an even hand,
If thou beeft rated by the eftimation,
Thou dost deserve enough, and yet enough
May not extend fo far as to the Lady;
And yet to be afraid of my deferving,
Were but a weak difabling of my felf.
As much as I deferve- why that's the Lady.
I do in Birth deferve her, and in Fortunes,
In Graces, and in Qualities of Breeding:
But more than thefe, in love I do deserve.
What if I ftray'd no farther, but chufe here?
Let's fee once more this Saying grav'd in Gold.
Who chufeth me, shall gain what many Men defire.
Way that's the Lady, all the World defires her:
From the four Corners of the Earth they come
To Kif this Shrine, this mortal breathing Saint.
The Hircanian Defarts and the vast Wilds
Of wide Arabia are as Thorough-Fares now
For Princes to come view fair Portia.
The Watery Kingdom, whofe ambitious Head
Spits in the Face of Heav'n, is no Bar
To ftop the foreign Spirits, but they come,
As o'er a Brook, to fee fair Portia.
One of these three contain her heav'nly Picture.
Is't like that Lead contains her? 'Twere Damnation
To think fo bafe a thought; it were too grofs
To rib her Searcloth in the obfcure Grave;
Or fhall I think in Silver fhe's immur'd,
Being ten times undervalued to try'd Gold;
O finful thought, never fo rich a Jem
Was fet in worse than Gold! They have in England
A Coin that bears the Figure of an Angel
Stampt in Gold, but that's infculpt upon:
But here an Angle in a Golden Bed
Lyes all within. Deliver me the Key;
Here do I chufe, and thrive I as I may.
Por. There take it, Prince, and if my Form lye there,
Then I am yours.
[Unlocking the Gold Casket,
Mor. O Hell! What have we here, a carrion Death,
Within whofe empty Eye there is a written Scrowl;
All that glifters is not Gold,
Often have you heard that told;
Many a Man his Life hath fold,
But my Outfide to behold:
Gilded Timber do Worms infold:
Had you been as Wife as Bold,
Young in Limbs, in Judgment old,
Tour Answer had not been inferold,
Fare you well, your Suit is cold.
Mor. Cold indeed, and Labour loft,
Then farewel Heat, and welcome Froft:
Portia adieu, I have too griev'd a Heart
To take a tedious leave: Thus Lofers part.
Por. A gentle riddance: Draw the Curtains, go;
Let all of his Complexion chufe me fo.
Enter Solarino and Salanio.
Sal. Why Man, I faw Bassanio under fail, With him is Gratiano gone along;
And in their Ship I am fure Lorenzo is not.
Sola. The Villain Jew with Outcries rais'd the Duke, Who went with him to fearch Bassanio's Ship.
Sal. He comes too late, the Ship was under Sail;
But there the Duke was given to understand
That in a Gondale were feen together
Lorenzo and his Amorous Jeffica:
Befides, Anthonio certify'd the Duke
They were not with Baffanio in his Ship
Sola. I never heard a Paffion fo confus'd,
So ftrange, outrageous, and fo variable,
As the Dog Jew did utter in the Streets;
My Daughter, O my Ducats, O my Daughter,
Fled with a Chriftian, O my Chriftian Ducats!
Juftice, the Law, my Ducats, and my Daughter;
A fealed Bag, two fealed Bags of Ducats,
GA
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