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 reft?
'Tis nine a Clock, our Friends all stay for you,
No Mask to Night, the Wind is come about,
Baffanio prefently 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.

SCENE II. Belmont.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

Enter Portia with Morrochius, and both their Trains. Por. Go, draw afide the Curtain, and discover

The feveral Caskets to this Noble Prince.

Now make your Choice,

[Three Caskets are difcovered. 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 chuse the right?

Por. The one of them contains my Picture, Prince,
If 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 chuseth 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, shall get as much as he deferves.

As much as he deferves; pause there, Morrochius,
And weigh thy value with an even hand,
If thou beeft rated by the estimation,
Thou doft 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 self.
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 deferve.
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.
Why that's the Lady, all the World defires her:
From the four Corners of the Earth they come
To Kifs this Shrine, this mortal breathing Saint.
The Hircanian Defarts and the vaft 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 Angel 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 whose 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,
Your Answer had not been infcrold,
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.

[Exit

Por. A gentle riddance: Draw the Curtains, go;

Let all of his Complexion chufe me so.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Venice.

Enter Solarino and Salanio.

Sal. Why Man, I saw Bassanio under fail, With him is Gratiano gone along;

And in their Ship I am fure Lorenzo is not.'

Sola. The Villain Few with Outcries rais'd the Duke, Who went with him to fearch Baffanio's Ship.

Sal. He comes too late, the Ship was under fail;

But there the Duke was given to understand
That in a Gondalo 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 Christian Ducats!
Juftice, the Law, my Ducats, and my Daughter;
A fealed Bag, two fealed Bags of Ducats,

Of double Ducats, ftoln from me by my Daughter,
And Jewels, two rich and precious Stones,
Stoln by my Daughter, Juftice, find the Girl,
She hath the Stones upon her, and the Ducats.
Sal. Why all the Boys in Venice follow him,
Crying his Stones, his Daughter, and his Ducats.
Sola. Let good Anthonio look he keep his Day,
Or he shall pay for this.

Sal. Marry well remembred,

I reafon'd with a Frenchman yesterday,
Who told me, in the narrow Seas that part
The French and English, there miscarried
A Veffel of our Country richly fraught:
I thought upon Anthonio when he told me,
And wifh'd in filence that it were not his.
Sola. You were beft to tell Anthonio what you hear,
Yet do not fuddenly, for it may grieve him.

Sal. A kinder Gentleman treads not the Earth,
I faw Ballanio and Anthonio part,

Baffanio, told him he would make fome speed
Of his return: He answered, do not fo,
Slubber not Bufinefs for my fake, Bafanio,
But ftay the very riping of the time,
And for the Jew's Bond which he hath of me,
Let it not enter in your mind of Love;
Be merry, and employ your chiefeft thoughts
To Courtship, and fuch fair oftents of Love
As fhall conveniently become you there;
And even there, his Eye being big with Tears,
Turning his Face, he put his Hand behind him,
And with Affection wondrous fenfible

He wrung Bassanio's Hand, and fo they parted.
Sola. I think he only loves the World for him,

I pray thee let us go and find him out,
And quicken his embraced Heaviness
With fome Delight or other.

Sal. Do we fo,

[Exeunt.

SCENE

1

SCENE V. Belmont.

Enter Neriffa and a Servant.`

Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee, draw the Curtain ftraight, The Prince of Arragon hath ta'en his Oath, And comes to his Election presently.

1

Enter Arragon, his Train, Portia, Flor. Cornets.
The Caskets are difcover'd.

Por. Behold there ftand the Caskets, noble Prince,
If you chufe that wherein I am contain'd,
Straight fhall our Nuptial Rights be folemniz'd:
But if you fail, without more Speech, my Lord,
You must be gone from hence immediately.

Ar. I am enjoin'd by Oath to obferve three things;
Firft, never to unfold to
any.one

Which Casket 'twas I chofe; next, if I fail
Of the right Casket, never in my Life
To woo a Maid in way of Marriage:
Laftly, if I do fail in fortune of my Choice,
Immediately to leave you, and be gone.

Por. To thefe Injunctions every one doth swear
That comes to hazard for my worthless felf.

Ar. And fo have I addreft me, Fortune now
Το my Heart's Hope; Gold, Silver, and base Lead.
Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all he hath.
You fhall look fairer e'er I give or hazard.
What fays the Golden Cheft, ha, let me fee;
Who chufeth me, shall gain what many Men defire.
What many Men defire that Many, may be meant
By the fool Multitude that chufe by Show,

Not learning more than the fond Eye doth teach,
Which pryes not to th' Interior; but like the Martlet
Builds in the Weather on the outward Wall,
Even in the Force and Road of Cafualty.
I will not chufe what many Men defire,
Because I will not jump with common Spirits,
And rank me with the barbarous Multitudes.
Why then to thee thou filver Treasure-house,
Tell me once more, what Title thou doft bear;
Who chufeth me fhall get as much as he deserves ;

And