Who chuseth 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 chuseth me, Mall gain what many men desire.
What many men desire that may be meant
Of the fool-multitude, that chuse by show,
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach ;
Which pry not to th' interior, but like the martlet
Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
Ev’n in the force and road of casualty.
I will not chuse what many men desire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits,
And rank me with the barb'rous multitudes.
Why then to thee, thou silver treasure-house :
Tell me once more, what title thou dost bear.
Who chuseth me, shall get as much as he deserves;
And well said too, for who shall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable
Without the stamp of merit ? let none presume
To wear an undeserved dignity:
O that estates, degrees, and offices,
Were not deriv'd corruptly, that clear honour
Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer!
How many then should cover, that stand bare?
How many be commanded, that command?
How much low peasantry would then be gleaned
From the true feed of honour? how much honour (13)

Pickt (13)

how much honour
Pick'd from the Chaff and Ruin of the Times,

To be new varnish’d.] Mr. Warburton very justly observ'd to me upon the Confusion and Disagreement of the Metaphors here ; and is of Opinion,

that Shakespeare might have wrote ;

To be new vanned.
i.e. winnow'd, purged : from the French Word, vanner ; which is de-
riv'd from the Latin, Vannus, ventilabrum, the Fann used for winnowing
the Chaff from the Corn. This Alteration, as he observes, restores the
Metaphor to its Integrity and our Poet frequently uses the same
Thought. So, in the ad Part of Henry IV.

We shall be winnow'd with fo rough a Wind,
That ev'n

our Corn shall seem as light as Chaff,
And, again, in K. Henry V.
Such, and so finely boulted did At thou feen,

for

1

D 3

Pickt from the chaff and ruin of the times,
To be new varnish'd ? well, but to my choice:
Who chuseth me, mall get as much as he deserves :
I will assume desert; give me a key for this,
And inftantly unlock my fortunes here.
Por. Too long a pause for that which you find there.

[Unlocking the silver casket.
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 chuses 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 sev'n times tried this ;
Şev'n times tried that judgment is,
That did never chuse amiss.
Some there be, that shadows kiss;
Such have but a shadow's bliss:
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silverd o'er, and so was this:
Take what wife you will to bed,
I will ever be your head :

So, be gone, Sir, you are sped.
Ar. Still more fool I shall appear,
By the time I linger here :
With one fool's head I came to woo,
But I go away with two.
Sweet, adieu! I'll keep my oath,
Patiently to bear my wroth.

[Exit.
Por. Thus hath the candle fing'd the moth:
O these deliberate fools! when they do chuse,
They have the wisdom by their wit to lose.
for bulted signifies fifted, refind. The Correction is truly ingenious, and
probable : But as Shakespeare is so loose and licentious in the blending of
different Metaphors, I have not veniur’d to disturb the Text.

Ner.

1

Ner. The ancient saying is no heresy,
Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.
Por. Come, draw the curtain, Nerisa.

Enter a Servant.
Serv. Where is my lady?
Por. Here, what would my lord ?

Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate
A young Venetian, one that comes before
To signify th' approaching of his lord,
From whom he bringeth fensible regreets ;
To wit, besides commends and courteous breath,
Gifts of rich value ; yet, I have not seen
So likely an ambassador of love.
A day in April never came so sweet,
To show how costly summer was at hand,
As this fore-fpurrer comes before his lord.

Por. No more, I pray thee , I am half afraid,
Thou’lt say anon, he is some kin to thee;
Thou spend' ft such high-day wit in praising him:
Come, come, Nerisa, for I long to see
Quick Capid's post, that comes lo mannerly.
Ner. Basanio, lord Love, if thy will it be! (14)

(Exeunt,

}

(14) Bassanio Lord, love, if] Mr. Pope, and all the preceding Editors have follow'd this pointing; as imagining, I suppose, that Bajanio lord means, Lord Baffanio; but Lord must be coupled to Love:

as if the had Imperial Love, if it be thy Will, let it be Bafanio whom this "Meffenger fore-runs.

said, “

ACT

III.

SCENE, a Street in VENIC E.

Enter Salanio and Solarino,

N°

SOLARIN O.
Ow, what news on the Ryalto ?

Sal. Why yet it lives there uncheckt, that

Anthonio hath a ship of rich lading wrackt on the narrow seas; the Godwins, I think, they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lye bury'd, as they say, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word.

Sola. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapt ginger; or made her neighbours believe, she wept

for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any flips of prolixity, or crossing the plain high-way of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honest Anthonio ó that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!

Sal. Come, the full stop.

Sola. Ha, what say'st thou? why the end is, he hath lost a ship.

Sal. I would, it might prove the end of his losses.

Sola. Let me fay Amen betimes, lest the devil cross thy prayer, (15) for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants :

Enter Shylock. Shy. You knew (none so well, none so well as you) of my daughter's flight. (15)

left the Devil cross my Prayer.] But the Prayer was Salanio's. The other only, as Clerk, says Amen to it. We must therefore read thy Prayer.

Mr. Warburton,

Sal,

Sal. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the taylor that made the wings she flew withal.

Sola. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledg'd, and then it is the complection of them all to leave the dam.

Shy. She is damn'd for it.
Sal. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.
Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel !

Sola. Out upon it, old carrion, rebels it at these years?

Shy. I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

Sal. 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 Anthonio have had

any loss at sea or no?

Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dares scarce Thew his head on the Ryalto; a beggar, that us’d to come so smug upon the mart! let him look to his bond; he was wont to call me ufurer ; let him look to his bond; he was wont to lend money for a christian courtesie ; let him look to his bond.

Sal. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh : what's that good for?

Sby. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge; he hath disgrac'd me, and hinder'd me half a million, laught at my losses, mockt at my gains, scorn'd my nation, thwarted my bargains, cool'd my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a few eyes ? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions ? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm’d and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a christian is ? if you prick us, do we not bleed ? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? if we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a

christian,