Be merry, and employ your chiefest thoughts He wrung Bassanio's hand; and so they parted. With some delight or other. 50 Salarino. Do we so. [Exeunt. SCENE IX. Belmont. A room in Portia's house. Enter NERISSA with a Servitor. Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee; draw the curtain straight: The Prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath, And comes to his election presently. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF Arragon, Portia. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince: If you choose that wherein I am contain❜d, Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemnized: But if you fail, without more speech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately. Arragon. I am enjoin'd by oath to observe three things: First, never to unfold to any one Which casket 'twas I chose; next, if I fail Of the right casket, never in my life If I do fail in fortune of my choice, Immediately to leave you and be gone. Portia. To these injunctions every one doth swear That comes to hazard for my worthless self. ΙΟ Arragon. And so have I address'd me. Fortune now To my heart's hope! Gold; silver; and base lead. Without the stamp of merit? Let none presume O, that estates, degrees and offices Were not derived corruptly, and that clear honour How many be commanded that command! How much low peasantry would then be glean'd From the true seed of honour! and how much honour To be new-varnish'd! Well, but to my choice: And instantly unlock my fortunes here. 20 30 40 50 [He opens the silver casket. Portia. Too long a pause for that which you find there. Arragon. What's here? the portrait of a blinking idiot, Presenting me a schedule! I will read it. D How much unlike art thou to Portia ! How much unlike my hopes and my deservings! 'Who chooseth 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? Portia. To offend, and judge, are distinct offices And of opposed natures. [Reads] The fire seven times tried this: Seven times tried that judgement is, Some there be that shadows kiss; Silver'd o'er; and so was this. I will ever be your head: So be gone: you are sped. Still more fool I shall appear By the time I linger here: With one fool's head I came to woo, Sweet, adieu. I'll keep my oath, Patiently to bear my wroth. 60 70 [Exeunt Arragon and train. 8c Portia. Thus hath the candle singed the moth. O, these deliberate fools! when they do choose, They have the wisdom by their wit to lose. Nerissa. The ancient saying is no heresy, Hanging and wiving goes by destiny. Portia. Come, draw the curtain, Nerissa. Enter a Servant. Servant. Where is my lady? Portia. Here: what would my lord? Servant. Madam, there is alighted at your gate To signify the approaching of his lord; To wit, besides commends and courteous breath, A day in April never came so sweet, Portia. No more, I pray thee: I am half afeard Quick Cupid's post that comes so mannerly. 90 100 Nerissa. Bassanio, lord Love, if thy will it be! [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I. Venice. A street. Enter SALANIO and SALARINO. Salanio. Now, what news on the Rialto? Salarino. Why, yet it lives there unchecked that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrecked on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word. 7 Salanio. I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped ginger or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any slips of prolixity or crossing the plain highway of talk, that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,-0 that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!— Salarino. Come, the full stop. Salanio. Ha! what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship. 16 Salarino. I would it might prove the end of his losses. Salanio. Let me say 'amen' betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. Enter SHYLOCK. How now, Shylock! what news among the merchants? 20 Shylock. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter's flight. Salarino. That's certain: I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal. Salanio. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam. Shylock. My own flesh and blood to rebel! Salarino. 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 Antonio have had any loss at sea or no? 33 Shylock. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a beggar, that was used to come so smug upon the mart; let him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy; let him look to his bond. Salarino. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh what's that good for? 41 Shylock. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew 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, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick |