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 the prodigal doth fhe return,

With over-weather'd ribs and ragged fails,
Lean, rent, and beggar'd by the ftrumpet wind!

Enter Lorenzo.

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; come, 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 whom love I fo much? and now who knows, But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours?

Lor. Heav'n and thy thoughts are witnefs, that thou

art.

Jef. Here, catch this cafket, it is worth the pains. I'm 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 themfelves commit; For if they could, Cupid himself would blush, To see me thus transformed to a boy.

Lor. Defcend, for you must be my torch-bearer. Jef. What must I hold a candle to my fhames? They in themfelves, good footh, are too, too light. Why, 'tis an office of difcovery, love,

And I fhould be obfcur'd.

Lor.

Lor. So are you, fweet.

Ev'n 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 Baffario's feast.

Jef. I will make faft the doors, and gild myself With fome more ducats, and be with you ftraight. [Exit from above Gra. Now by my hood, a Gentile, * and no Jew. Lor. Belhrew 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 fhe is,

as fhe hath prov'd herself;

And therefore like herfelf, wife, fair, and true,
Shall she be placed in my constant soul.

Enter Jelica to them.

What, art thou come ?-On, gentlemen, away;
Our masquing mates by this time for us ftay. [Exit.

Gra. Signior Anthonio,

Anth. Fie, Gratiano, where are all the reft?

'Tis nine o'clock, our friends all stay for you→→→→→

No mafque to night-the wind is come about,
Baffanio prefently will go aboard;

I have fent twenty out to feek for you.

Gra. I'm glad on't; I defire no more delight Than to be under fail, and gone to night. [Exeunt.

both a Heathen, and One well

A jeft ifing from the ambiguity of Gentile, which fignifies loin.

Ee 2

SCENE

SCENE VIII.

Changes to Belmont.

Enter Portia with Morochius, and both their trains.

Por.

NO, draw afide the curtains, and difcover

Go

The fev'ral cafkets to this noble Prince. Now make your choice. [Three cafkets are difcovered. Mor. The firft of gold which this infcription bears, Who chufeth me, fhall gain what many men defire. The fecond filver, which this promise carries, Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deferves. This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt, * Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath. How fhall I know, if I do chuse the right?

If

Per. 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 survey th' infcriptions back again;

What fays this leaden casket;

Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath. Muft give?-for what? for lead? hazard, for lead? This cafket threatens. Men, that hazard all,

Do it in hope of fair advantages:

A golden mind ftoops not to fhows of drofs;
I'll then not give, nor hazard aught for lead.
What fays the filver with her virgin hue?
Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deferves.
As much as he deferves?-Paufe there, Morochius ;
And weigh thy value with an even hand.
If thou be'it rated by thy eflimation,
Thou doft deferve 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 myself.

As much as I deferve-why, that's the lady :

* As blunt.] That is, as grofs as the dull metal.

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 chofe here?
Let's fee once more this faying grav'd in gold.
Who chufeth me, fhall 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 fhrine, this mortal breathing faint.
Th' Hircanian deferts, and the vastie wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For Princes to come view fair Portia.
The watry kingdom, whofe ambitious head
Spits in the face of heav'n, is no bar
To ftop the foreign fpirits; but they come,
As o'er a brook, to fee fair Portia.

One of these three contains her heav'nly picture.
Is't like, that lead contains her? 'twere damnation,
To think fo base a thought: it were too grofs
To rib her fearcloth in the obfcure grave.
Or fhall I think, in filver fhe's immur'd,
Being ten times undervalu'd to try'd gold?
O finful thought, never fo rich a gem
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 cafket.

Mor. O hell! what have we here? a carrion death,

Within whofe empty eye there is a scrowl;

I'll read the writing.

Mor. Cold, indeed, and labour lost : Then farewel, heat; and welcome froft. Pertia, adieu! I have too griev'd a heart To take a tedious leave. Thus lofers part. Por. A gentle riddance-draw the curtains; goLet all of his complexion chufe me fo. 3

1

Gilded wood may worms infold.] In all the old Editions this line is written thus:

words were written
miftake was easy.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

3

3 Chufe me fo.] The old quarto Edition of 1600 has no diftriGilded timber do worms infold. bution of acts, but proceeds from

From which Mr. Rozve and all the following Editors have made

Gilded wood may worms infold. A line not bad in itself, but not fo applicable to the occafion as that which, I believe, Shakespear

wrote.

Gilded tombs do worms infold. A tomb is the proper repofitory of a death's head.

2 Your answer had not been in

ferol'd] Since there is an anfa e inferol'd or written in every casket, I believe for your we fhould read this. When the

the beginning to the end in an unbroken tenour. This play divided without authority by the there fore having been probably publishers of the first folio, lies open to a new regulation if any more commodious divifion can be propofed. The story is itself changes of the fcene fo frefo wildly incredible, and the quent and capricious, that the probability of action does not deferve much care; yet it may be proper to obferve, that, by concluding the fecond act here, time is given for Baffanio's paffage to Belmont.

SCENE