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Sal.

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Changes to Venice.

Enter Solarino and Salanio.

WHY, man, I faw Bassanio under fail;

With him is Gratiano gone along;

And in their fhip, I'm fure, Lorenzo is not.

Sola. The villain Few with outcries rais'd the Duke, Who went with him to fearch Baffanio's fhip.

Sal. He came too late, the fhip was under fail;
But there the Duke was given to understand,
That in a Gondola were feen together
Lorenzo and his am'rous Jeffica:
Befides, Anthonio certify'd the Duke,
They were not with Bassanio in his ship.
Sola. I never heard a paffion fo confus'd,
So ftrange, outrageous, and fo variable,
As the dog few 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, ftoll'n from me by my daughter!
And jewels too, ftones, rich and precious ftones,
Stoll'n by my daughter! juftice! find the girl;
She hath the ftones upon her, and the ducats.

Sal. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him,
Crying his ftones, his daughter, and his ducats.
Sola. Let good Anthonio look, he keep his day;
Or he fhall pay for this.

Sal. Marry, well remember'd.

I reafon'd with a Frenchman yesterday,
Who told me, in the narrow feas, that part
The French and English, there mifcarried
A veffel of our country richly fraught:
I thought upon Anthonio, when he told me,

Ee 4

And

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 Bafanio and Anthonio part.

Bassanio told him, he would make some speed
Of his return: he anfwer'd, do not fo,
Slubber not bufinefs for my fake, Baffanio,
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 chiefelt 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 wond'rous fenfible

He wrung Baffario'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.

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[Exeunt.

Of Dr. Warburton's correction it is only neceffary to obferve, that it has produced a new word which cannot be received without neceflity, When I thought the paffage corrupted, it feemed to me not improbable that ShakeSpeare had wrtien entranced heawinefs, mufing, abitracted, moping melancholy. But I know not why any great efforts fhould be made to change a word which has no uncommodious or unufual fenfe. We fay of a man new, that he hugs his forrows, and why may not Anthonio embrace heaviness.

SCENE

Ner.

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Enter Neriffa with a Servant.

UICK, quick-I pray thee, draw the curtain strait;

The Prince of Arragon has ta'en his oath,

And comes to his election presently.

Enter Arragon, his train, Portia. Flourish of Cornets. The Cafkets are discovered.

Por. Behold, there ftand the caskets, noble Prince; If you chufe that, wherein I am contained, Strait fhall our nuptial rites be folemniz'd : But if you fail, without more fpeech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately.

Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath t'observe three things,
First, never to unfold to any one

Which cafket 'twas I chofe. Next, if I fail
Of the right cafket, never in my life
To woo a maid in way of marriage.
Laft, if I fail in fortune of my choice,
Immediately to leave you and be gone.

Por. To thefe injunctions every one doth fwear,
That comes to hazard for my worthless felf.

Ar. And fo have I addrest me. Fortune now To my heart's hope!-Gold, filver, and bafe lead. Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath. You fhall look fairer, ere I give or hazard. What fays the golden cheft? ha, let me feeWho chufeth me, shall gain what many men defire. What many men defire-that may be meant Of the fool-multitude, that chufe by fhow; Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach; Which pries 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 chufe what many men defire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits,
And rank me with the barb'rous multitudes.
Why then to thee, thou filver treasure-house :
Tell me once more, what title thou doft bear.
Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deferves
And well faid too, for who fhall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable
Without the ftamp of merit? let none prefume
To wear an undeferved 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 fhould cover, that stand bare
How many be commanded, that command?
How much low peafantry would then be gleaned
From the true feed of honour? how much honour
Pickt from the chaff and ruin of the times,

6

To be new varnish'd? well, but to my choice:
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves:
I will affume defert; give me a key for this,

5 How much low peasantry

would then be glean'd From the true feed of honour?] The meaning is How much meannefs would be found among the great, and how much greatness among the mean.

But fince men are always faid to glean corn tho' they may pick chaff, the fentence had been more agreeable to the common manner of speech if it had been written thus,

How much low peasantry would
then be pick d

From the true feed of honour?
bow much honour
Glean'd from the chaff?

6 - how much honour Pickt from the chaff and ruin of the times,

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And inftantly unlock my fortunes here.

Por. Too long a paufe for that which you find there.
[Unlocking the Silver cafket.
Ar. What's here! the portrait of a blinking idiot,
Prefenting me a schedule? I will read it.
-How much unlike art thou to Portia ?
How much unlike my hopes and my defervings?
Who chufes me, fhall have as much as be deferves.
Did I deferve no more than a fool's head?

Is that my prize? are my deferts no better?
Por. To offend, and judge, are diftinct offices.
And of oppofed natures.

Ar. What is here?

The fire fev'n times tried this;
Sev'n times tried that judgment is,
That did never chufe amifs.
Some there be, that shadows kifs;
Such have but a fhadow's bliss:
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'er, and fo 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 fhall 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 wrath.

[Exit.

Por. Thus hath the candle fing'd the moth. O these deliberate fools! when they do chufe, They have the wifdom by their wit to lofe:

}

7 Take what wife you will to tia was never to marry any wo

bed.] Perhaps the poet had

forgotten that he who miffed Por

man.

Ner.

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