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Lor. Hold here, take this :-tell gentle Jessica I will not fail her! speak it privately; go.— Gentlemen, [Exit LAUNCELOT. Will you prepare you for this masque to-night? I am provided of a torch-bearer.

Salar. Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight. Solan. And so will I.

Lor.

Meet me and Gratiano,

At Gratiano's lodging, some hour hence.
Salar. "Tis good we do so.

[Exeunt SALARINO and SOLANIO. Gra. Was not that letter from fair Jessica? Lor. I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed

How I shall take her from her father's house;
What gold and jewels she is furnished with;
What page's suit she hath in readiness.
If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven,
It will be for his gentle daughter's sake:
And never dare Misfortune cross her foot,
Unless she do it under this excuse,
That she is issue to a faithless Jew.
Come, go with me; peruse this as thou goest:
Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer. [Exeunt.

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Jes. Call you? What is your will?

Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica: There are my keys.—But wherefore should I go? I am not bid for love; they flatter me: But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon The prodigal Christian.-Jessica, my girl, Look to my house.—I am right loath to go; There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

Laun. I beseech you, sir, go; my young master doth expect your reproach.

Shy. So do I his.

Laun. And they have conspired together,-I will not say you shall see a mask; but if you

do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on Black-Monday last, at six o'clock i' the morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in the afternoon.

Shy. What are there masks? Hear you me,
Jessica:

Lock up my doors: and when you hear the drum,
And the vile squeaking of the wry-necked fife,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public street,
To gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces:
But stop my house's ears; I mean my casements:
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house.-By Jacob's staff I swear,
I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:
But I will go.-Go you before me, sirrah:
Say I will come.

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Snail-low in profit, and he sleeps by day
More than the wild cat: drones hive not with me;
Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To one that I would have him help to waste
His borrowed purse.-Well, Jessica, go in;
Perhaps, I will return immediately;
Do as I bid you,

Shut doors after you: fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. [Exit.
Jes. Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost,
I have a father, you a daughter, lost. [Exit.

SCENE VI.-The same.

Enter GRATIANO and SALARINO, masked. Gra. This is the penthouse under which Lo

renzo

Desired us to make stand.
Salar.

His hour is almost past.
Gra. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour,
For lovers ever run before the clock.

Salar. O, ten times faster Venus' pigeons fly To seal love's bonds new made, than they are wont To keep obligéd faith unforfeited!

Gra. That ever holds: who riseth from a feast With that keen appetite that he sits down? Where is the horse that doth untread again His tedious measures with the unbated fire

That he did pace them first? All things that are,
Are with more spirit chased than enjoyed.
How like a younker, or a prodigal,
The scarféd bark puts from her native bay,
Hugged and embraced by the strumpet wind!
How like the prodigal doth she return;
With over-weathered ribs, and ragged sails,
Lean, rent, and beggared by the strumpet wind!

Enter LORENZO.

Salar. Here comes Lorenzo;-more of this hereafter.

Lor. Sweet friends, your patience for my long abode :

Not I, but my affairs, have made wait: you When you shall please to play the thieves for wives,

I'll watch as long for you then.-Approach; Here dwells my father Jew.-Ho! who's within?

Enter JESSICA above, in boy's clothes. Jes. Who are you? Tell me, for more certainty, Albeit I'll swear that I do know your tongue. Lor. Lorenzo, and thy love.

Jes. Lorenzo, certain; and my love, indeed; For who love I so much? And now who knows But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours?

Lor. Heaven and thy thoughts are witness that thou art.

Jes. Here, catch this casket! it is worth the pains.

I am glad 't is night, you do not look on me,
For I am much ashamed of my exchange:
But love is blind, and lovers cannot see
The pretty follies that themselves commit;
For if they could, Cupid himself would blush
To see me thus transformed to a boy.

Lor. Descend, for you must be my torch-bearer.
Jes. What, must I hold a candle to
my shames?

They in themselves, good sooth, are too, too light.
Why, 't is an office of discovery, love;
And I should be obscured.

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For the close night doth play the runaway,
And we are stayed for at Bassanio's feast.
Jes. I will make fast the doors, and gild myself
With some more ducats, and be with you straight.
[Exit, from above.
Gra. Now, by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jew.
Lor. Beshrew me, but I love her heartily:
For she is wise, if I can judge of her;
And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true;
And true she is, as she hath proved herself;
And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true,
Shall she be placed in my constant soul.

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Must give for what? for lead? hazard for lead?
This casket threatens. Men that hazard all,
Do it in hope of fair advantages:

A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross:
I'll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead.
What says the silver, with her virgin hue?
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he
deserves."

As much as he deserves?-Pause there, Morocco,
And weigh thy value with an even hand:

If thou beest rated by thy estimation,
Thou dost deserve enough; and yet enough

May not extend so far as to the lady ;
And yet to be afeard of my deserving
Were but a weak disabling of myself.

As much as I deserve!—Why, that's the lady:
I do in birth deserve her; and in fortunes,
In graces, and in qualities of breeding:
But more than these, in love I do deserve.
What if I strayed no further, but chose here?—
Let's see once more this saying graved in gold:
"Who chooseth me shall gain what many men
desire."

Why, that's the lady: all the world desires her:
From the four corners of the earth they come,
To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint.
The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds
Of wide Arabia are as through-fares now,
For princes to come view fair Portia :
The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To stop the foreign spirits; but they come,
As o'er a brook, to see fair Portia :

One of these three contains her heavenly picture. Is 't like that lead contains her? "Twere damnation

To think so base a thought: it were too gross
To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave.
Or shall I think in silver she's immured,
Being ten times undervalued to tried gold?
O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem
Was set in worse than gold. They have in England
A coin that bears the figure of an angel
Stampéd in gold; but that's insculped upon;
But here an angel in a golden bed
Lies all within.-Deliver me the key:
Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!

Por. There, take it, prince; and if my form lie there,

Then I am yours. [He unlocks the golden casket. Mor. O hell! what have we here?

A carrion death, within whose empty eye There is a written scroll? I'll read the writing.

All that glisters is not gold,

Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold,
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms infold.

Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscrolled.
Fare you well; your suit is cold.

Cold, indeed; and labour lost:

Then farewell heat; and welcome frost. Portia, adieu! I have too grieved a heart To take a tedious leave: thus losers part. [Exit.

Por. A gentle riddance.-Draw the curtains; go: Let all of his complexion choose me so. [Exeunt.

SCENE VIII.-Venice. A Street.

Enter SALARINO and SOLANIO. Salar. Why, man, I saw Bassanio under sail; With him is Gratiano gone along;

And in their ship I am sure Lorenzo is not. Solan. The villain Jew with outcries raised the Duke;

Who went with him to search Bassanio's ship.

Salar. He came too late; the ship was under sail : But there the Duke was given to understand, That in a gondola were seen together Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica. Besides, Antonio certified the Duke They were not with Bassanio in his ship.

Solan. I never heard a passion so confused, So strange, outrageous, and so variable, As the dog Jew did utter in the streets: "My daughter!-O my ducats!-O my daughter! Fled with a Christian!-O my christian ducats!Justice!-the law!--my ducats, and my daughter! A sealed bag-two sealed bags of ducats— Of double ducats, stolen from me by my daughter! And jewels; two stones— two rich and precious

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Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him.
Salar. A kinder gentleman treads not the earth.
I saw Bassanio and Antonio part:
Bassanio told him he would make some speed
Of his return: he answered, "Do not so;
Slubber not business for my sake, Bassanio,
But stay 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 chiefest thoughts
To courtship, and such fair ostents of love
As shall 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 sensible

He wrung Bassanio's hand; and so they parted.
Solan. I think, he only loves the world for him.

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Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF ARRAGON, PORTIA, and their Trains.

Por. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince :

If you choose that wherein I am contained, Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemnised; But if you fail, without more speech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately.

Arra. I am enjoined by oath to observe three things:

First, never to unfold to any one

Which casket 't was I chose: next, if I fail
Of the right casket, never in my life
To woo a maid in way of marriage: lastly,
If I do fail in fortune of my choice,
Immediately to leave you and be gone.

Por. To these injunctions every one doth swear, That comes to hazard for my worthless self.

Arra. And so have I addressed me. Fortune now To my heart's hope !-Gold, silver, and base lead: "Who chooseth 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 chooseth me shall gain what many men desire."

What many men desire?-That many may be

meant

By the fool multitude, that choose by show,
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach;
Which pries not to the interior, but, like the
martlet,

Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
Even in the force and road of casualty.
I will not choose what many men desire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits,
And rank me with the barbarous multitudes.
Why, then to thee, thou silver treasure-house;
Tell me once more what title thou dost bear:
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he de-
serves:"

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 undeservéd dignity.

O, that estates, degrees, and offices,

Were not derived corruptly; and that clear honour
Were purchased 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 seed of honour; and how much
honour

Picked from the chaff and ruin of the times,
To be new varnished! Well, but to my choice:
"Who chooseth me shall get as much as he
deserves."

I will assume desert.—Give me the key for this, And instantly unlock my fortunes here.

Por. Too long a pause for that which you find there.

Arra. What's here? the portrait of a blinking

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