One of these three contains her heavenly picture.
Is't like, that lead contains her? 'Twere damnation,
To think fo base a thought: it were too grofs

b

To rib her cerecloth 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
Stamped in gold; but that's 'infculp'd 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 written fcroll? I'll read the writing.

All that glifters is not gold;

Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life bath fold,
But my outfide to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms infold.
Had you been as wife as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
This anfwer had not been infcrol'd:
Fare you well; your fuit is cold.

Mor. Cold, indeed; and labour loft :

Then, farewel, heat; and, welcome, froft.

Portia, adieu! I have too griev'd a heart
To take a tedious leave: thus lofers part.

i

hrib]-enclose, bind in filaments, wrap round. infculp'd upon ;]-engraven on the furface.

[Exit.

* Your.

Por.

Por. A gentle riddance :-Draw the curtains, go:Let all of his complexion chufe me fo.

SCENE

Venice.

[Exeunt.

VIII.

Enter Salarino and Solanio.

Sol. Why man, I faw Baffanio under fail;

With him is Gratiano gone along;

And in their fhip, I am fure, Lorenzo is not.

Sala. The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the duke;

Who went with him to fearch Baffanio's ship.

Sol. He came too late, the ship was under fail :

But there the duke was given to understand,

That in a gondola were feen together
Lorenzo and his amorous Jeffica:
Befides, Anthonio certify'd the duke,
They were not with Baffanio in his fhip.
Sala. I never heard a paffion fo confus'd,
So ftrange, outrageous, and so variable,
As the dog Jew did utter in the ftreets:
My daughter!-O my ducats!-O my daughter!
Fled with a Chriftian? —O my Chriftian ducats!-
Juftice! the law! my ducats, and my daughter !—
A fealed bag, two fealed bags of ducats,

Of double ducats, ftol'n from me by my daughter!
And jewels; two stones, two rich and precious ftones,
Stol'n by my daughter!-Justice! find the girl!
She bath the ftones upon her, and the ducats!
Sol. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him,
Crying, his stones, his daughter, and his ducats.
Sala. Let good Anthonio look he keep his day,
Or he fhall
pay for this.

Sol. 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 miscarried
A veffel of our country, richly fraught:
I thought upon Anthonio, when he told me ;
And wifh'd in filence, that it were not his.

Sala. You were beft to tell Anthonio what you hear; Yet do not fuddenly, for it may grieve him.

Sol. A kinder gentleman treads not the earth.

I faw Baffanio and Anthonio part:

Baffanio told him, he would make some speed

Of his return; he anfwer'd,-Do not fo,

m

Slubber not business for my fake, Bassanio,
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 chiefeft 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 wondrous fenfible

He wrung Baffanio's hand, and fo they parted.
Sala. 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.

Sol. Do we fo.

I reafon'd]-talked with.

[Exeunt.

Slubber not business]-perform it not either hastily or negligently. very riping of the time ;]-till all is quite mature.

your mind of love:]-your loving mind-your mind, of love-I ad

jure you by our mutual love.

And quicken bis embraced heaviness]-endeavour to amufe the me

lancholy that clings fo closely to him, which he indulges too far.

SCENE

Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain ftraight;

The prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath,

And comes to his election prefently.

Enter Arragon, his train; Portia, with her's. Flourish of

If

cornets.

Por. Behold, there ftand the caskets, noble prince: chufe that wherein I am contain❜d,

you

Straight 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 to obferve 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; laftly
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 felf.

Το

my

Ar. And fo have I addrest me: Fortune now
heart's hope!-Gold, filver, and base lead.
Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath:
You shall look fairer, ere I give, or hazard.

I addreft me :]-previously qualified myself.
"And fo have 1-Address me, fortune, now,

Το

my

heart's hope."-Affift me in the acquifition of it.

What

What fays the golden cheft? ha! let me see,-
Who chufeth me, shall gain what many men defire.
What many men defire,-That many may be meant
Of the fool multitude, that chufe 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 cafualty.
I will not chufe what many men desire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits,
And rank me with the barbarous multitudes.
Why, then to thee, thou filver treasure-house;
Tell me once more what title thou doft bear:
Who chufeth me, fhall get as much as he deferves;
And well faid too; For who fhall go about
To cozen fortune, and be honourable

Without the stamp of merit? Let none prefume
To wear an undeserved dignity.

O, that estates, degrees, and offices,

Were not deriv'd corruptly! and 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 peafantry would then be gleaned
From the true feed of honour? and how much honour
Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times,
'To be new varnish'd? Well, but to my choice:
Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deserves :
I will affume defert ;-Give me a key for this,
And inftantly unlock my fortunes here.

in the force]-power, reach.

• How much low peafantry]-What meanness would be found among the great, and greatness with the mean?

To be new varnijh'd?]-To be restored to its primitive splendor.

Por.