Hath come fo near creation? Move these eyes?
Or whether, riding on the balls of mine,
Seem they in motion? Here are fever'd lips,
Parted with fugar breath; fo fweet a bar
Should funder fuch sweet friends: Here in her hairs
The painter plays the spider; and hath woven
A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men,
Fafter than gnats in cobwebs : But her eyes,-
How could he fee to do them? having made one,
Methinks, it fhould have power to steal both his,
And leave itself unfurnish'd: Yet look, how far
The fubftance of my praise doth wrong this shadow
In underprizing it, fo far this fhadow
Doth limp behind the fubftance.-Here's the fcroll,
The continent and fummary of my fortune.
You that chufe not by the view,
Chance as fair, and chufe as true!
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content, and feek no new.
If you be well pleas'd with this,
And bold your fortune for your blifs,
Turn you where your lady is,
And claim her with a loving kifs.
A gentle scroll ;—Fair lady, by your leave; [Kissing her. I come by note, to give, and to receive.
Like one of two contending in a prize,
That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes,
Hearing applaufe, and univerfal fhout
Giddy in fpirit, ftill gazing, in a doubt
Whether thofe peals of praise be his or no ;
So, thrice fair lady, ftand I, even fo;
it felf-with another—himself unfurnish’d—itself unfinish’d.
As doubtful whether what I fee be true,
Until confirm'd, fign'd, ratify'd by you.
Por. You fee me, lord Baffanio, where I ftand,
Such as I am though, for myself alone,
I would not be ambitious in my wish,
To wish myself much better; yet, for you,
I would be trebled twenty times myself;
A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times
More rich; that to stand high in your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account: but the full fum of me
8
Is fum of fomething; which, to term in gross,
Is an unleffon'd girl, unfchool'd, unpractis'd:
Happy in this, fhe is not yet fo old
But she may learn; and happier than this,
She is not bred fo dull but she can learn ;
Happieft of all, is, that her gentle fpirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself, and what is mine, to you, and yours
Is now converted but now I was the lord
Of this fair manfion, mafter of my fervants,
Queen o'er my felf; and even now, but now,
This house, these fervants, and this fame myself,
Are yours, my lord; I give them with this ring;
Which when you part from, lofe, or give away,
Let it prefage the ruin of your love,
And be my vantage to exclaim on you.
Baff. Madam, you have bereft me of all words,
Only my blood speaks to you in my veins :
And there is fuch confufion in my powers,
Is fum of fomething ;]-Is really fomething, not merely ideal, and may be compriz'd in the following defcription-Is fum of nothing.
be my vantage]-afford me a fair pretext.
As, after some oration fairly spoke
By a beloved prince, there doth appear
Among the buzzing pleased multitude;
Where every fomething, being blent together,
Turns to a wild of nothing, fave of joy,
Expreft, and not expreft: But when this ring
Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence;
O, then be bold to fay, Baffanio's dead.
Ner. My lord and lady, it is now our time,
That have stood by, and feen our wishes profper,
To cry, good joy; Good joy, my lord, and lady!
Gra. My lord Baffanio, and my gentle lady,
I wish you all the joy that you can wish;
For, I am fure, you can wifh none from me:
And, when your honours mean to folemnize
The bargain of your faith, I do befeech you,
Even at that time I may be marry'd too.
d
Baff. With all my heart, fo thou canst get a wife.
Gra. I thank your lordship; you have got me one.
My eyes, my lord, can look as fwift as yours;
You faw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You lov'd, I lov'd; for intermiffion
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune ftood upon the cafket there;
And fo did mine too, as the matter falls :
For wooing here, until I fweat again;
And fwearing, till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love; at laft,-if promise last,-
I
got a promife of this fair one here,
To have her love, provided that your fortune
Atchiev'd her mistress.
Por. Is this true, Neriffa?
from me :]-that I fhall not fhare in; or, that will deprive me of any. * for intermiffion]—as to delay, or interruption of our blifs.
K 4
Ner.
Ner. Madam, it is, fo you stand pleas'd withal.
Bass. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, 'faith, my lord.
Baff. Our feast shall be much honour'd in your marriage. Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy, for a thoufand ducats.
Ner. What, and stake down?
Gra. No; we fhall ne'er win at that sport, and stake down.
But who comes here? Lorenzo, and his infidel?
What, and my old Venetian friend, Salerio?.
Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salerio.
Baff. Lorenzo, and Salerio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new interest here
Have power to bid you welcome :-By your leave,
I bid my very friends, and countrymen,
Sweet Portia, welcome.
Por. So do I, my lord;
They are entirely welcome.
Lor. I thank your honour :-For my part, my lord, My purpose was not to have feen you here; But meeting with Salerio by the way, He did intreat me, paft all faying nay,
To come with him along.
Sale. I did, my lord,
And I have reafon for it. Signior Anthonio
Commends him to you.
Baff. Ere I ope his letter,
[Gives Baffanio a letter.
I pray you tell me how my good friend doth.
Sale. Not fick, my lord, unless it be in mind;
Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there
с
Will fhew you his estate.
e
⚫ unless in mind:]-in its compofed frame.
Gra. Neriffa, cheer yon'stranger; bid her welcome.
Your hand, Salerio; What's the news from Venice?
How doth that royal merchant, good Anthonio?
I know, he will be glad of our fuccefs;
We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece.
Sale. Would you had won the fleece that he hath loft! Por. There are fome fhrewd contents in yon' fame paper, That fteals the colour from Baffanio's cheek:
Some dear friend dead; elfe nothing in the world
Could turn fo much the constitution
Of any conftant man. What, worse and worse?-
With leave, Baffanio; I am half yourself,
And I muft freely have the half of any thing
That this fame paper brings you.
Baff. O fweet Portia,
you
Here are a few of the unpleasant'ft words,
That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady,
When I did firft impart my love to you,
freely told you, all the wealth I had
Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;
And then I told you true: and yet, dear lady,
Rating myself at nothing, you shall fee
How much I was a braggart: When I told you
My ftate was nothing, I fhould then have told
That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,
I have engag'd myself to a dear friend,
Engag'd my friend to his meer enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady;
The paper as the body of my friend,
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Iffuing life-blood.-But is it true, Salerio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? What, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?
|