Enter Portia with Morochius, and both their trains.

Per.

G

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

If

Por. 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 furvey th' infcriptions back again;
What fays this leaden casket ;

Who chufeth me, muji glve 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, fhall 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'ft rated by thy eftimation,
Thou doft deserve 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 :
I do in birth deferve her, and in fortunes,

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

In graces, and in qualities of breeding:
But more than these, in love I do deferve.
What if I ftray'd no farther, but chose here?—
Let's fee once more this faying grav'd in gold.
Who chufeth me, fball 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 kiss this fhrine, this mortal breathing faint.
Th' Hircanian deferts, and the vaftie wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For Princes to come view fair Portia.
The wat'ry kingdom, whofe ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To ftop the foreign spirits; 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 so base a thought it were too gross
To rib her fearcloth in the obscure grave.
Or fhall I think, in filver she'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 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 casket:

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

Within whofe empty eye there is a scrowl;

I'll read the writing.

All that glifters is not gold,

Often have you beard that told.
Many a man bis life bath fold,
But my outfide to behold.

GS

Gilded

Gilded wood may worms infold: (1)
Had you been as wife as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer bad not been infcrol'd; (2),
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. [Exit
Por. A gentle riddance- draw the curtains; go-
Let all of his complexion chufe me fo. (3)

[Exeunt.

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

Gilded timber do worms infoli.

From which Mr. Rowe and all the following Editors have madeGilded wood may worms-infold.

A line not bad in itself, but not so applicable to the occafion as that which, I believe, Shakespeare wrote,

Gilded tombs de worms inföld:

A tomb is the proper repofitory of a death's head.

(2) Your answer bad not been inferol'd ;] Since there is an an fwer inferol'd or written in every casket, I believe for your we should

read this. When the words were written y and y the mistake was eafy.

(3) Chufe me fo.] The old quarto Edition of 1600 has no diftribution of acts, but proceeds from the beginning to the end in an unbroken tencur. This play therefore having been probably divided: without authority by the publishers of the first folio, lies open to a new regulation if any more commodious divifion can be propofed. The ftory is itself fo wildly incredible, and the changes of the scene fo frequent 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

Sal.

WH

SCENE IX.

Changes to Venice.

Enter Solarino and Salanio.

HY, man, I faw Baffanio under fail ;
With him is Gratiano gone along;

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

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

Sal. 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 am'rous feffica:
Befides, Anthonio certify'd the Duke, "
They were not with Baffanio in his fhip.

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 chriftian 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,.
And wifh'd in filence, that it were not his.

Sola. You were beft to tell Anthonio what
Yet do not fuddenly, for it may grieve him.

you hear,'

SAL

Sal. A kinder Gentleman treads not the earth.
I faw Bassanie and Anthonio part.

Ballanio told him, he would make some speed
Of his return he answer'd, do not so,
Slubber not bufinefs for my fake, Baffanie,
But ftay the very riping of the time;
And for the few's bond, which he hath of me,
Let it not enter in * your mind of love:
Be merry, and employ your chiefelt thoughts
To courtfhip, 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

I

He wrung Ballanio's hand, and so they parted.
Sola. I think, he only loves the world for him..
pray
thee, let us go and find him out,
And quicken his embraced heaviness (4):
With fome delight or other.

Sal. Do we fo.

corruption.

[Exeunt.

- your mind of love :] So all the copies, but I fufpect some

Your mind of love:] This imaginary corruption is removed by. only putting a comma after mind.

(4) EMBRACED beavinesswould make me choose rather to read,

ENRACED, heaviness,

Mr. LANGTON. -] This unmeaning epithet

from the French enraciner, accrefcere, inveterafcere. So in Much

ado about nothing,

I could not bave owed her a more ROOTED love.

And again in Othello,

With one of an INGRAFT infirmity.

WARBURTON.

Of Dr. Warburton's correction it is only neceffary to observe, that it has produced a new word which cannot be received without neceffity. When I thought the paffage corrupted, it feemed to me not improbable that Shakespeare had written entranced heaviness, maling, abstracted, moping melancholy. But I know not why any great efferts fhould be made to change a word which has no uncommodious. or unufual fenfe. We fay of a man now, that be hugs bis forrows, why may not Anthonio embrace beaviness.

SCENE