The world is ftill deceiv'd with Ornament.
In law, what plea fo tainted and corrupt,
But being feafon'd with a gracious voice, (7)
Obfcures the how of evil? in religion,
What damned error, but fome fober brow
Will blefs it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grofsness with fair ornament?
There is no vice fo fimple, but affumes
Some mark of virtue on its outward parts.
How many cowards, whofe hearts are all as falfe
As stairs of fand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars;
Who, inward fearcht, have livers white as milk? .
And these affume but valour's excrement,
To render them redoubted. Look on beauty,
And you fhall fee 'tis purchas'd by the weight,
Which therein works a miracle in nature,
Making them lightett, that wear most of it.
So are thofe crifpy fnaky golden locks,
Which make fuch wanton gambols with the wind
Upon fuppofed fairness, often known

To be the dowry of a fecond head,
The ikull, that bred them, in the fepulchre.
Thus Ornament is but the guiled thore
To a most dang'rous fea, the beauteous fcarf
Veiling an Indian beauty; (8) in a word,
The feeming truth which cunning times put on
Tentrap the wifeft Then, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee:
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge

(6) So may the outward shows

part

(7)

(8)

He begins abruptly, the first

of the argument has paffed in his mind.

gracious voice,] Pleafing; winning favour. -Indian beauty ;] Sir Tho. Hanmer reads, Indian dowdy.

"Tween

"Tween man and man: but thou, thou meager lead,
Which rather threatneft, than doft promife aught,
Thy plainnefs moves me more than eloquence; (9)
And here chufe I. Joy be the confequence!

Por. How all the other paffions fleet to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rash embrac'd despair,
And fhudd'ring fear, and green ey'd jealousy.
O love, be moderate, allay thy ecstasy ;
In measure rain thy joy, (1) scant this excess,
I feel too much thy bleffing, make it lefs,
For fear I furfeit.

[Opening the leaden cafket.

Ball. What find I here ? Fair Portia's counterfeit ? what Demy-god Hath come fo near creation? move thefe 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 fweet friends. Here in her hairs The painter plays the fpider, and hath woven A golden meth t'intrap the hearts of men, Fafter than gnats in cobwebs. But her eyes How could he fee to do them? having made one, Methinks, it should have pow'r to iteal both his,

(9) Thy palenefs moves me more than eloquence ;] Bassanie is difpleas'd at the golden cafket for its gawdinefs, and the filver one for its paleness; but, what is be charm'd with the leaden one for having the very fame quality that difpleas'd him in the filver? The poet certainly wrote,

Thy Plainness moves me more than eloquence: This characterises the lead from the filver, which palenefs does not, they being both pale, Besides, there is a beauty in the antithefis between plainness and eloquence; between paleness and eloquence none. So it is faid before of

the leaden cafket.

This third dull lead, with warning all as blunt.

(1) In measure rain thy joy,]

I. reads, In measure range thy joy.

II. and III In meafure raine thy joy.

IV. In measure rain.

I believe Shakespeare meant,

In measure rein thy joys.

WARBURTON.

The words rain and rein were not in those times diftinguished by re

gular orthography.

And

this fhadow

And leave itself unfurnish'd. (2) Yet how far
The fubitance of my praife doth wrong
In underprifing it; fo far this fhadow

Doth limp behind the Subftance.-Here's the fcrowl, 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 seek 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 kiss.

A gentle fcrowl-Fair lady, by your leave

[Kiffing 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, gazing still in doubt,
Whether thofe peals of praise be his or no ;
So (thrice-fair lady) ftand I, even fo,
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. Tho' for myfelf 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 ftand high in your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,

(2) Methinks it should have power to steal both bis,

And leave itfelf unfurnish'd. I know not how unfinish'd has intruded without notice into the later editions, as I. II. III. IV. have unfurnish'd, which Sir Tho. Hanmer has received. Perhaps it might be,

And leave himself unfurnish'd.
* I Pearles of praise.

VOL. II.

H

Exceed

Exceed account: but the full fum of me

Is fum of fomething, (3), which, to term in grofs,
Is an unleffon'd girl, unfchool'd, unpractis'd;
Happy in this, fhe is not yet fo old

But the may learn; and happier than this,
She is not bred fo dull but the 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.
Myfelf, 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 myfelf, and even now, but now,
This houfe, these fervants, and this fame myfelf
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 pow'rs,
As, after fome oration fairly fpoke
By a beloved Prince, there doth appear
Among the buzzing pleafed 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, Bafanio'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 with none * from me:
And when your honours mean to folemnize

(3) Is SUM of fomething,] We fould read, SOME of fomerbing, i. e. only a piece or part only of an imperfect account. Which the explains in the following line. WARBURTON.

* That is, none away from me; none tha: I tha

use, if you

gain it.

The

The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you,
Ev'n at that time I may be married too.

;

Ball. With all my heart, fo thou canft 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 stood upon the casket 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 promise of this fair one here,

To have her love, provided that your fortune
Atchiev'd her mistress.

Por. Is this true, Neriffa?

Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal.
Baff. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, faith, my lord.

Ba. Our feaft fhall be much honour'd in your
marriage.

Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy for a thoufand Ducats.

Ner. What, and ftake down?

Gra. No, we shall ne'er win at that sport, and stake
down.

But who comes here? Lorenzo and his Infidel?
What, and my old Venetian friend, Salanio?

SCENE III.

;

Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salanio.
Baf. Lorenzo and Salanio, 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 country-men,

Sweet Portia, welcome,

Por. So do I, my lord, they are intirely welcome.
Lor. I thank your honour. For my part, my lord,

My purpose was not to have seen you here;

H 2

But