The fubftance of my praise doth wrong this fhadow 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 feck 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.
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 applause and universal fhout,
Giddy in fpirit, gazing still in doubt,
Whether thofe * peals of praise be his or no;
So (thrice-fair lady) stand I, even so,
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 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 ftand high in your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account: but the full fum of me
truded without notice into the later editions, as I, II. III. IV. have unfurnish'd, which Sir Tho Hammer has received. Perhaps
And leave himself unfurnish'd. * 1. Pearles of praife.
Is fum of fomething, 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 she can learn ;
Happiest of all, is, that her gentle spirit
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 myself; 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 pow'rs,
As, after fome oration fairly fpoke
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 flood by, and feen our wishes profper,
To cry, good joy, good joy, my lord and lady!
Gra. My lord Ballanio, and my gentle lady,
I wish you all the joy that you can wish;
For, I am fure, you can with none * from me:
3 Is SUM of fomething-We the explains in the following line. hould read, SOME of fomething, i. e. only a piece or part only of an imperfect account. Which
WARBURTON. That is, none away from me; none that Ishall ofe, if you gain it. Ff 4
And when your honours mean to folemnize
The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you,
Ev'n at that time I may be married too.
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 food 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 promife laft,
I got a promife, of this fair one here,
To have her love, provided that your fortune.
Atchiev'd her mistress.
Por. Is it true, Neriffa?
Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal.
Baff. And do you, Graliano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, faith, my lord.
Baff. Our Feaft shall be much honour'd in your mar
[riage. 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, Salanio?
Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salania.
Baff Lorenzo and Salanio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new Intereft here
Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave
I bid my very friends and country-men
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 feen you here;
But meeting with Salanio by the way,
He did intreat me, paft all faying nay,
To come with him along.
Sal. I did, my lord,
And I have reafon for't.
Commends him to you.
Baff. Ere I ope his letter,
[Gives Baffanio a letter.
I pray you tell me how my good friend doth.
Sal. Not fick, my lord, unless it be in mind;
Nor well, unless in mind; his letter there
Will fhew you his estate.
[Baffanio opens a letter.
Gra. Neriffa, cheer yond ftranger: Bid her welcome.
Your hand, Salanio; what's the news from Venice?
How doth that royal merchant, good Anthonio?
I know, he will be glad of our Success:
We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece.
Sal, Would you had won the fleece, that he hath loft!
Por. There are fome fhrewd Contents in yond fame
That fteal the colour from Baffanio's cheek:
Some dear Friend dead; elfe nothing in the world
Could turn fo much the conftitution
Of any conftant man.
conftant man.
What, worse and worfe!
With leave, Baffanio, I am half yourself,
And I must have the half of any thing
That this fame paper brings you.
Baff. O fweet Portia!
Here are a few of the unpleafant'ft words,
That ever blotted paper. Gentle lady,
When I did first impart my love to you,
I 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 flate was nothing, I fhould then have told you,
That I was worse than nothing. For, indeed,
I have engag'd myfelf 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, Salanio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? what not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, from England,
From Lifbon, Barbary, and India?
And not one veffel 'icap'd the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?
.Sal. Not one, my lord.
Befides, it should appear, that if he had
The prefent money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it. Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the fhape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man.
He plies the Duke at morning and at night,
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him juftice. Twenty merchants,
The Duke himself and the Magnificoes
Of greateft port, have all perfuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of juftice, and his bond.
Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him fwear, To Tubal and to Chus his country-men,
That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh
Than twenty times the value of the fum
That he did owe him; and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and pow'r deny not,
It will go hard with poor Anthonia.
Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble? Bal. The dearest friend to me; the kindest Man;
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