Part 13

Por. Well then, confesse and liue

Bass. Confesse and loue Had beene the verie sum of my confession: O happie torment, when my torturer Doth teach me answers for deliuerance: But let me to my fortune and the caskets

Por. Away then, I am lockt in one of them, If you doe loue me, you will finde me out. Nerryssa and the rest, stand all aloofe, Let musicke sound while he doth make his choise, Then if he loose he makes a Swan-like end, Fading in musique. That the comparison May stand more proper, my eye shall be the streame And watrie death-bed for him: he may win, And what is musique than? Than musique is Euen as the flourish, when true subiects bowe To a new crowned Monarch: Such it is, As are those dulcet sounds in breake of day, That creepe into the dreaming bride-groomes eare, And summon him to marriage. Now he goes With no lesse presence, but with much more loue Then yong Alcides, when he did redeeme The virgine tribute, paied by howling Troy To the Sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice, The rest aloofe are the Dardanian wiues: With bleared visages come forth to view The issue of th' exploit: Goe Hercules, Liue thou, I liue with much more dismay I view the sight, then thou that mak'st the fray.

Here Musicke. A Song the whilst Bassanio comments on the Caskets to himselfe.

Tell me where is fancie bred, Or in the heart, or in the head: How begot, how nourished. Replie, replie. It is engendred in the eyes, With gazing fed, and Fancie dies, In the cradle where it lies: Let vs all ring Fancies knell. Ile begin it. Ding, dong, bell

All. Ding, dong, bell

Bass. So may the outward showes be least themselues The world is still deceiu'd with ornament. In Law, what Plea so tainted and corrupt, But being season'd with a gracious voice, Obscures the show of euill? In Religion, What damned error, but some sober brow Will blesse it, and approue it with a text, Hiding the grosenesse with faire ornament: There is no voice so simple, but assumes Some marke of vertue on his outward parts; How manie cowards, whose hearts are all as false As stayers of sand, weare yet vpon their chins The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars, Who inward searcht, haue lyuers white as milke, And these assume but valors excrement, To render them redoubted. Looke on beautie, And you shall see 'tis purchast by the weight, Which therein workes a miracle in nature, Making them lightest that weare most of it: So are those crisped snakie golden locks Which makes such wanton gambols with the winde Vpon supposed fairenesse, often knowne To be the dowrie of a second head, The scull that bred them in the Sepulcher. Thus ornament is but the guiled shore To a most dangerous sea: the beautious scarfe Vailing an Indian beautie; In a word, The seeming truth which cunning times put on To intrap the wisest. Therefore then thou gaudie gold, Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee, Nor none of thee thou pale and common drudge 'Tweene man and man: but thou, thou meager lead Which rather threatnest then dost promise ought, Thy palenesse moues me more then eloquence, And here choose I, ioy be the consequence

Por. How all the other passions fleet to ayre, As doubtfull thoughts, and rash imbrac'd despaire: And shuddring feare, and greene-eyed iealousie. O loue be moderate, allay thy extasie, In measure raine thy ioy, scant this excesse, I feele too much thy blessing, make it lesse, For feare I surfeit

Bas. What finde I here? Faire Portias counterfeit. What demie God Hath come so neere creation? moue these eies? Or whether riding on the bals of mine Seeme they in motion? Here are seuer'd lips Parted with suger breath, so sweet a barre Should sunder such sweet friends: here in her haires The Painter plaies the Spider, and hath wouen A golden mesh t' intrap the hearts of men Faster then gnats in cobwebs: but her eies, How could he see to doe them? hauing made one, Me thinkes it should haue power to steale both his And leaue it selfe vnfurnisht: Yet looke how farre The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow In vnderprising it, so farre this shadow Doth limpe behinde the substance. Here's the scroule, The continent, and summarie of my fortune. You that choose not by the view Chance as faire, and choose as true: Since this fortune fals to you, Be content, and seeke no new. If you be well pleasd with this, And hold your fortune for your blisse, Turne you where your Lady is, And claime her with a louing kisse

Bass. A gentle scroule: Faire Lady, by your leaue, I come by note to giue, and to receiue, Like one of two contending in a prize That thinks he hath done well in peoples eies: Hearing applause and vniuersall shout, Giddie in spirit, still gazing in a doubt Whether those peales of praise be his or no. So thrice faire Lady stand I euen so, As doubtfull whether what I see be true, Vntill confirm'd, sign'd, ratified by you

Por. You see my Lord Bassiano where I stand, Such as I am; though for my selfe alone I would not be ambitious in my wish, To wish my selfe much better, yet for you, I would be trebled twenty times my selfe, A thousand times more faire, ten thousand times More rich, that onely to stand high in your account, I might in vertues, beauties, liuings, friends, Exceed account: but the full summe of me Is sum of nothing: which to terme in grosse, Is an vnlessoned girle, vnschool'd, vnpractiz'd, Happy in this, she is not yet so old But she may learne: happier then this, Shee is not bred so dull but she can learne; Happiest of all, is that her gentle spirit Commits it selfe to yours to be directed, As from her Lord, her Gouernour, her King. My selfe, and what is mine, to you and yours Is now conuerted. But now I was the Lord Of this faire mansion, master of my seruants, Queene ore my selfe: and euen now, but now, This house, these seruants, and this same my selfe Are yours, my Lord, I giue them with this ring, Which when you part from, loose, or giue away, Let it presage the ruine of your loue, And be my vantage to exclaime on you

Bass. Maddam, you haue bereft me of all words, Onely my bloud speakes to you in my vaines, And there is such confusion in my powers, As after some oration fairely spoke By a beloued Prince, there doth appeare Among the buzzing pleased multitude, Where euery something being blent together, Turnes to a wilde of nothing, saue of ioy Exprest, and not exprest: but when this ring Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence, O then be bold to say Bassanio's dead

Ner. My Lord and Lady, it is now our time That haue stood by and seene our wishes prosper, To cry good ioy, good ioy my Lord and Lady

Gra. My Lord Bassanio, and my gentle Lady, I wish you all the ioy that you can wish: For I am sure you can wish none from me: And when your Honours meane to solemnize The bargaine of your faith: I doe beseech you Euen at that time I may be married too

Bass. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife

Gra. I thanke your Lordship, you haue got me one. My eyes my Lord can looke as swift as yours: You saw the mistres, I beheld the maid: You lou'd, I lou'd for intermission, No more pertaines to me my Lord then you; Your fortune stood vpon the caskets there, And so did mine too, as the matter falls: For wooing heere vntill I swet againe, And swearing till my very rough was dry With oathes of loue, at last, if promise last, I got a promise of this faire one heere To haue her loue: prouided that your fortune Atchieu'd her mistresse

Por. Is this true Nerrissa? Ner. Madam it is so, so you stand pleas'd withall

Bass. And doe you Gratiano meane good faith? Gra. Yes faith my Lord

Bass. Our feast shall be much honored in your marriage

Gra. Weele play with them the first boy for a thousand ducats

Ner. What and stake downe? Gra. No, we shal nere win at that sport, and stake downe. But who comes heere? Lorenzo and his Infidell? What and my old Venetian friend Salerio? Enter Lorenzo, Iessica, and Salerio.

Bas. Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome hether, If that the youth of my new interest heere Haue power to bid you welcome: by your leaue I bid my verie friends and Countrimen Sweet Portia welcome

Por. So do I my Lord, they are intirely welcome

Lor. I thanke your honor; for my part my Lord, My purpose was not to haue seene you heere, But meeting with Salerio by the way, He did intreate mee past all saying nay To come with him along

Sal. I did my Lord, And I haue reason for it, Signior Anthonio Commends him to you

Bass. Ere I ope his Letter I pray you tell me how my good friend doth

Sal. Not sicke my Lord, vnlesse it be in minde, Nor wel, vnlesse in minde: his Letter there Wil shew you his estate.

Opens the Letter.