I or. Descend, for you must be my torch-bearer.

Fes. What, must I hold a candle to my shames?
They in themselves, goodsooth, are too, too light.
Why, 'ris an office of discovery, love,
And I should be obscur'd.

Lor. So are you, sweet,
Even in the lovely garnish of a boy.
But come at once;
For the close night doth play the run-away,
And we are staid for at Bassanio's feast.

Jes. I will make fast the doors, and gild myself With some more ducats, and be with you

straic.

[Exit from above. Gra. Now by my hood, a Gentile, 3 and no Jcw.

Lor. Beshrew me, but I love her heartily :
For she is wise, if I can judge of her ;
And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true;
And true lhe is, as she hath prov'd herself ;
And therefore like herself, wise, fair, and true,
Shall she be placed in my constant soul.

Enter Felica below. What, art thou come ?-On, gentlemen, away; Our masquing mates by this time for us stay. [Exit

. Enter Antbonio. Anib. Who's there? Gra. Signior Anthonio?

Antb. Fie, Gratiano! where are all the rest? 'Tis nine o'clock, our friends all stay for you:No masque to night ;-the wind is come about, Bassanio presently will

go aboard : I have sent twenty out to seek for you.

a Gentile, and no Jew.] A jest rising from the ambiguity of Gentile, which fignifies both a Heatben, and one well born. JOHNSON.

Gra.

Gra. I am glad on't ; I desire no more delight Than to be under fail, and gone to-night. [Exeunt.

SCE N E VII.
BELMONT.

Enter Portia with the Prince of Morocco and both their

trains. Por. Go, draw aside the curtains, and discover The several caskets to this noble prince. Now make your choice. (Three caskets are discovered.

Mor. The first of gold, which this inscription bears; Who cbufeth me shall gain what many men defire. The second silver, which this promite carries ;Wbo chuseth me fall get as much as he deserves. This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt;tWho chuseth me, must give and hazard all he hath.How shall I know if I do chuse the right?

Por. The one of them contains my picture, prince: If you chuse that, then I am yours withal.

Mor. Some God direct my judgment ! Let me see, I will survey the inscriptions back again; What says this leaden casket; Who chuseth me, must give and hazard all be hath. Must give ?-For what? for lead? hazard, for lead ? This casket threatens. Men, that hazard all, Do it in hope of fair advantages: A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross; I'll then not give, nor hazard, aught for lead. What says the filver with her virgin hue? Wbo chuseth me, Mall get as much as he deserves. As much as he deferves ?-Paule there, Morocco, And weigh thy value with an even hand. If thou be'st rated by thy estimation,

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as blunt.] That is, as gross as the dull metal. JOHNSON.

Thou

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Thou dost deserve enough; and yet enough
May not extend so far as to the lady ;
And yet to be afraid of my deserving,
Were but a weak disabling of myself.
As much as I deserve why, that's the lady:
I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes,
In graces, and in qualities of breeding;
But more than these, in love I do deserve.
What if I stray'd no farther, but chose here ? -
Let's see once more this saying grav'd in gold.
Who chuseth me fall gain what many men defire.
Why, that's the lady; all the world desires her:
From the four corners of the earth they come
To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing faint.
The Hircanian deserts, and the vasty wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For princes to come view fair Portia.
The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To stop the foreign spirits; but they come,
As o'er a brook to see 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 searcloth in the obscure grave.
Or shall I think, in silver she's immur'd,
Being ten times undervalu'd to try'd gold?
O finful thought! Never so 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 insculp'd upon :
But here an angel in a golden bed
Lyes all within. Deliver me the key;
Here do I chuse, 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.

Mor. O hell! what have we here?
A carrion death, within whose empty eye
There is a written scrowl? I'll read the writing.

All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told.
Many a man his life hath fold,
But my outside to behold.
Gilded tombs do worms infold: 5
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscrold;

well; your suit is cold.
Mor. Cold, indeed ; and labour lost:
Then farewel, heat; and welcome frost.
Portia, adieu! I have too griev'd a heart
To take a tedious leave.-Thus losers part. (Exit.

Por. A gentleriddance:-draw the curtains; goLet all of his complexion chuse me so.? (Exeunt.

SCENE

Fare you

Gilded wood may worms infeld.] In all the old editions this line is written thus :

Gilded timber do worms infold. From which Mr. Rowe and all the following editors have made

Gilded wood may worms infold. A line not bad in itself, but not so applicable to the occasion as that which, I believe, Shakespeare wrote.

Gilded tombs do worms infold.
A tomb is the proper repository of a death's-head. JOHNSON.

• Your answer had not been inscrol'd ;] Since there is an answer inscrol'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 easy. JOHNSON.

? Chuse me fo.] The old quarto edition of 1600 has no distribution of acts, but proceeds from the beginning to the end in an unbroken tenour. This play therefore having been probably divided without authority by the publishers of the firit folio, lies open to a new regulation, if any more commodious division can be

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proposed,

SCENE VIII.

Changes to Venice.

Enter Solarino and Sclanio.
Sal. Why man, I saw Baffanio under sail ;
With him is Gratiano gone along;
And in their ship, I am sure, Lorenzo is not.

Sola. The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the duke, Who went with him to search Ballanio's ship.

Sal. He came too late, the ship was under fail :
But there the duke was given to understand,
That in a Gondola were seen together
Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica :
Besides Anthonio certify'd the duke,
They were not with Buffanio in his ship.

Sola. I never heard a passion so confus’d,
So strange, outrageous, and so variable,
As the dog Jew did utter in the streets;
My daughter !--O my ducats!~ my daughter !
Fled with a Christian? O my Christian ducats ! -
Justice ! the law !-My ducats, and my daughter! --
A sealed bag, two sealet bags of ducats,
Of double ducats, stoln from me iy my daughter!
And Jewels, tuo stones, two rich and precious stones,
Stol'n by my daughter! Justice! find ibe girl!
She hath the stones upon her, and the ducats !

Sal. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him, Crying-his stones, his daughter, and his ducats.

Sola. Let good Anthonio look he keep his day; Or he shall pay for this.

Sal. Marry, well remember'd. I reason'd with a Frenchman yesterday ; Who told me, in the narrow seas, that part proposed. The fory is itself so wildly incredible, and the changes of the scene fo frequent and capricious, that the probability of action does not defcrve much care ; yet it may be proper to observe, thar, by concluding the second ad here, time is given for Balfamio's paffage to Belmont. JOHNSON.

The