For fear I surfeit.
Baf. What find I here?
[Opening the leading Casker.
Fair Portia's Counterfeit. What Demy-God
Hath come so near Creation? Move these Eyes? Or whether riding on the Balls of mine Seem they in Motion? Here are sever'd Lips Parted with Sugar Breath; so sweet a Bar Should funder such sweet Friends: Here in her Hairs The Painter plays the Spider, and hath woven A golded Mesh t'intrap the Hearts of Men Faster than Gnats in Cobwebs: But her Eyes, How could he see to do them? Having made one, Methinks it should have Power to steal both his, And leave it self unfinish'd: Yet look how far The Substance of my Praise doth wrong this Shadow In underprising it; fo far this Shadow Doth limp behind the Substance. Here's the Scrowl, The Continent and Summary of my Fortune.
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You that chuse not by the View, Chance as fair, and chuse as true : Since this Fortune falls to you, Be content, and seek no new. If you be well pleased with this, And hold your Fortune for your Bliss, Turn you where your Lady is,
And claim her with a loving Kiss.
A gentle Scrowl; 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 Peoples Eyes; Hearing Applaufe and universal Shout, Giddy in Spirit, still gazing in a Doubt, Whether those Peals of Praise be his or no; So thrice fair Lady stand I even so, As doubtful whether what I see be true, Until confirm'd, sign'd, ratify'd by you.
Por. You see, my Lord Bafssanio, where I stand,
Such as I am; tho' for my felf alone, I would not be ambitious in my With,
To wish my self much better; yet for you, I would be trebled twenty Times my felf. A thousand times more fair, ten thousand Times More rich, that to stand high in your Account, I might in Virtues, Beauties, Livings, Friends, Exceed Account; but the full Sum of me Is Sum of nothing; which to term in gross, Is an unlesson'd Girl, unschool'd, unpractis'd: Happy in this, she is not yet so old But the may learn, happier then in this, She is not bred so dull but she can learn; Happiest of all is, that her gentle Spirit Commits it felf to yours to be directed, As from her Lord, her Governor, her King, My self, and what is mine, to you and yours Is now converted. But now I was the Lady Of this fair Manfion, Mistress of my Servants, Queen o'er my felf, and even now; but now This House, these Servants, and this same my felf Are yours my Lord, I give them with this Ring, Which when you part from, lose, or give away, Let it presage 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 such Confufion in my Powers, As after forne Oration fairly spoke By a beloved Prince, there doth appear Among the buzzing pleased Multitude, Where every something being blent together, Turns to a wild of nothing, save of Joy 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 have stood by, and seen our Wishes profper, To cry Good Joy, good Joy, my Lord and Lady. Gra. My Lord Bassanio, and my gentle Lady, I wish you all the Joy that you can with; For I am fure you can with none from me: And when your Honours mean to folemnize
The Bargain of your Faith, I do beseech you Even at that time I may be married too.
Baff. With all my Heart, so thou canst get a Wife. Gra. I thank your Lordship, you have got me one.
My Eyes, my Lord, can look as swift as yours: You saw the Mistress, I beheld the Maid You lov'd; I lov'd for Intermiffion.
No more pertains to me, my Lord, than you: Your Fortuue stood upon the Caskets there, And so did mine too, as the Matter falls: For wooing Herd, until I sweat again, And swearing 'till my very Roof was dry, With Oaths of Love, at last, if Promife 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, Nerissa?
Ner. Madam, it is so, so you stand pleas'd withal. Baf. And do you, Gratiano, mean good Faith?
Gra. Yes Faith my Lord.
Baff. Our Feast shall be much honoured in your Mar
Gra. We'll play with them, the first Boy for a thousand
Ner. What, and stake 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 ? Enter Lorenzo, Jessica, and Salanio.
Baff. 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,
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,
But meeting with Salanio by the way,
He did intreat me past all saying nay,
To come with him along.
And I have reason for it; Signior Anthonio
Commends him to you.
Baff. E'er I ope this 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 thew you his Estate.
Bassanio opens the Letter.
Gra. Neriffa, cheer yond Stanger, 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. I would you had won the Fleece that he hath loft. Por. There are some shrewd Contents in yond same Paper,
That steals the Colour from Bassanio's Cheek: Some dear Friend dead, else nothing in the World Could turn so much the Constitution
Of any conftant Man. What, worse and worse! With Leave, Bassanio, I am half your self, And must freely have the half of any thing That this fame Paper brings you. Baff. O sweet Porsia! Here are a few of the unpleasant'st 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 my felf at nothing, you shall fee How much I was a Braggart, when I told you My State was nothing, I should then have told you, That I was worse than nothing. For indeed I have engag'd my self 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,
Issuing Life-blood. But is it true, Salanio? Have all his Ventures fail'd! What, not one hitl
From Tripolis, from Mexico, from England, From Lisbon, Barbary, and India, And not one Vessel 'scape the dreadful Touch Of Merchant-marring Rocks?
Sal. Not one, my Lord: Befides, it should appear, that if he had The present Mony to discharge the Jew, He would not take it. Never did I know A Creature that did bear the Shape 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 Justice. Twenty Merchants, The Duke himself, and the Magnificoes Of greatest Port have all perfuaded with him, But none can drive him from the envious Plea Of Forfeiture, of Justice, and his Bond.
Jes. When I was with him, I have heard him swear, To Tuball and to Chus, his Country-men, That he would rather have Anthonio's Flesh, Than twenty times the Value of the Sum That he did owe him; and I know, my Lord, If Law, Authority, and Power deny not, It will go hard with poor Anthonio.
Por. Is it your dear Friend that is thus in Trouble? Baff. The dearest Friend to me, the kindest Man,
The best condition'd, and unweary'd Spirit In doing Courtefies; and one in whom The ancient Roman Honour more appears Than any that draws Breath in Italy.
Por. What Sum owes he the Jew? Baff. For me three thousand Ducats. Por. What, no more?
Pay him fix thousand, and deface the Bond; Double fix thousand, and then treble that, Before a Friend of this Description Shall lofe a Hair through my Bassanio's Fault. First go with me to Church, and call me Wife,
And then away to Venice to your Friend:
For never shall you lye by Portia's Side
With an unquiet Soul. You shall have Gold
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