I or. Defcend, for you must be my torch-bearer. Jef. What, muft I hold a candle to my shames? They in themselves, goodfooth, are too, too light. Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love, And I fhould be obfcur'd.

Lor. So are you, sweet,

Even in the lovely garnish of a boy.

But come at once;

For the clofe night doth play the run-away,
And we are ftaid for at Baffanio's feast.

Jef. I will make faft the doors, and gild myself
With fome more ducats, and be with you ftrait.
[Exit from above.
Gra. Now by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jcw.
Lor. Befhrew me, but I love her heartily:
For fhe is wife, if I can judge of her;
And fair fhe is, if that mine eyes be true;
And true he is, as fhe hath prov'd herself;
And therefore like herfelf, wife, fair, and true,
Shall she be placed in my conftant foul.

Enter Fefica below.

What, art thou come?-On, gentlemen, away; Our mafquing mates by this time for us ftay. [Exit.

Enter Anthonio.

Anth. Who's there?

Gra. Signior Anthonio?

Antb. Fie, Gratiano! where are all the reft? 'Tis nine o'clock, our friends all ftay for you:No mafque to night;the wind is come about, Baffanio prefently will go aboard:

I have fent twenty out to feek for

you.

3 a Gentile, and no Jew.] A jeft rifing from the ambiguity of Gentile, which fignifies both a Heathen, and one well born. JOHNSON.

Gra.

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

SCENE VII.

BELMONT.

Enter Portia with the Prince of Morocco and both their

trains.

Por. Go, draw afide the curtains, and discover The feveral cafkets to this noble prince.

Now make your choice. [Three cafkets are difcovered.
Mor. The first of gold, which this infcription bears;
Who chufeth me fhall gain what many men defire.
The fecond filver, which this promife carries ;-
Who chufeth me shall get as much as he deferves.
This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt;—
Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be hath.-
How fhall I know if I do chufe the right?

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

Mor. Some God direct my judgment ! Let me fee, I will furvey the infcriptions back again;

What fays this leaden cafket;

Who chufeth me, must give and hazard all be bath.
Muft give?-For what? for lead? hazard, for lead?
This cafket threatens. Men, that hazard all,
Do it in hope of fair advantages:

A golden mind ftoops not to fhows of drofs;
I'll then not give, nor hazard, aught for lead.
What fays the filver with her virgin hue?
Who chufeth me, shall get as much as he deferves.
As much as he deferves?-Paufe there, Morocco,
And weigh thy value with an even hand.

If thou be'ft rated by thy eftimation,

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

Thou doft deferve enough; and yet enough
May not extend fo far as to the lady;
And yet to be afraid of my deferving,
Were but a weak difabling of myself.
As much as I deferve!-why, that's the lady:
I do in birth deferve her, and in fortunes,
In graces, and in qualities of breeding;
But more than thefe, in love I do deserve.
What if I ftray'd no farther, but chofe here ?-
Let's fee once more this faying grav'd in gold.
Who chufeth me shall gain what many men defire.
Why, that's the lady; all the world defires her:
From the four corners of the earth they come
To kifs this fhrine, this mortal breathing faint.
The Hircanian deferts, and the vasty wilds
Of wide Arabia, are as thorough-fares now,
For princes to come view fair Portia.
The watery kingdom, whofe ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To ftop the foreign fpirits; but they come,
As o'er a brook to fee fair Portia.

One of these three contains her heav'nly picture.

Is't like that lead contains her? 'twere damnation
To think fo bafe a thought it were too grofs
To rib her fearcloth in the obfcure grave.
Or fhall I think, in filver fhe's immur'd,
Being ten times undervalu'd to try'd gold?
O finful thought! Never fo 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 infculp'd upon :
But here an angel in a golden bed

Lyes all within. Deliver me the key;

Here do I chufe, and thrive I as I may !

Por. There take it, prince, and if my form lye

there,

Then I am yours.

[Unlocking the gold cafket.

Mor.

Mor. O hell! what have we here?

A carrion death, within whofe empty eye
There is a written fcrowl? I'll read the writing.

All that glifters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told.
Many a man his life bath fold,
But my outfide to behold.
Gilded tombs do worms infold: s
Had you been as wife as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been infcrol'd;"
Fare you well; your fuit is cold.

Mor. Cold, indeed; and labour loft:
Then farewel, heat; and welcome frost.
Portia, adieu! I have too griev'd a heart

6

To take a tedious leave. Thus lofers part. [Exit. Por. A gentle riddance:-draw the curtains; goLet all of his complexion chufe me fo. 7 [Exeunt.

SCENE

Gilded wood may worms infold.] 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 fo applicable to the occafion as that which, I believe, Shakespeare wrote.

Gilded tombs do worms infold.

A tomb is the proper repofitory of a death's-head. JOHNSON. • Your answer had not been inscrol'd ;] Since there is an answer inferol'd or written in every casket, I believe for your we should read this. When the words were written yr and y', the miftake was easy. JOHNSON.

7 Chuft me fo.] The old quarto edition of 1600 has no diftribution 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 first folio, lies open to a new regulation, if any more commodious divifion can be

L 4

propofed,

SCENE VIII.

Changes to Venice.

Enter Solarino and Salanio.

Sal. Why man, I faw Baffanio under sail;
With him is Gratiano gone along;

And in their fhip, I am fure, Lorenzo is not.
Sola. The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the duke,
Who went with him to fearch Balfanio's fhip.

Sal. He came too late, the fhip was under fail:
But there the duke was given to understand,
That in a Gondola were feen together
Lorenzo and his amorous Jeffica:
Befides Anthonio certify'd the duke,
They were not with Baffanio in his fhip.
Sola. I never heard a paffion fo confus'd,
So ftrange, outrageous, and fo variable,
As the dog Jew did utter in the streets;
My daughter!-O my ducats!-O my daughter!
Fled with a Chriftian? O my Chriftian ducats !—
Fuftice! the law! My ducats, and my daughter!-
A fealed bag, two fealed bags of ducats,

Of double ducats, ftol'n from me by my daughter!
And Jewels, two ftones, two rich and precious stones,
Stol'n by my daughter! Justice! find the girl!
She bath the ftones upon her, and the ducats!

Sal. Why, all the boys in Venice follow him, Crying his ftones, his daughter, and his ducats. Sola. Let good Anthonio look he keep his day; Or he fhall pay for this.

Sal. Marry, well remember'd.

I reafon'd with a Frenchman yefterday;
Who told me, in the narrow feas, that part

propofed. The flory is itfelf fo wildly incredible, and the changes of the fcene fo frequent and capricious, that the probability of action does not deferve much care; yet it may be proper to obferve, that, by concluding the second at here, time is given for Baffanio's paffage to Belmont. JOHNSON.

The