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For fear I furfeit !

[Opening the leaden casket,

Baff. What find I here?

Fair Portia's counterfeit? What Demy-god
Hath come fo near creation? Move these eyes?
Or whether, riding on the balls of mine,
Seem they in motion? Here are fever'd lips
Parted with fugar breath; fo fweet a bar
Should funder fuch fweet friends. Here in her hairs
The painter plays the spider; and hath woven
A golden mesh to intrap the hearts of men,
Fafter than gnats in cobwebs. But her eyes,
How could he fee to do them? having made one,
Methinks, it should have power to steal both his,
And leave itfelf unfurnish'd. Yet look how far
The fubftance of my praife doth wrong this fhadow
In underprizing it, fo far this fhadow

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Doth limp behind the substance.-Here's the fcrowl, The continent and fummary of my fortune.

The folio and one of the quartos,

In meafure raine thy joy.

I once believ'd Shakespeare meant,

In meafure rein thy joy.

The words rain and rein were not in these times diftinguished by regular orthography. There is no difficulty in the prefent read. ing, only where the copies vary fome fufpicion of error is always railed. JOHNSON.

I believe Shakespeare alluded to the well-known proverb, It cannot rain, but it pours. STEEVENS.

Methinks it should have pow'r to steal both his,
And leave itself unfurnish'd:-]

I know not how unfinish'd has intruded without notice into the later editions, as the quartos and folio have unfurnished, which Sir Tho. Hanmer has received. Perhaps it might be,

And leave himfelf unfurnish'd

JOHNSON.

You

You that chufe not by the view,
Chance as fair, and chufe as true!
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content, and feek no new.
If you be well pleas'd with this,
And bold your fortune for your bliss,
Turn you where your lady is,
And claim her with a loving kifs.

A gentle fcrowl;-Fair lady, by your leave-
[Killing ber.

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 applaufe, and univerfal fhout,

2

Giddy in fpirit, ftill gazing, in a doubt,
Whether thofe peals of praise be his or no;
So, thrice fair lady, ftand I, even fo,

As doubtful whether what I fee be true,
Until confirm'd, fign'd, ratify'd by you.

Por. You fee, my lord Baffanio, where I ftand,
Such as I am. Tho', for myfelf alone,
I would not be ambitious in my wifh,
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
Is fum of fomething; 3 which, to term in grofs,
Is an unleffon'd girl, unfchool'd, unpractis'd:

2 Peals.] The fecond 4to reads, Pearles of praife. JOHNSON. 3 Is SUM of fomething,-] We fhould read, SOME of fomething, ie. only a piece, or part only of an imperfect account; which he explains in the following line. WARBURTON.

Thus one of the quartos. The folio reads,

Is fum of nothing.

STEEVENS.

Happy

Happy in this, fhe is not yet fo old
But the may learn; and happier than this,
She is not bred fo dull but fhe can learn ;
Happiest of all is, that her gentle fpirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myfelf, 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 servants, 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 powers, As, after fome oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appear Among the buzzing pleafed 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 stood by, and feen our wishes profper, To cry, good joy, Good joy, my lord and lady! Gra. My lord Baffanio, and my gentle lady, I wish you all the joy that you can wish; For, I am fure, you can wish none * from me : And when your honours mean to folemnize The bargain of your faith, I do befeech you, Even at that time I may be married too.

4

-you can wish none from me:] That is, none arvay from me; none that I fhall lofe, if you gain it. JoHNSON. Ball.

Baff. With all my heart, fo thou canft get a wife.
Gra. I thank your lordship; you have got me one.
My eyes, my lord, can look as swift 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 stood 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 promise laft,
I got a promise of this fair one here,

To have her love, provided that your fortune
Atchiev'd her mistiefs.

Por. Is this true, Neriffa?

Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal.
Baff. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, faith, my lord.

Baff. Our feaft fhall be much honour'd in your
marriage.

Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy, for a thousand ducats.

Ner. What, and stake down?

Gra. No, we fhall ne'er win at that fport, and
ftake down.-

But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infidel?
What, and my old Venetian friend, Salanio?

Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, 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 countrymen,
Sweet Portia, welcome.

Por. So do I, my lord; they are entirely welcome,
Lør. I thank your honour. For my part, my lord,

My

My purpose was not to have seen 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. Signior Anthonio
Commends him to you.

Baff. Ere I ope his letter,

[Gives Bafanio a letter.

I pray you tell me how my good friend doth.
Sal. Not fick, my lord, unless it be in mind;
Nor well, unlefs in mind: his letter there
Will fhew you his estate.

[Baffanio opens a letter,
Gra. Neriffa, cheer yon' 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 fuccefs:

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 yon' fame paper;

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. What, worfe 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 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 myself at nothing, you shall fee

How

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