For fear I furfeit ! [Opening the leaden casket, Baff. What find I here? Fair Portia's counterfeit? What Demy-god 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, 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, A gentle fcrowl;-Fair lady, by your leave- I come by note, to give and to receive. 2 Giddy in fpirit, ftill gazing, in a doubt, As doubtful whether what I fee be true, Por. You fee, my lord Baffanio, where I ftand, A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times 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 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. No more pertains to me, my lord, than you, To have her love, provided that your fortune Por. Is this true, Neriffa? Ner. Madam, it is, fo you ftand pleas'd withal. Baff. Our feaft fhall be much honour'd in your 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 But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infidel? Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salanio. Baff. Lorenzo, and Salanio, welcome hither; Por. So do I, my lord; they are entirely welcome, My My purpose was not to have seen you here; Sal. I did, my lord, And I have reafon for't. Signior Anthonio Baff. Ere I ope his letter, [Gives Bafanio a letter. I pray you tell me how my good friend doth. [Baffanio opens a letter, 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 Of any conftant man. What, worfe and worfe! Baff. O fweet Portia, Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words, How |