ring but what lights on my shoulders; no sighs but of my breathing; no tears but of my shedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck, too. Antonio,

as I heard in Genoa

Shy. What, what, what? Ill luck, ill luck?

Tub. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from

Tripolis.

Shy. I thank God, I thank God! Is't true, is't

true?

Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck.

105

110

Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal. Good news, good 115 news! ha, ha! where? In Genoa?

Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, in one night fourscore ducats.

Shy. Thou stick'st a dagger in me. I shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sit- 120 ting! fourscore ducats!

Tub. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break.

Shy. I am very glad of it. I'll plague him; I'll 125 torture him. I am glad of it.

Tub. One of them showed me a ring that he had
of your daughter for a monkey.

Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal.
It was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when 130
I was a bachelor. I would not have given it
for a wilderness of monkeys.

135

140

Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone.
Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true.

Go,

Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for, were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II

10

Belmont. A room in Portia's house.

Enter Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, and
Attendants.

Por. I pray you, tarry. Pause a day or two
Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong,
I lose your company. Therefore forbear awhile.
There's something tells me, but it is not love,
I would not lose you; and you know yourself,
Hate counsels not in such a quality.
But lest you should not understand me well-
And yet a maiden hath no tongue but
thought-

I would detain you here some month or two
Before you venture for me. I could teach you
How to choose right, but I am then forsworn;
So will I never be. So may you miss me;

Bass.

But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin,
That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your

eyes,

They have o'er-looked me, and divided me;
One half of me is yours, the other half yours,
Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then

yours,

And so all yours. Oh, these naughty times
Put bars between the owners and their rights!
And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so,
Let fortune go to hell for it, not I.

I speak too long; but 'tis to peize the time,
To eke it and to draw it out in length,

To stay you from election.

Let me choose;

For as I am, I live upon the rack.
Por. Upon the rack, Bassanio! Then confess

What treason there is mingled with your love.
Bass. None but that ugly treason of mistrust,

Which makes me fear the enjoying of my love.
There may as well be amity and life

'Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. Por. Aye, but I fear you speak upon the rack,

Where men enforcéd do speak anything. Bass. Promise me life, and I'll confess the truth. Por. Well then, confess and live.

Bass.

"Confess" and "love"
Had been the very sum of my confession.
O happy torment, when my torturer
Doth teach me answers for deliverance!

15

20

25

30

35

But let me to my fortune and the caskets.

40 Por. Away, then!

I am locked in one of them.

If you do love me, you will find me out.

Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.

Let music sound while he doth make his

choice;

Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,
Fading in music. That the comparison
May stand more proper, my eye shall be the
stream,

And watery death-bed for him. He may win;
And what is music then? Then music is
Even as the flourish when true subjects bow
To a new-crowned monarch. Such it is
As are those dulcet sounds in break of day
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear
And summon him to marriage. Now he goes
With no less presence, but with much more
love,

Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin tribute paid by howling Troy
To the sea-monster. I stand for sacrifice;
The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With blearéd visages, come forth to view
The issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules!
Live thou, I live.

dismay

With much, much more

I view the fight than thou that makest the fray. Music, whilst Bassanio comments on the caskets to himself.

All.

SONG

Tell me where is fancy bred,

Or in the heart or in the head?
How begot, how nourished?

Reply, reply.

It is engendered in the eyes,
With gazing fed; and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lies.

Let us all ring fancy's knell.

I'll begin it-Ding, dong, bell.

Ding, dong, bell.

Bass. So may the outward shows be least them

selves;

The world is still deceived with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt
But, being seasoned with a gracious voice,
Obscures the show of evil? In religion,
What damnéd error, but some sober brow
Will bless it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?
There is no vice so simple but assumes
Some mark of virtue on his outward parts.
How many cowards, whose hearts are all as
false

As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars;
Who, inward searched, have livers white as
milk;

And these assume but valor's excrement
To render them redoubted! Look on beauty,

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70

75

80

85