The French and English, there miscarried Salan. You were best to tell Antonio what you hear; Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him. Salar. A kinder gentleman treads not the earth. I saw Bassanio and Antonio part: Bassanio told him, he would make some speed I With some delight or other. 4 Salar. SCENE IX. Do we so. [Exeunt. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Enter NERISSA, with a Servant. Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee, draw the curtain straight; The prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath, And comes to his election presently. 2 To slubber is to do a thing carelessly. 3 Shows, tokens. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Arragon, PORTIA, and their Trains. Por. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince: If you choose that wherein I am contain❜d, Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemniz'd; But if you fail, without more speech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately. Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath to observe three things: First, never to unfold to any one Which casket 'twas I chose; next, if I fail Por. To these injunctions every one doth swear, That comes to hazard for my worthless self. Ar. And so have I address'd1 me: Fortune now To my heart's hope!-Gold, silver, and base lead. Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath. You shall look fairer, ere I give, or hazard. What says the golden chest? ha! let me see:— Who chooseth me, shall gain what many men desire. What many men desire.—That many may be meant By the fool multitude, that choose by show, Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach; Which pries not to the interior, but, like the martlet, Builds in the weather on the outward wall, Even in the force3 and road of casualty. I will not choose what many men desire, Because I will not jump with common spirits, 1 Prepared. 2 By and of being synonymous, were used by our ancestors indifferently; Malone has adduced numerous instances of the use of by, in all of which, by substituting of, the sense is rendered clear to the modern reader. 3 Power. 4 To jump is to agree with. And rank me with the barbarous multitudes. go about O, that estates, degrees, and offices, Were not deriv'd corruptly! and that clear honour Por. Too long a pause for that which you find there. How much unlike my hopes, and my deservings? Who chooseth me, shall have as much as he deserves. Did I deserve no more than a fool's head? Is that my prize? are my deserts no better? Por. To offend, and judge, are distinct offices, And of opposed natures. Ar. What is here? The fire seven times tried this; 5 The meaning is, how much meanness would be found among the great, and how much greatness among the mean. That did never choose amiss: Some there be, that shadows kiss ; Sweet, adieu! I'll keep my oath, [Exeunt Arragon, and Train. Por. Thus hath the candle sing'd the moth. Hanging and wiving goes by destiny. Enter a Servant. Serv. Where is my lady? Por. 6 Know. Here; what would my lord? 7 The poet had forgotten that he who missed Portia was never to marry any other woman. 8 Wroath is used in some of the old writers for misfortune, and is often spelt like ruth, Caxton's Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye, 1471, has frequent instances of wroth. Thus also in Chapman's Version of the 22nd Iliad Hoccleeve also uses it: 'But poore shame fast man ofte is wrooth.' And Barclay in his Ship of Fools : Be the poore wroth, or be well apayde.' A Serv. Madam, there is alighted at your gate To signify the approaching of his lord: Por. No more, I pray thee; I am half afeard, Quick Cupid's post, that comes so mannerly. [Exeunt. АСТ III. SCENE I. Venice. A Street. Enter SALANIO and SALARINO. Salan. Now, what news on the Rialto? Salar. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip report be an honest woman of her word. Salan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, |