Scene from Merchant of Venice.ActIII.SceneII.Belmont. A room in Portia’s house. Enter Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, and attendants.Portia.—[890]I pray you, tarry: pause[891]a day or twoBefore you hazard; for, in choosing wrong,I lose your company; therefore, forbear[892]a whileThere’s something tells me, but it is not love,I would not lose you; and you know yourself,[893]Hate counsels not in such a quality.I could teach youHow to choose right, but then I am forsworn;So will I never be; so may you miss me;But if you do, you’ll make me wish a sin,That I had been forsworn. Beshrew[894]your eyes,They have o’erlook’d me and divided me;One half of me is yours,[895]the other half yours,[896]Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,[897]And so all yours.I speak too long; but ’tis to peize the time,To eke it, and to draw it out[898]in length,To stay you from election.Bassanio.—Let me choose;[899]For as I am, I live upon the rack.Come, let me to my fortune[900]and the caskets.Portia.—Away,[901]then! I am lock’d in one of them;If you do love me, you will find me out.Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.[902]Let music sound while he doth make his choice;Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,Fading[903]in music: that the comparisonMay stand more proper, my eye shall be the streamAnd watery death-bed for him.Go,[904]Hercules!Live thou, I live. With much more dismayI view the fight, than thou[905]mak’st the fray.Bassanio.—So may the outward shows be least themselves:The world is still deceiv’d with ornament.In law, what plea so tainted and corruptBut, being season’d with a gracious voice,Obscures[906]the show of evil? In religion,What damnèd error, but some sober browWill bless[907]it, and approve it with a text,Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?Thus, ornament is but the guilèd shoreTo a most dangerous sea, the beauteous scarfVeiling[908]an Indian beauty;Therefore, thou gaudy gold,Hard food for Midas, I will none[909]of thee;Nor none[910]of thee, thou pale and common drudge’Tween man and man: but thou,[911]thou meagre lead,Which rather threat’nest than dost promise aught,Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence;And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!Portia.(aside).—How all the other passions fleet[912]to air,As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac’d despair,And shuddering fear,[913]and green-eyed jealousy!O love! be moderate;[914]allay thy ecstasy;In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.I feel too much thy blessing; make it less,For fear I surfeit.Bassanio.—What find I here?(Opening the leaden casket.)Fair Portia’s counterfeit![915]What demi-godHath come so near creation?Here’s the scroll,The continent and summary of my fortune.[916]You that choose not by the view,Chance as fair, and choose as true!Since this fortune falls to you,Be content and seek no new.If you be well pleas’d with this,And hold your fortune for your bliss,Turn you where your lady is,And claim her with a loving kiss.A gentle scroll.[917]Fair lady, by your leave;I come by note, to give and receive.Yet as doubtful whether what I see be true,Until confirm’d, sign’d, ratified by you.Portia.—You see me,[918]Lord Bassanio, where I stand,Such as I am; though for myself aloneI would not be ambitious in my wish,To wish myself much better; yet for you[919]I would be trebled twenty times[920]myself,A thousand times[921]more fair, ten thousand times[922]more rich,That only to stand high in your account,I might in virtues,[923]beauties,[924]livings,[925]friends,[926]Exceed account; but the full sum of meIs sum of nothing,[927]which, to term in gross,Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractis’d:Happy in this,[928]she is not yet so oldBut she may learn; happier than[929]this,She is not bred so dull but she can learn;Happiest of all[930]is that her gentle spiritCommits itself to yours[931]to be directed,As from her lord, her governor, her king.Myself and what is mine[932]to you and yours[933]Is now converted; but now I was the lordOf this fair mansion,[934]master of my servants,Queen o’er myself; and even now, but now,This house, these servants, and this same myself[935]Are yours,[936]my lord. I give them with this ring;[937]Which when you part from, lose, or give away,Let it presage[938]the ruin of your love,And be my vantage to exclaim you.Bassanio.—Madam, you have bereft me[939]of all words;Only my blood[940]speaks to you in my veins.But when this ring[941]Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence;O then be bold to say, Bassanio’s dead!Gestures.[890]Portia speaks to the right and Bassanio to left.[891]P. H. O.[892]V. H. O.[893]H. O.[894]V. H. O.[895]H. O.[896]Imp.[897]Imp.[898]P. H. Sw.[899]B. Cla.[900]L. H. L.[901]H. L.[902]L. V. H. L. speak to L.[903]P. H. Sw.[904]L. H. L.[905]H. O.[906]V. H. O.[907]P. H. O.[908]P. H. O.[909]V. Con.[910]Imp.[911]H. F.[912]B. Sp.[913]B. Cli.[914]B. Cla. to breast.[915]Hold miniature.[916]Sp.[917]Turn to left.[918]B. H. O. Sp.[919]H. O.[920]B. H. O.[921]-[922]Impulses.[923]H. O.[924]-[925]-[926]Imps.[927]D. L.[928]H. O.[929]Imp.[930]B. H. O.[931]H. O.[932]To self.[933]H. O.[934]H. Sw.[935]To self.[936]H. O.[937]Sp.[938]Ind. H. O.[939]B. D. O. and bow.[940]To breast.[941]Sp.
ActIII.
SceneII.Belmont. A room in Portia’s house. Enter Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, and attendants.
Portia.—[890]I pray you, tarry: pause[891]a day or twoBefore you hazard; for, in choosing wrong,I lose your company; therefore, forbear[892]a whileThere’s something tells me, but it is not love,I would not lose you; and you know yourself,[893]Hate counsels not in such a quality.I could teach youHow to choose right, but then I am forsworn;So will I never be; so may you miss me;But if you do, you’ll make me wish a sin,That I had been forsworn. Beshrew[894]your eyes,They have o’erlook’d me and divided me;One half of me is yours,[895]the other half yours,[896]Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,[897]And so all yours.I speak too long; but ’tis to peize the time,To eke it, and to draw it out[898]in length,To stay you from election.Bassanio.—Let me choose;[899]For as I am, I live upon the rack.Come, let me to my fortune[900]and the caskets.Portia.—Away,[901]then! I am lock’d in one of them;If you do love me, you will find me out.Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.[902]Let music sound while he doth make his choice;Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,Fading[903]in music: that the comparisonMay stand more proper, my eye shall be the streamAnd watery death-bed for him.Go,[904]Hercules!Live thou, I live. With much more dismayI view the fight, than thou[905]mak’st the fray.Bassanio.—So may the outward shows be least themselves:The world is still deceiv’d with ornament.In law, what plea so tainted and corruptBut, being season’d with a gracious voice,Obscures[906]the show of evil? In religion,What damnèd error, but some sober browWill bless[907]it, and approve it with a text,Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?Thus, ornament is but the guilèd shoreTo a most dangerous sea, the beauteous scarfVeiling[908]an Indian beauty;Therefore, thou gaudy gold,Hard food for Midas, I will none[909]of thee;Nor none[910]of thee, thou pale and common drudge’Tween man and man: but thou,[911]thou meagre lead,Which rather threat’nest than dost promise aught,Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence;And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!Portia.(aside).—How all the other passions fleet[912]to air,As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac’d despair,And shuddering fear,[913]and green-eyed jealousy!O love! be moderate;[914]allay thy ecstasy;In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.I feel too much thy blessing; make it less,For fear I surfeit.Bassanio.—What find I here?(Opening the leaden casket.)Fair Portia’s counterfeit![915]What demi-godHath come so near creation?Here’s the scroll,The continent and summary of my fortune.[916]You that choose not by the view,Chance as fair, and choose as true!Since this fortune falls to you,Be content and seek no new.If you be well pleas’d with this,And hold your fortune for your bliss,Turn you where your lady is,And claim her with a loving kiss.A gentle scroll.[917]Fair lady, by your leave;I come by note, to give and receive.Yet as doubtful whether what I see be true,Until confirm’d, sign’d, ratified by you.Portia.—You see me,[918]Lord Bassanio, where I stand,Such as I am; though for myself aloneI would not be ambitious in my wish,To wish myself much better; yet for you[919]I would be trebled twenty times[920]myself,A thousand times[921]more fair, ten thousand times[922]more rich,That only to stand high in your account,I might in virtues,[923]beauties,[924]livings,[925]friends,[926]Exceed account; but the full sum of meIs sum of nothing,[927]which, to term in gross,Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractis’d:Happy in this,[928]she is not yet so oldBut she may learn; happier than[929]this,She is not bred so dull but she can learn;Happiest of all[930]is that her gentle spiritCommits itself to yours[931]to be directed,As from her lord, her governor, her king.Myself and what is mine[932]to you and yours[933]Is now converted; but now I was the lordOf this fair mansion,[934]master of my servants,Queen o’er myself; and even now, but now,This house, these servants, and this same myself[935]Are yours,[936]my lord. I give them with this ring;[937]Which when you part from, lose, or give away,Let it presage[938]the ruin of your love,And be my vantage to exclaim you.Bassanio.—Madam, you have bereft me[939]of all words;Only my blood[940]speaks to you in my veins.But when this ring[941]Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence;O then be bold to say, Bassanio’s dead!
Portia.—[890]I pray you, tarry: pause[891]a day or twoBefore you hazard; for, in choosing wrong,I lose your company; therefore, forbear[892]a whileThere’s something tells me, but it is not love,I would not lose you; and you know yourself,[893]Hate counsels not in such a quality.I could teach youHow to choose right, but then I am forsworn;So will I never be; so may you miss me;But if you do, you’ll make me wish a sin,That I had been forsworn. Beshrew[894]your eyes,They have o’erlook’d me and divided me;One half of me is yours,[895]the other half yours,[896]Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,[897]And so all yours.I speak too long; but ’tis to peize the time,To eke it, and to draw it out[898]in length,To stay you from election.Bassanio.—Let me choose;[899]For as I am, I live upon the rack.Come, let me to my fortune[900]and the caskets.Portia.—Away,[901]then! I am lock’d in one of them;If you do love me, you will find me out.Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.[902]Let music sound while he doth make his choice;Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,Fading[903]in music: that the comparisonMay stand more proper, my eye shall be the streamAnd watery death-bed for him.Go,[904]Hercules!Live thou, I live. With much more dismayI view the fight, than thou[905]mak’st the fray.Bassanio.—So may the outward shows be least themselves:The world is still deceiv’d with ornament.In law, what plea so tainted and corruptBut, being season’d with a gracious voice,Obscures[906]the show of evil? In religion,What damnèd error, but some sober browWill bless[907]it, and approve it with a text,Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?Thus, ornament is but the guilèd shoreTo a most dangerous sea, the beauteous scarfVeiling[908]an Indian beauty;Therefore, thou gaudy gold,Hard food for Midas, I will none[909]of thee;Nor none[910]of thee, thou pale and common drudge’Tween man and man: but thou,[911]thou meagre lead,Which rather threat’nest than dost promise aught,Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence;And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!Portia.(aside).—How all the other passions fleet[912]to air,As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac’d despair,And shuddering fear,[913]and green-eyed jealousy!O love! be moderate;[914]allay thy ecstasy;In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.I feel too much thy blessing; make it less,For fear I surfeit.Bassanio.—What find I here?(Opening the leaden casket.)Fair Portia’s counterfeit![915]What demi-godHath come so near creation?Here’s the scroll,The continent and summary of my fortune.[916]You that choose not by the view,Chance as fair, and choose as true!Since this fortune falls to you,Be content and seek no new.If you be well pleas’d with this,And hold your fortune for your bliss,Turn you where your lady is,And claim her with a loving kiss.A gentle scroll.[917]Fair lady, by your leave;I come by note, to give and receive.Yet as doubtful whether what I see be true,Until confirm’d, sign’d, ratified by you.Portia.—You see me,[918]Lord Bassanio, where I stand,Such as I am; though for myself aloneI would not be ambitious in my wish,To wish myself much better; yet for you[919]I would be trebled twenty times[920]myself,A thousand times[921]more fair, ten thousand times[922]more rich,That only to stand high in your account,I might in virtues,[923]beauties,[924]livings,[925]friends,[926]Exceed account; but the full sum of meIs sum of nothing,[927]which, to term in gross,Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractis’d:Happy in this,[928]she is not yet so oldBut she may learn; happier than[929]this,She is not bred so dull but she can learn;Happiest of all[930]is that her gentle spiritCommits itself to yours[931]to be directed,As from her lord, her governor, her king.Myself and what is mine[932]to you and yours[933]Is now converted; but now I was the lordOf this fair mansion,[934]master of my servants,Queen o’er myself; and even now, but now,This house, these servants, and this same myself[935]Are yours,[936]my lord. I give them with this ring;[937]Which when you part from, lose, or give away,Let it presage[938]the ruin of your love,And be my vantage to exclaim you.Bassanio.—Madam, you have bereft me[939]of all words;Only my blood[940]speaks to you in my veins.But when this ring[941]Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence;O then be bold to say, Bassanio’s dead!
Portia.—[890]
I pray you, tarry: pause[891]a day or two
Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong,
I lose your company; therefore, forbear[892]a while
There’s something tells me, but it is not love,
I would not lose you; and you know yourself,[893]
Hate counsels not in such a quality.
I could teach you
How to choose right, but then I am forsworn;
So will I never be; so may you miss me;
But if you do, you’ll make me wish a sin,
That I had been forsworn. Beshrew[894]your eyes,
They have o’erlook’d me and divided me;
One half of me is yours,[895]the other half yours,[896]
Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,[897]
And so all yours.
I speak too long; but ’tis to peize the time,
To eke it, and to draw it out[898]in length,
To stay you from election.
Bassanio.—Let me choose;[899]For as I am, I live upon the rack.Come, let me to my fortune[900]and the caskets.
Bassanio.—
Let me choose;[899]
For as I am, I live upon the rack.
Come, let me to my fortune[900]and the caskets.
Portia.—Away,[901]then! I am lock’d in one of them;If you do love me, you will find me out.Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.[902]Let music sound while he doth make his choice;Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,Fading[903]in music: that the comparisonMay stand more proper, my eye shall be the streamAnd watery death-bed for him.Go,[904]Hercules!Live thou, I live. With much more dismayI view the fight, than thou[905]mak’st the fray.
Portia.—
Away,[901]then! I am lock’d in one of them;
If you do love me, you will find me out.
Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof.[902]
Let music sound while he doth make his choice;
Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,
Fading[903]in music: that the comparison
May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream
And watery death-bed for him.
Go,[904]Hercules!
Live thou, I live. With much more dismay
I view the fight, than thou[905]mak’st the fray.
Bassanio.—So may the outward shows be least themselves:The world is still deceiv’d with ornament.In law, what plea so tainted and corruptBut, being season’d with a gracious voice,Obscures[906]the show of evil? In religion,What damnèd error, but some sober browWill bless[907]it, and approve it with a text,Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?Thus, ornament is but the guilèd shoreTo a most dangerous sea, the beauteous scarfVeiling[908]an Indian beauty;Therefore, thou gaudy gold,Hard food for Midas, I will none[909]of thee;Nor none[910]of thee, thou pale and common drudge’Tween man and man: but thou,[911]thou meagre lead,Which rather threat’nest than dost promise aught,Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence;And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!
Bassanio.—
So may the outward shows be least themselves:
The world is still deceiv’d with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt
But, being season’d with a gracious voice,
Obscures[906]the show of evil? In religion,
What damnèd error, but some sober brow
Will bless[907]it, and approve it with a text,
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?
Thus, ornament is but the guilèd shore
To a most dangerous sea, the beauteous scarf
Veiling[908]an Indian beauty;
Therefore, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none[909]of thee;
Nor none[910]of thee, thou pale and common drudge
’Tween man and man: but thou,[911]thou meagre lead,
Which rather threat’nest than dost promise aught,
Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence;
And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!
Portia.(aside).—How all the other passions fleet[912]to air,As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac’d despair,And shuddering fear,[913]and green-eyed jealousy!O love! be moderate;[914]allay thy ecstasy;In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.I feel too much thy blessing; make it less,For fear I surfeit.
Portia.(aside).—
How all the other passions fleet[912]to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac’d despair,
And shuddering fear,[913]and green-eyed jealousy!
O love! be moderate;[914]allay thy ecstasy;
In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.
I feel too much thy blessing; make it less,
For fear I surfeit.
Bassanio.—What find I here?(Opening the leaden casket.)Fair Portia’s counterfeit![915]What demi-godHath come so near creation?Here’s the scroll,The continent and summary of my fortune.[916]You that choose not by the view,Chance as fair, and choose as true!Since this fortune falls to you,Be content and seek no new.If you be well pleas’d with this,And hold your fortune for your bliss,Turn you where your lady is,And claim her with a loving kiss.A gentle scroll.[917]Fair lady, by your leave;I come by note, to give and receive.Yet as doubtful whether what I see be true,Until confirm’d, sign’d, ratified by you.
Bassanio.—
What find I here?
(Opening the leaden casket.)
Fair Portia’s counterfeit![915]What demi-god
Hath come so near creation?
Here’s the scroll,
The continent and summary of my fortune.
[916]You that choose not by the view,
Chance as fair, and choose as true!
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content and seek no new.
If you be well pleas’d with this,
And hold your fortune for your bliss,
Turn you where your lady is,
And claim her with a loving kiss.
A gentle scroll.[917]Fair lady, by your leave;
I come by note, to give and receive.
Yet as doubtful whether what I see be true,
Until confirm’d, sign’d, ratified by you.
Portia.—You see me,[918]Lord Bassanio, where I stand,Such as I am; though for myself aloneI would not be ambitious in my wish,To wish myself much better; yet for you[919]I would be trebled twenty times[920]myself,A thousand times[921]more fair, ten thousand times[922]more rich,That only to stand high in your account,I might in virtues,[923]beauties,[924]livings,[925]friends,[926]Exceed account; but the full sum of meIs sum of nothing,[927]which, to term in gross,Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractis’d:Happy in this,[928]she is not yet so oldBut she may learn; happier than[929]this,She is not bred so dull but she can learn;Happiest of all[930]is that her gentle spiritCommits itself to yours[931]to be directed,As from her lord, her governor, her king.Myself and what is mine[932]to you and yours[933]Is now converted; but now I was the lordOf this fair mansion,[934]master of my servants,Queen o’er myself; and even now, but now,This house, these servants, and this same myself[935]Are yours,[936]my lord. I give them with this ring;[937]Which when you part from, lose, or give away,Let it presage[938]the ruin of your love,And be my vantage to exclaim you.
Portia.—
You see me,[918]Lord Bassanio, where I stand,
Such as I am; though for myself alone
I would not be ambitious in my wish,
To wish myself much better; yet for you[919]
I would be trebled twenty times[920]myself,
A thousand times[921]more fair, ten thousand times[922]more rich,
That only to stand high in your account,
I might in virtues,[923]beauties,[924]livings,[925]friends,[926]
Exceed account; but the full sum of me
Is sum of nothing,[927]which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractis’d:
Happy in this,[928]she is not yet so old
But she may learn; happier than[929]this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn;
Happiest of all[930]is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours[931]to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself and what is mine[932]to you and yours[933]
Is now converted; but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion,[934]master of my servants,
Queen o’er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, these servants, and this same myself[935]
Are yours,[936]my lord. I give them with this ring;[937]
Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage[938]the ruin of your love,
And be my vantage to exclaim you.
Bassanio.—Madam, you have bereft me[939]of all words;Only my blood[940]speaks to you in my veins.But when this ring[941]Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence;O then be bold to say, Bassanio’s dead!
Bassanio.—
Madam, you have bereft me[939]of all words;
Only my blood[940]speaks to you in my veins.
But when this ring[941]
Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence;
O then be bold to say, Bassanio’s dead!
Gestures.