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;-Fair lady, by your leave;

[Kissing her.

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 applause, and universal shout,
Giddy in spirit, still gazing, in a doubt
Whether those peals of praise be his or no ;
So, thrice fair lady, stand I, even so;

5

As doubtful whether what I see be true,
Until confirm'd, sign'd, ratified by you.

POR. You see me *, 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,

4

* So quartos; first folio, my.

this shadow

Doth LIMP BEHIND the substance.] So, in The Tempest: "she will outstrip all praise,

"And make it halt behind her."

STEEVENS.

PEALS of praise-] The second quarto [Roberts's] reads -pearles of praise. JOHNSON.

This reading may be the true one.

of Virtue, 1576:

So, in Whetstone's Arbour

"The pearles of praise that deck a noble name." Again, in R. C.'s verses in praise of the same author's Rock of Regard :

"But that that bears the pearle of praise away."

STEEVENS.

I would be trebled twenty times myself;

A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times
More rich;

That only to stand high on your account,

I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account: but the full sum of me

Is sum of something"; which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractis'd:
Happy in this, she is not yet so old

But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn ;
Happiest of all, is, that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself, and what is mine, to you, and yours
Is now converted: but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants,
Queen o'er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, these servants, and this same myself,
Are yours, my lord; I give them with this ring;
Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love,
And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

6 Is Sum of something;] We should read-some of something, i. e. only a piece, or part only of an imperfect account; which she explains in the following line. WARBURTON.

Thus one of the quartos, [ quarto, R.] The folio reads:

"Is sum of nothing.".

The purport of the reading in the text seems to be this :

--the full sum of me

"Is sum of something; "i. e. is not entirely ideal, but amounts to as much as can be found in-an unlesson'd girl, &c. STEEVENS.

I should prefer the reading of the folio, as it is Portia's intention, in this speech, to undervalue herself. M. MASON.

7 But she may LEARN ;] The latter word is here used as a dissyllable. MALONE.

Till the reader has reconciled his ear to this dissyllabical pronunciation of the word learn, I beg his acceptance of-and, a harmless monosyllable which I have ventured to introduce for the sake of obvious metre. STEEVENS.

BASS. Madam, you have bereft me of all words, Only my blood speaks to you in my veins : And there is such confusion in my powers, As, after some oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appear Among the buzzing pleased multitude; Where every something, being blent together, Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy, Express'd, and not express'd: But when this ring Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence; O, then be bold to say, Bassanio's dead.

NER. My lord and lady, it is now our time, That have stood by, and seen our wishes prosper, To cry, good joy; Good joy, my lord, and lady! GRA. My lord Bassanio, and my gentle lady, I wish you all the joy that you can wish; For, I am sure, you can wish none from me': And, when your honours mean to solemnize The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, Even at that time I may be married too.

BASS. With all my heart, so thou can'st get a wife.

GRA. I thank your lordship; you have got me

one.

My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours:
You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You lov'd, I lov'd; for intermission'
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune stood upon the caskets there;
And so did mine too, as the matter falls:
For wooing here, until I sweat again;

8

9

- being BLENT together,] i. e. blended. STEEVENS. you can wish none from me:] That is, none away from me; none that I shall lose, if you gain it. JOHNSON.

I

for INTERMISSION] Intermission is pause, intervening time, delay. So, in Macbeth:

66

gentle heaven

"Cut short all intermission!" STEEVENS.

And swearing, till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love: at last,-if promise last,-
I got a promise of this fair one here,

To have her love, provided that your fortune
Achiev'd her mistress.

POR.

Is this true, Nerissa?

NER. Madam, it is, so you stand pleas'd withal. BASS. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith? GRA. Yes, 'faith, my lord.

BASS. Our feast shall 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 shall ne'er win at that sport, and stake down.

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

Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, and SALERIO.

BASS. Lorenzo, and Salerio, 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.

They are entirely welcome.

So do I, my lord;

LOR. I thank your honour:-For my part, my

lord,

My purpose was not to have seen you here;

But meeting with Salerio by the way,

He did entreat me, past all saying nay,

To come with him along.

SALE.

And I have reason for it.
Commends him to you.
BASS.

I did, my lord,
Signior Antonio
[Gives BASSANIO a letter.
Ere I ope his letter,

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

GRA. Nerissa, cheer yon' stranger; bid her wel

come.

Your hand, Salerio; What's the news from Venice?
How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio ?
I know, he will be glad of our success;

We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece 2.
SALE. 'Would you had won the fleece that he
hath lost!

POR. There are some shrewd contents in yon' same paper,

That steal the colour from Bassanio's cheek: Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world Could turn so much the constitution

Of any constant man. What, worse and worse?—
With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,

And I must freely have the half of any thing
That this same paper brings you.

O sweet Portia,

BASS.
Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words
That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady,
When I did first impart my love to you,

2 We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.] So, in Abraham Fleming's Rythme Decasyllabicall, upon this last luckie Voyage of worthie Čapteine Frobisher, 1577:

"The golden fleece (like Jason) hath he got,

"And rich'd return'd, saunce losse or luckless lot."

Again, in the old play of King Leir, 1605:

I will returne seyz'd of as rich a prize

"As Jason, when he wanne the golden fleece."

It appears, from the registers of the Stationer's Company, that we seem to have had a version of Valerius Flaccus in 1565. In this year (whether in verse or prose is unknown,) was entered to J. Purfoote: "The story of Jason, howe he gotte the golden flece, and howe he did begyle Media [Medea,] out of Laten into Englishe, by Nycholas Whyte." STEEVENS.