Live thou, I live; with much, much more dismay
I view the fight, than thou, that mak'st the fray.

[Mufick within.

A Song, whilft Bassanio comments on the caskets to

bimself.

Tell me, where is fancy bred,
Or in the heart, or in the head ?
How begot, how nourished ?
Reply, reply.

It is engender'd in the eye,
With gazing fed, and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lyes :
Let us all ring fancy's knell.
I'll begin it.
Ding, dong, bell.

All, Ding, dong, bell.

Bas. 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 the show of evil? in religion, What damned error, but some sober brow Will bless it, and approve it with a text, Hiding the grofsness with fair ornament ? There is no vice so simple, but assumes Some mark of virtue on its outward parts. How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false As ftairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars; Who, inward searcht, have livers white as milk? And these assume but valour's excrement, To render them redoubted. Look on beauty, And you shall see 'tis purchas'd by the weight, Which therein works a miracle in nature, Making them lightest, that wear most of it. So are those crispy snaky golden locks,

To be the dowry of a second head,
The skull, that bred them, in the sepulcher.
Thus Ornament is but the guiled shore
To a most dang'rous sea; the beauteous scarf
Veiling an Indian beauty; in a word,
The feeming truth which cunning times put on.
T' entrap the wisest. Then, thou gaudy gold,
Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee :
Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge
'Tween man and man: but thou, thou meager lead,
Which rather threatnest, than dost promise aught, (11),
Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence;
And here chuse I; joy be the consequence!

Por. How all the other passions fleet to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac'd despair,
And shudd'ring fear, and green-ey'd jealoufie.
O love, be moderate, allay thy ecstasie;
In measure rain thy joy, scant this excess,
I feel too much thy bleffing, make it less,
For fear I furfeit.

Baff. What find I here?

[Opening the leaden.caskets

Fair Portia's counterfeit? what Demy-god
Hath come so near creation? move these eyes?
Or whether, riding on the balls of mine,
Seem they in motion? here are sever'd lips
Parted with fugar breath; so sweet a bar
Should funder fuch sweet friends: here in her hairs
The painter plays the spider, and hath woven
A golden mesh t' intrap the hearts of men,

(11) Thy Paleness moves me more than Eloquence ;] Bassanio is displeas'd at the golden Casket for its Gawdiness, and the Silver one for its Paleness; but, What! is he charm'd with the Leaden one for having the very fame Quality that dif-pleas'd him in the Silver? The Poet never intended such an absurd Reasoning. He certainly wrote,

Thy Plainness moves me more than Eloquence; This charac-terizes the Lead from the Silver, which Paleness does not, they being both pale. Besides, there is a Beauty in the Antithefis between Plainness and Eloquence; between Paleness and Eloquence none.

Mr. Warburton.
Fafter

Faster than gnats in cobwebs: but her eyes,
How could he see to do them? having made one,
Methinks, it should have pow'r to steal both his,
And leave it self unfinish'd: yet how far
The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow
In underprizing it; so far this shadow
Doth limp behind the Substance. Here's the scrowl,
The continent and fummary of my fortune.

no

new.

You that chuse not by the view,
Chance as fair, and chuse as true :
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content, and feek
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 scrowl; fair lady, by your leave;

[Kiffing 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 applaufe and universal shout,
Giddy in spirit, gazing still in doubt,
Whether those peals of praise be his or no;
So (thrice-fair lady) stand I, even fo,
As doubtful whether what I see be true,
Until confirm'd, sign'd, ratify'd by you.

Por. You see me, lord Bassanio, where I stand,
Such as I am; tho' for my self alone,
I would not be ambitious in my Wish,
To wish my felf much better; yet for you,
I would be trebled twenty times my self,
A thousand times more fair; ten thousand times
More rich; that, to stand high in your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,

Exceed account but the full fum of me

The Merchant of VENICE.

fo old

y in this, she is not yet
he may learn; more happy then in this,
not bred so dull but she can learn ;
ieft of all, is, that her gentle spirit
nits it felf to yours to be directed,
om her lord, her governor, her King:
elf, and what is mine, to you and yours
w converted. But now I was the Lord
mis fair mansion, master of my servants,
en o'er my self; and even now, but now,
house, these servants, and this fame my felf
yours, my lord: I give them with this ring,
ch, when you part from, lose or give away,
it presage the ruin of your love,

133

be my vantage to exclaim on you. aff. Madam, you have bereft me of all words.. y my blood speaks to you in my veins; there is such Confufion in my pow'rs, after some oration fairly spoke a beloved Prince, there doth appear ong the buzzing pleased multitude; Lere every something, being blent together, ens to a wild of nothing, save of joy prest, and not exprest. But when this ring ts from this finger, then parts life from hence; then be bold to say, Baffanio's dead. Ver. My lord and lady, it is now our time, at have stood by, and seen our wishes profper, cry, good joy, good joy, my lord and lady! Gra. My lord Bassanio, and my gentle lady, ish you all the joy that you can wish; , I am fure, you can wish none from me: d when your honours mean to folemnize Le bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, 'n at that time I may be married too. Baff. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife. Gra. I thank your lordship, you have got me one.

y eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours; Du saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;

You

You lov'd; I lov'd: for intermission (12)
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune stood upon the casket there;
And so did mine too, as the matter falls:
For wooing here until I sweat again,
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
Atchiev'd her mistress.

Por. Is this true, Neriffa?

Ner. Madam, it is, so you stand pleas'd withal.
Baff. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, faith, my lord.

Baf. Our Feaft shall be much honour'd in your mar

riage.

Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy for a thoufand 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, Salanio?

Enter Lorenzo, Jessica, and Salanio.

Baff. Lorenzo and Salanio, welcome hither; If that the youth of my new Intereft here Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave,

(12) You lov'd; I lov'd for Intermiffion.] Thus this Passage has been nonfenfically pointed thro' all the Editions. If loving for Intermiffion can be expounded into any Sense, I confefs, I as yet am ignorant, and shall be glad to be instructed in ir. But till then I must beg leave to think, the Sentence ought to be thus regulated;

You lov'd, I lov'd; - For Intermiffion
No more pertains to me, my Lord, than You.

i. e. standing idle; a Pause or Discontinuance of Action. And