BASSANIO

Gratiano speaks and infinite deal of nothing more then any man in all Venice; his reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff: you shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the search. 'Tis not unknown to you Anthonio How much I have disabled mine estate, By something showing a more swelling port Then my faint means would grant continuance: Nor do I now make moan to be abridged From such a noble rate, but my chief care Is to come fairly of from the great debts wherein my time something too prodigal Hath left me gagd: to you Anthonio I owe the most in money and in love, And from your love I have a warranty To unburthen all my plots and purposes How to get clear of all the debts I owe. In my school days, when I had lost one shaft, I shot his fellow of the self same flight The self same way, with more advised watch To find the other forth, and by adventuring both, I oft found both: I urge this childhood proof Because what follows is pure innocence. I owe you much, and Like a wilful youth That which I owe is lost, but if you please To shoot another arrow that self way which you did shoot the first, I do not doubt, As I will watch the aim or to find both, Or bring your latter hazard bake again, And thankfully rest debtor for the first. In Belmont is a Lady richly left, And she is fair, and fairer then that word, Of wondrous virtues, sometime from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages: Her name is Portia, nothing vndervallewd To Catos daughter, Brutus Portia, Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, For the four winds blow in from every coast Renowned suitors, and her sunny locks Hang on her temples Like a golden fleece, which makes her seat of Belmont Cholchos strand, And many Jasons come in quest of her. Oh my Anthonio, had I but the means To hold a rival place with one of them, I have a mind presages me such thrift That I should questionless be fortunate. I sir, for three months. For the which as I told you, Anthonio shall be bound. May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer. Your answer to that. Have you herd any imputation to the contrary. If it please you to dine with us. This is signior Anthonio. Shyloch, do you hear. This were kindness. You shall not seal to such a bound for me, e rather dwell in my, necessity. You may do so, but let it be so hasted that supper be rea die at the farthest by five of the clock: see these Letters delivered, put the Lyueries to making, and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. Gramercy, wouldst thou ought with me. One speak for both, what would you? I know thee well, thou hast obtained thy suit, Shylocke thy Master spoke with me this day, And hath preferred thee, if it be preferment To leave a rich Jews service, to become The follower of so poor a Gentleman. Thou speakest it well; go Father with thy Son Take leave of thy old Master, and inquire My lodging out, give him a Lyuerie More guarded then his fellows: see it done. I pray thee good Leonardo think on this, These things being bought and orderly bestowed Return in hast, for I do feast to night My best esteemed acquaintance, High thee go. Gratiano. You have obtained it. Why then you must but hear thee Gratiano, Thou art to wild, to rude, and bold of voice, Parts that become thee happily enough, And in such eyes as ours appear not faults But where thou art not known; why there they show Something too liberal, pray thee take pain To allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit, least through thy wild behaviour I be misconstrued in the place I go to, And lose my Hope's. Well, we shall see your bearing. No that were pity, I would entreat you rather to put on Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends That purpose merriment: but far you well, I have some business. Let me choose, For as I am, I hue upon the rack. None but that ugly treason of mistrust, which makes me fear enjoying of my Love, There may as well be amity and life Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. Promise me life, and isle confess the truth. Confess and love had been the very sum of my confession: Oh happy torment, when my torturer does teach me answers for deliverance: But let me to my fortune and the caskets. So may the outward shows be least themselves, 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 damned error but some sober brow will bless it, and approve it with a text, Hiding the grossness with fair ornament: There is no voice so simple, but assumes Some mark of virtue on his outward parts; How many cowards whose hearts are all as false As stayers 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 valours excrement To render them redoubted. Look on beauty, And you shall see 'tis purchased by the weight, which therein works a miracle in nature, Making them lightest that wear most of it: So are those crisped snaky golden locks which makes such wanton gambols with the wind Upon supposed fairness, often known To be the dowry of a second head, The scull that bred them in the Sepulcher. Thus ornament is but the guiled shore To a most dangerous sea: the beauteous scarf vailing and Indian beauty; In a word, The seeming truth which cunning times put on To entrap the wisest. Therefore then thou Gam ̄ udy 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 led which rather threatenst then dost promise ought, thy paleness moves me more then eloquence, and here choose I, joy be the consequence. Madam, you have beteft 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 does appear among the buzzing pleased multitude. Where every something being blended together, turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy expressed, and not expressed: but when this ring parts from this finger, then parts life from hence, o then be bold to say Bassanios dead. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife. And do you Gratiano mean good faith? Our feast shall be much honoured in your marriage. Oh sweet Portia, here are a few of the unpleasantest words that ever blotted paper. Gentle Lady when I did first impart my love to you, I freely told you all the wealth I had ran in my veins, I was a gentleman, and then I told you true: and yet deer Lady rating my self at nothing, you shall see how much I was a Braggart, when I told you my state was nothing, I should then have told you that I was worse then nothing; for indeed I have engaged my self to a deer friend, engaged my friend to his mere enemy to feed my means. Here is a letter Lady, the paper as the body of my friend, and every word in it a gaping wound issuing life blood. But is it true Salerio hath all his ventures failed, what not one hit, from Tripolis, from Mexico and England, from Lisbon, Barbary, and India, and not one vessel escape the dreadful touch of Merchant-marring rocks? The dearest friend to me, the kindest man, the best conditioned and unwearied spirit in doing courtesies: and one in whom the ancient Roman honour more appears then any that draws breath in Italy. For me three thousand ducats. Since I have your good leave to go away, I will make hast; but till I come again, no bed shall ere be guilty of my stay, nor rest be interposer betwixt us twain. This is no answer thou unfeeling man, to excuse the currant of thy cruelty? Do all men kill the things they do not love? Every offence is not a hate at first? For thy three thousand ducats here is six? Good cheer Anthonio? what man, courage yet: The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all, ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood? Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? Yes, here I tender it for him in the Court, yea, twice the sum, if that will not suffice, I will be bound to pay it ten times over on forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart, if this will not suffice, it must appear that malice bears down truth. And I beseech you wrest once the law to your authority, to do a great right, do a little wrong, and curb this cruel devil of his will. Anthonio, I am married to a wife which is as deer to me as life it self, but life it self, my wife, and all the world, are not with m steamed above thy life. I would lose all I sacrifice them all here to this devil, to deliver you. Here is the money. I have it ready for thee, here it is. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend have by your wisdom been this day aquitted of grievous penalties, in Jew whereof, three thousand ducats endue unto the Jew we freely cope your curtious pains withal. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further, take some remembrance of us as a tribute, not as fee: grant me two things I pray you, not to deny me, and to pardon me. This ring good sir, alas it is a trifle, I will not shame my self to give you this? There's more depends on this then on the value, the dearest ring in Venice will I give you, and find it out by proclamation, only for this I pray you pardon me? Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife, and when she put it on, she made me vow that I should neither fell, nor give, nor lose it. Go Gratiano, run and overtake him, give him the ring, and bring him if thou canst unto Anthonios house, away, make hast. Come, you and I will thither presently, and in the morning early will we both fly towards Belmont, come Anthonio. We should hold day with the Antipodes, if you would walk in absence of the sun. I thank you Madam, give welcome to my friend, this is the man, this is Anthonio, to whom I am so infinitely bound. Why I were best to cut my left hand off, and swear I lost the ring defending it. If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it: but you see my finger hath not the ring upon it, it is gone. Sweet Portia, if you did know to whom I gave the ring, if you did know for whom I gave the ring, and would conceive for what I gave the ring, and how unwillingly I left the ring, when nought would be accepted but the ring, you would abate the strength of your displeasure? No by my honour Madam, by my soul no woman had it, but a civil Doctor, which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, and begged the ring, the which I did deny him, and suffered him to go displeased away, even he that had held up the very life of my deer friend. What should I say sweet Lady, I was enforced to send it after him, I was beset with shame and courtesy, my honour would not let ingratitude so much besmere it: pardon me good Lady, for by these blessed candles of the night, had you been there, I think you would have begged the ring of me to give the worthy Doctor? Portia, forgive me this inforced wrong, and in the hearing of these many friends I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes wherein I see my self. Nay, but hear me. Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear I never more will break and oath with thee. By heaven it is the same I gave the Doctor. Were you the Doctor, and I knew you not? (Sweet Doctor) you shall be my bedfellow, when I am absent then lie with my wife. Be assured you may. What find I here? Fair Portia's counterfeit. What demy God hath come so near creation? move these eyes? Or whither riding on the balls of mine seem they in motion? Here are severed lips parted with sugar breath, so sweet a bar should sunder such sweet friends: here in her hairs the Painter plays the Spider, and hath woven a golden mesh tyntrap the hearts of men faster then gnats in cobwebs, but her eyes how could he see to do them? having made one, me thinks it should have power to steal both his and leave it self unfurnished: Yet look how far the substance of my praise does wrong this shadow in vnderprysing it, so far this shadow does limpe behind the substance. Heeres the scroule, the continent and summary of my fortune. 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 pleased with this, and hold your fortune for your bliss, Turn you where your Lady is, And claims her with a loving kiss. A gentle scroule: Fair Lady, by your leave, I come by note to give, and to receive, Like one of two contending in a prize That thinks he hath done well in peoples eyes: Hearing applause and universal shout, Giddy in spirit, still gazing in a doubt whither those peals of praise be his or no, So thrice fair Lady stand I even so, As doubtful whither what I see be true, Until confirmed, signed, ratified by you. I Like not fair terms, and a villains mind. 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. Ere I open his Letter I pray you tell me how my good friend does.