O my Antonio,I do know of these That therefore only are reputed wise For saying nothing;when,I am very sure, If they should speak,would almost damn those ears, Which,hearing them,would call their brothers fools. I'll tell thee more of this another time: But fish not,with this melancholy bait, For this fool gudgeon,this opinion. Come,good Lorenzo.Fare ye well awhile: I'll end my exhortation after dinner. LORENZO Well,we will leave you then till dinner-time: I must be one of these same dumb wise men, For Gratiano never lets me speak. GRATIANO Well,keep me company but two years moe, Thou shalt not know the sound of thine own tongue. ANTONIO Farewell:I'll grow a talker for this gear. GRATIANO Thanks,i'faith,for silence is only commendable In a neat's tongue dried and a maid not vendible. Exeunt GRATIANO and LORENZO ANTONIO Is that any thing now? BASSANIO Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing,more than 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. ANTONIO Well,tell me now what lady is the same To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage, That you to-day promised to tell me of?
O my Antonio, I do know of these That therefore only are reputed wise For saying nothing; when, I am very sure, If they should speak, would almost damn those ears, Which, hearing them, would call their brothers fools. I'll tell thee more of this another time: But fish not, with this melancholy bait, For this fool gudgeon, this opinion. Come, good Lorenzo. Fare ye well awhile: I'll end my exhortation after dinner. LORENZO Well, we will leave you then till dinner-time: I must be one of these same dumb wise men, For Gratiano never lets me speak. GRATIANO Well, keep me company but two years moe, Thou shalt not know the sound of thine own tongue. ANTONIO Farewell: I'll grow a talker for this gear. GRATIANO Thanks, i' faith, for silence is only commendable In a neat's tongue dried and a maid not vendible. Exeunt GRATIANO and LORENZO ANTONIO Is that any thing now? BASSANIO Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than 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. ANTONIO Well, tell me now what lady is the same To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage, That you to-day promised to tell me of?
BASSANIO 'Tis not unknown to you,Antonio, How much I have disabled mine estate, By something showing a more swelling port Than 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 off from the great debts Wherein my time something too prodigal Hath left me gaged.To you,Antonio, I owe the most,in money and in love, And from your love I have a warranty To unburden all my plots and purposes How to get clear of all the debts I owe. ANTONIO I pray you,good Bassanio,let me know it; And if it stand,as you yourself still do, Within the eye of honour,be assured, My purse,my person,my extremest means, Lie all unlock'd to your occasions. BASSANIO 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 back again And thankfully rest debtor for the first. ANTONIO You know me well,and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance; And out of doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Than if you had made waste of all I have: Then do but say to me what I should do
BASSANIO 'Tis not unknown to you, Antonio, How much I have disabled mine estate, By something showing a more swelling port Than 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 off from the great debts Wherein my time something too prodigal Hath left me gaged. To you, Antonio, I owe the most, in money and in love, And from your love I have a warranty To unburden all my plots and purposes How to get clear of all the debts I owe. ANTONIO I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it; And if it stand, as you yourself still do, Within the eye of honour, be assured, My purse, my person, my extremest means, Lie all unlock'd to your occasions. BASSANIO 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 back again And thankfully rest debtor for the first. ANTONIO You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance; And out of doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Than if you had made waste of all I have: Then do but say to me what I should do
That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am prest unto it:therefore,speak. BASSANIO In Belmont is a lady richly left; And she is fair,and,fairer than that word. Of wondrous virtues:sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages: Her name is Portia,nothing undervalued To Cato's 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 Colchos'strand, And many Jasons come in quest of her. O my Antonio,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! ANTONIO Thou know'st that all my fortunes are at sea; Neither have I money nor commodity To raise a present sum:therefore go forth; Try what my credit can in Venice do: That shall be rack'd,even to the uttermost, To furnish thee to Belmont,to fair Portia. Go,presently inquire,and so will I, Where money is,and I no question make To have it of my trust or for my sake. Exeunt SCENE II:Belmont.A room in PORTIA'S house. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA PORTIA By my troth,Nerissa,my little body is aweary of this great world. NERISSA You would be,sweet madam,if your miseries were in
That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am prest unto it: therefore, speak. BASSANIO In Belmont is a lady richly left; And she is fair, and, fairer than that word, Of wondrous virtues: sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages: Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued To Cato's 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 Colchos' strand, And many Jasons come in quest of her. O my Antonio, 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! ANTONIO Thou know'st that all my fortunes are at sea; Neither have I money nor commodity To raise a present sum: therefore go forth; Try what my credit can in Venice do: That shall be rack'd, even to the uttermost, To furnish thee to Belmont, to fair Portia. Go, presently inquire, and so will I, Where money is, and I no question make To have it of my trust or for my sake. Exeunt SCENE II: Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA PORTIA By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great world. NERISSA You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in
the same abundance as your good fortunes are:and yet,for aught I see,they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing.It is no mean happiness therefore,to be seated in the mean:superfluity comes sooner by white hairs,but competency lives longer. PORTIA Good sentences and well pronounced. NERISSA They would be better,if well followed. PORTIA If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do,chapels had been churches and poor men's cottages princes'palaces.It is a good divine that follows his own instructions:I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done,than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching.The brain may devise laws for the blood,but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree:such a hare is madness the youth,to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel the cripple.But this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me a husband.O me,the word 'choose!'I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I dislike;so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father.Is it not hard, Nerissa,that I cannot choose one nor refuse none? NERISSA Your father was ever virtuous;and holy men at their death have good inspirations:therefore the lottery, that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver and lead,whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you,will,no doubt,never be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love.But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these princely suitors that are already come? PORTIA I pray thee,over-name them;and as thou namest them,I will describe them;and,according to my description,level at my affection
the same abundance as your good fortunes are: and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing. It is no mean happiness therefore, to be seated in the mean: superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. PORTIA Good sentences and well pronounced. NERISSA They would be better, if well followed. PORTIA If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches and poor men's cottages princes' palaces. It is a good divine that follows his own instructions: I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the youth, to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel the cripple. But this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me a husband. O me, the word 'choose!' I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none? NERISSA Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery, that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these princely suitors that are already come? PORTIA I pray thee, over-name them; and as thou namest them, I will describe them; and, according to my description, level at my affection
NERISSA First,there is the Neapolitan prince. PORTIA Ay,that's a colt indeed,for he doth nothing but talk of his horse;and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts,that he can shoe him himself.I am much afeard my lady his mother played false with a smith. NERISSA Then there is the County Palatine. PORTIA He doth nothing but frown,as who should say 'If you will not have me,choose:he hears merry tales and smiles not:I fear he will prove the weeping philosopher when he grows old,being so full of unmannerly sadness in his youth.I had rather be married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth than to either of these.God defend me from these two! NERISSA How say you by the French lord,Monsieur Le Bon? PORTIA God made him,and therefore let him pass for a man. In truth,I know it is a sin to be a mocker:but, he!why,he hath a horse better than the Neapolitan's,a better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine;he is every man in no man;if a throstle sing,he falls straight a capering:he will fence with his own shadow:if I should marry him,I should marry twenty husbands.If he would despise me I would forgive him,for if he love me to madness,I shall never requite him. NERISSA What say you,then,to Falconbridge,the young baron of England? PORTIA
NERISSA First, there is the Neapolitan prince. PORTIA Ay, that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse; and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts, that he can shoe him himself. I am much afeard my lady his mother played false with a smith. NERISSA Then there is the County Palatine. PORTIA He doth nothing but frown, as who should say 'If you will not have me, choose:' he hears merry tales and smiles not: I fear he will prove the weeping philosopher when he grows old, being so full of unmannerly sadness in his youth. I had rather be married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth than to either of these. God defend me from these two! NERISSA How say you by the French lord, Monsieur Le Bon? PORTIA God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man. In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker: but, he! why, he hath a horse better than the Neapolitan's, a better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine; he is every man in no man; if a throstle sing, he falls straight a capering: he will fence with his own shadow: if I should marry him, I should marry twenty husbands. If he would despise me I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite him. NERISSA What say you, then, to Falconbridge, the young baron of England? PORTIA