1366Bass. Let me choose,

1367For as I am, I liue vpon the racke.

1368Por. Vpon the racke Bassanio, then confesse

1369What treason there is mingled with your loue.

1370Bass. None but that vglie treason of mistrust.

1371Which makes me feare the enioying of my loue:

1372There may as well be amitie and life,

1373'Tweene snow and fire, as treason and my loue.

1374Por. I, but I feare you speake vpon the racke,

1375Where men enforced doth speake any thing.

1376Bass. Promise me life, and ile confesse the truth.

1377Por. Well then, confesse and liue.

1378Bass. Confesse and loue

1379Had beene the verie sum of my confession:

1380O happie torment, when my torturer

1381Doth teach me answers for deliuerance:

1382But let me to my fortune and the caskets.

1383Por. Away then, I am lockt in one of them,

1384If you doe loue me, you will finde me out.

1385Nerryssa and the rest, stand all aloofe,

1386Let musicke sound while he doth make his choise,

1387Then if he loose he makes a Swan-like end,

1388Fading in musique. That the comparison

1389May stand more proper, my eye shall be the streame

1390And watrie death-bed for him: he may win,

1391And what is musique than? Than musique is

1392Euen as the flourish, when true subiects bowe

1393To a new crowned Monarch: Such it is,

1394As are those dulcet sounds in breake of day,

1395That creepe into the dreaming bride-groomes eare,

1396And summon him to marriage. Now he goes

1397With no lesse presence, but with much more loue

1398Then yong Alcides, when he did redeeme

1399The virgine tribute, paied by howling Troy

1400To the Sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice,

1401The rest aloofe are the Dardanian wiues:

1402With bleared visages come forth to view

1403The issue of th' exploit: Goe Hercules,

1404Liue thou, I liue with much more dismay

1405I view the sight, then thou that mak'st the fray.

1409 Tell me where is fancie bred,

1410 Or in the heart, or in the head:

1411 How begot, how nourished. Replie, replie.

1412 It is engendred in the eyes,

1413 With gazing fed, and Fancie dies,

1414 In the cradle where it lies:

1415 Let vs all ring Fancies knell.

1416Ile begin it.

1417 Ding, dong, bell.

1419Bass. So may the outward showes be least themselues

1420The world is still deceiu'd with ornament.

1421In Law, what Plea so tanted and corrupt,

1422But being season'd with a gracious voice,

1423Obscures the show of euill? In Religion,

1424What damned error, but some sober brow

1425Will blesse it, and approue it with a text,

1426Hiding the grosenesse with faire ornament:

1427There is no voice so simple, but assumes

1428Some marke of vertue on his outward parts;

1429How manie cowards, whose hearts are all as false

1430As stayers of sand, weare yet vpon their chins

1431The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars,

1432Who inward searcht, haue lyuers white as milke,

1433And these assume but valors excrement,

1434To render them redoubted. Looke on beautie,

1435And you shall see 'tis purchast by the weight,

1436Which therein workes a miracle in nature,

1437Making them lightest that weare most of it:

1438So are those crisped snakie golden locks

1439Which makes such wanton gambols with the winde

1440Vpon supposed fairenesse, often knowne

1441To be the dowrie of a second head,

1442The scull that bred them in the Sepulcher.

1443Thus ornament is but the guiled shore

1444To a most dangerous sea: the beautious scarfe

1445Vailing an Indian beautie; In a word,

1446The seeming truth which cunning times put on

1447To intrap the wisest. Therefore then thou gaudie gold,

1448Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee,

1449Nor none of thee thou pale and common drudge

1450'Tweene man and man: but thou, thou meager lead

1451Which rather threatnest then dost promise ought,

1452Thy palenesse moues me more then eloquence,

1453And here choose I, ioy be the consequence.

1454Por. How all the other passions fleet to ayre,

1455As doubtfull thoughts, and rash imbrac'd despaire:

1456And shuddring feare, and greene-eyed iealousie.

1457O loue be moderate, allay thy extasie,

1458In measure raine thy ioy, scant this excesse,

1459I feele too much thy blessing, make it lesse,

1460For feare I surfeit.

1461Bas. What finde I here?

1462Faire Portias counterfeit. What demie God

1463Hath come so neere creation? moue these eies?

1464Or whether riding on the bals of mine

1465Seeme they in motion? Here are seuer'd lips

1466Parted with suger breath, so sweet a barre

1467Should sunder such sweet friends: here in her haires

1468The Painter plaies the Spider, and hath wouen

1469A golden mesh t'intrap the hearts of men

1470Faster then gnats in cobwebs: but her eies,

1471How could he see to doe them? hauing made one,

1472Me thinkes it should haue power to steale both his

1473And leaue it selfe vnfurnisht: Yet looke how farre

1474The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow

1475In vnderprising it, so farre this shadow

1476Doth limpe behinde the substance. Here's the scroule,

1477The continent, and summarie of my fortune.

1478 You that choose not by the view

1479 Chance as faire, and choose as true:

1480 Since this fortune fals to you,

1481 Be content, and seeke no new.

1482 If you be well pleasd with this,

1483 And hold your fortune for your blisse,

1484 Turne you where your Lady is,

1485 And claime her with a louing kisse.

1486Bass. A gentle scroule: Faire Lady, by your leaue,

1487I come by note to giue, and to receiue,

1488Like one of two contending in a prize

1489That thinks he hath done well in peoples eies:

1490Hearing applause and vniuersall shout,

1491Giddie in spirit, still gazing in a doubt

1492Whether those peales of praise be his or no.