1493So thrice faire Lady stand I euen so,

1494As doubtfull whether what I see be true,

1495Vntill confirm'd, sign'd, ratified by you.

1496Por. You see my Lord Bassiano where I stand,

1497Such as I am; though for my selfe alone

1498I would not be ambitious in my wish,

1499To wish my selfe much better, yet for you,

1500I would be trebled twenty times my selfe,

1501A thousand times more faire, ten thousand times

1502More rich, that onely to stand high in your account,

1503I might in vertues, beauties, liuings, friends,

1504Exceed account: but the full summe of me

1505Is sum of nothing: which to terme in grosse,

1506Is an vnlessoned girle, vnschool'd, vnpractiz'd,

1507Happy in this, she is not yet so old

1508But she may learne: happier then this,

1509Shee is not bred so dull but she can learne;

1510Happiest of all, is that her gentle spirit

1511Commits it selfe to yours to be directed,

1512As from her Lord, her Gouernour, her King.

1513My selfe, and what is mine, to you and yours

1514Is now conuerted. But now I was the Lord

1515Of this faire mansion, master of my seruants,

1516Queene ore my selfe: and euen now, but now,

1517This house, these seruants, and this same my selfe

1518Are yours, my Lord, I giue them with this ring,

1519Which when you part from, loose, or giue away,

1520Let it presage the ruine of your loue,

1521And be my vantage to exclaime on you.

1522Bass. Maddam, you haue bereft me of all words,

1523Onely my bloud speakes to you in my vaines,

1524And there is such confusion in my powers,

1525As after some oration fairely spoke

1526By a beloued Prince, there doth appeare

1527Among the buzzing pleased multitude,

1528Where euery something being blent together,

1529Turnes to a wilde of nothing, saue of ioy

1530Exprest, and not exprest: but when this ring

1531Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence,

1532O then be bold to say Bassanio's dead.

1533Ner. My Lord and Lady, it is now our time

1534That haue stood by and seene our wishes prosper,

1535To cry good ioy, good ioy my Lord and Lady.

1536Gra. My Lord Bassanio, and my gentle Lady,

1537I wish you all the ioy that you can wish:

1538For I am sure you can wish none from me:

1539And when your Honours meane to solemnize

1540The bargaine of your faith: I doe beseech you

1541Euen at that time I may be married too.

1542Bass. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife.

1543Gra. I thanke your Lordship, you gaue got me one.

1544My eyes my Lord can looke as swift as yours:

1545You saw the mistres, I beheld the maid:

1546You lou'd, I lou'd for intermission,

1547No more pertaines to me my Lord then you;

1548Your fortune stood vpon the caskets there,

1549And so did mine too, as the matter falls:

1550For wooing heere vntill I swet againe,

1551And swearing till my very rough was dry

1552With oathes of loue, at last, if promise last,

1553I got a promise of this faire one heere

1554To haue her loue: prouided that your fortune

1555Atchieu'd her mistresse.

1556Por. Is this true Nerrissa?

1557Ner. Madam it is so, so you stand pleas'd withall.

1558Bass. And doe you Gratiano meane good faith?

1559Gra. Yes faith my Lord.

1560Bass. Our feast shall be much honored in your mar-

1561riage.

1562Gra. Weele play with them the first boy for a thou-

1563sand ducats.

1564Ner. What and stake downe?

1565Gra. No, we shal nere win at that sport, and stake

1566downe.

1567But who comes heere? Lorenzo and his Infidell?

1568What and my old Venetian friend Salerio?

1570Bas. Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome hether,

1571If that the youth of my new interest heere

1572Haue power to bid you welcome: by your leaue

1573I bid my verie friends and Countrimen

1574Sweet Portia welcome.

1575Por. So do I my Lord, they are intirely welcome.

1576Lor. I thanke your honor; for my part my Lord,

1577My purpose was not to haue seene you heere,

1578But meeting with Salerio by the way,

1579He did intreate mee past all saying nay

1580To come with him along.

1581Sal. I did my Lord,

1582And I haue reason for it, Signior Anthonio

1583Commends him to you.

1584Bass. Ere I ope his Letter

1585I pray you tell me how my good friend doth.

1586Sal. Not sicke my Lord, vnlesse it be in minde,

1587Nor wel, vnlesse in minde: his Letter there

1588Wil shew you his estate.

1590Gra. Nerrissa, cheere yond stranger, bid her welcom.

1591Your hand Salerio, what's the newes from Venice?

1592How doth that royal Merchant good Anthonio;

1593I know he vvil be glad of our successe,

1594We are the Iasons, we haue won the fleece.

1595Sal. I would you had won the fleece that hee hath

1596lost.

1597Por. There are some shrewd contents in yond same

1598Paper,

1599That steales the colour from Bassianos cheeke,

1600Some deere friend dead, else nothing in the world

1601Could turne so much the constitution

1602Of any constant man. What, worse and worse?

1603With leaue Bassanio I am halfe your selfe,

1604And I must freely haue the halfe of any thing

1605That this same paper brings you.

1606Bass. O sweet Portia,

1607Heere are a few of the vnpleasant'st words

1608That euer blotted paper. Gentle Ladie

1609When I did first impart my loue to you,

1610I freely told you all the wealth I had

1611Ran in my vaines: I was a Gentleman,

1612And then I told you true: and yet deere Ladie,

1613Rating my selfe at nothing, you shall see

1614How much I was a Braggart, when I told you

1615My state was nothing, I should then haue told you

1616That I vvas worse then nothing: for indeede

1617I haue ingag'd my selfe to a deere friend,

1618Ingag'd my friend to his meere enemie

1619To feede my meanes. Heere is a Letter Ladie,

1620The paper as the bodie of my friend,

1621And euerie word in it a gaping wound

1622Issuing life blood. But is it true Salerio,