196Portia. By my troth Nerrissa, my little body is a wea-

197rie of this great world.

198Ner. You would be sweet Madam, if your miseries

199were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are:

200and yet for ought I see, they are as sicke that surfet with

201too much, as they that starue with nothing; it is no smal

202happinesse therefore to bee seated in the meane, super-

203fluitie comes sooner by white haires, but competencie

204liues longer.

205Portia. Good sentences, and well pronounc'd.

206Ner. They would be better if well followed.

207Portia. If to doe were as easie as to know what were

208good to doe, Chappels had beene Churches, and poore

209mens cottages Princes Pallaces: it is a good Diuine that

210followes his owne instructions; I can easier teach twen-

211tie what were good to be done, then be one of the twen-

212tie to follow mine owne teaching: the braine may de-

213uise lawes for the blood, but a hot temper leapes ore a

214colde decree, such a hare is madnesse the youth, to skip

215ore the meshes of good counsaile the cripple; but this

216reason is not in fashion to choose me a husband: O mee,

217the word choose, I may neither choose whom I would,

218nor refuse whom I dislike, so is the wil of a liuing daugh-

219ter curb'd by the will of a dead father: it is not hard Ner-

220rissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none.

221Ner. Your father was euer vertuous, and holy men

222at their death haue good inspirations, therefore the lot-

223terie that hee hath deuised in these three chests of gold,

224siluer, and leade, whereof who chooses his meaning,

225chooses you, wil no doubt neuer be chosen by any right-

226ly, but one who you shall rightly loue: but what warmth

227is there in your affection towards any of these Princely

228suters that are already come?

229Por. I pray thee ouer-name them, and as thou namest

230them, I will describe them, and according to my descrip-

231tion leuell at my affection.

232Ner. First there is the Neopolitane Prince.

233Por. I that's a colt indeede, for he doth nothing but

234talke of his horse, and hee makes it a great appropria-

235tion to his owne good parts that he can shoo him him-

236selfe: I am much afraid my Ladie his mother plaid false

237with a Smyth.

238Ner. Than is there the Countie Palentine.

239Por. He doth nothing but frowne (as who should

240say, and you will not haue me, choose: he heares merrie

241tales and smiles not, I feare hee will proue the weeping

242Phylosopher when he growes old, being so full of vn-

243mannerly sadnesse in his youth.) I had rather to be marri-

244ed to a deaths head with a bone in his mouth, then to ei-

245ther of these: God defend me from these two.

246Ner. How say you by the French Lord, Mounsier

247Le Boune?

248Pro. God made him, and therefore let him passe for a

249man, in truth I know it is a sinne to be a mocker, but he,

250why he hath a horse better then the Neopolitans, a bet-

251ter bad habite of frowning then the Count Palentine, he

252is euery man in no man, if a Trassell sing, he fals straight

253a capring, he will fence with his own shadow. If I should

254marry him, I should marry twentie husbands: if hee

255would despise me, I would forgiue him, for if he loue me

256to madnesse, I should neuer requite him.

257Ner. What say you then to Fauconbridge, the yong

258Baron of England?

259Por. You know I say nothing to him, for hee vnder-

260stands not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latine, French,

261nor Italian, and you will come into the Court & sweare

262that I haue a poore pennie-worth in the English: hee is a

263proper mans picture, but alas who can conuerse with a

264dumbe show? how odly he is suited, I thinke he bought

265his doublet in Italie, his round hose in France, his bonnet

266in Germanie, and his behauiour euery where.

267Ner. What thinke you of the other Lord his neigh-

268bour?

269Por. That he hath a neighbourly charitie in him, for

270he borrowed a boxe of the eare of the Englishman, and

271swore he would pay him againe when hee was able: I

272thinke the Frenchman became his suretie, and seald vnder

273for another.

274Ner. How like you the yong Germaine, the Duke of

275Saxonies Nephew?

276Por. Very vildely in the morning when hee is sober,

277and most vildely in the afternoone when hee is drunke:

278when he is best, he is a little worse then a man, and when

279he is worst, he is little better then a beast: and the worst

280fall that euer fell, I hope I shall make shift to goe with-

281out him.

282Ner. If he should offer to choose, and choose the right

283Casket, you should refuse to performe your Fathers will,

284if you should refuse to accept him.

285Por. Therefore for feare of the worst, I pray thee set

286a deepe glasse of Reinish-wine on the contrary Casket,

287for if the diuell be within, and that temptation without,

288I know he will choose it. I will doe any thing Nerrissa

289ere I will be married to a spunge.

290Ner. You neede not feare Lady the hauing any of

291these Lords, they haue acquainted me with their deter-

292minations, which is indeede to returne to their home,

293and to trouble you with no more suite, vnlesse you may

294be won by some other sort then your Fathers impositi-

295on, depending on the Caskets.

296Por. If I liue to be as olde as Sibilla, I will dye as

297chaste as Diana: vnlesse I be obtained by the manner

298of my Fathers will: I am glad this parcell of wooers

299are so reasonable, for there is not one among them but

300I doate on his verie absence: and I wish them a faire de-

301parture.

302Ner. Doe you not remember Ladie in your Fa-

303thers time, a Venecian, a Scholler and a Souldior that

304came hither in companie of the Marquesse of Mount-

305ferrat?

306Por. Yes, yes, it was Bassanio, as I thinke, so was hee

307call'd.

308Ner. True Madam, hee of all the men that euer my

309foolish eyes look'd vpon, was the best deseruing a faire

310Lady.

311Por. I remember him well, and I remember him wor-

312thy of thy praise.

314Ser. The foure Strangers seeke you Madam to take

315their leaue: and there is a fore-runner come from a fift,

316the Prince of Moroco, who brings word the Prince his

317Maister will be here to night.

318Por. If I could bid the fift welcome with so good

319heart as I can bid the other foure farewell, I should be

320glad of his approach: if he haue the condition of a Saint,

321and the complexion of a diuell, I had rather hee should

322shriue me then wiue me. Come Nerrissa, sirra go before;

323whiles wee shut the gate vpon one wooer, another

324knocks at the doore. Exeunt.