973Por. Goe, draw aside the curtaines, and discouer

974The seuerall Caskets to this noble Prince:

975Now make your choyse.

976Mor. The first of gold, who this inscription beares,

977Who chooseth me, shall gaine what men desire.

978The second siluer, which this promise carries,

979Who chooseth me, shall get as much as he deserues.

980This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,

981Who chooseth me, must giue and hazard all he hath.

982How shall I know if I doe choose the right?

983How shall I know if I doe choose the right.

984Por. The one of them containes my picture Prince,

985If you choose that, then I am yours withall.

986Mor. Some God direct my iudgement, let me see,

987I will suruay the inscriptions, backe againe:

988What saies this leaden casket?

989Who chooseth me, must giue and hazard all he hath.

990Must giue, for what? for lead, hazard for lead?

991This casket threatens men that hazard all

992Doe it in hope of faire aduantages:

993A golden minde stoopes not to showes of drosse,

994Ile then nor giue nor hazard ought for lead.

995What saies the Siluer with her virgin hue?

996Who chooseth me, shall get as much as he deserues.

997As much as he deserues; pause there Morocho,

998And weigh thy value with an euen hand,

999If thou beest rated by thy estimation

1000Thou doost deserue enough, and yet enough

1001May not extend so farre as to the Ladie:

1002And yet to be afeard of my deseruing,

1003Were but a weake disabling of my selfe.

1004As much as I deserue, why that's the Lady.

1005I doe in birth deserue her, and in fortunes,

1006In graces, and in qualities of breeding:

1007But more then these, in loue I doe deserue.

1008What if I strai'd no farther, but chose here?

1009Let's see once more this saying grau'd in gold.

1010Who chooseth me shall gaine what many men desire:

1011Why that's the Lady, all the world desires her:

1012From the foure corners of the earth they come

1013To kisse this shrine, this mortall breathing Saint.

1014The Hircanion deserts, and the vaste wildes

1015Of wide Arabia are as throughfares now

1016For Princes to come view faire Portia.

1017The waterie Kingdome, whose ambitious head

1018Spets in the face of heauen, is no barre

1019To stop the forraine spirits, but they come

1020As ore a brooke to see faire Portia.

1021One of these three containes her heauenly picture.

1022Is't like that Lead containes her? 'twere damnation

1023To thinke so base a thought, it were too grose

1024To rib her searecloath in the obscure graue:

1025Or shall I thinke in Siluer she's immur'd

1026Being ten times vndervalued to tride gold;

1027O sinfull thought, neuer so rich a Iem

1028Was set in worse then gold! They haue in England

1029A coyne that beares the figure of an Angell

1030Stampt in gold, but that's insculpt vpon:

1031But here an Angell in a golden bed

1032Lies all within. Deliuer me the key:

1033Here doe I choose, and thriue I as I may.

1034Por. There take it Prince, and if my forme lye there

1035Then I am yours.

1036Mor. O hell! what haue we here, a carrion death,

1037Within whose emptie eye there is a written scroule;

1038Ile reade the writing.

1039 All that glisters is not gold,

1040 Often haue you heard that told;

1041 Many a man his life hath sold

1042 But my outside to behold;

1043 Guilded timber doe wormes infold:

1044 Had you beene as wise as bold,

1045 Yong in limbs, in iudgement old,

1046 Your answere had not beene inscrold,

1047 Fareyouwell, your suite is cold,

1048Mor. Cold indeede, and labour lost,

1049Then farewell heate, and welcome frost:

1050Portia adew, I haue too grieu'd a heart

1051To take a tedious leaue: thus loosers part. Exit.

1052Por. A gentle riddance: draw the curtaines, go:

1053Let all of his complexion choose me so. Exeunt.