the Merchant of Venice.
10941090Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
10951091Euen in the force and rode of ca
sualty.
10961092I will not choo
se what many men de
sire,
10971093Becau
se I will not iumpe with common
spirits,
10981094And ranke me with the barbarous multitudes.
10991095Why then to thee thou
siluer trea
sure hou
se,
11001096Tell me once more what title thou doo
st beare;
11011097Who choo
seth me
shall get as much as he de
serues,
11021098And well
sayde to; for who
shall goe about
11031099To co
sen Fortune, and be honourable
11041100without the
stampe of merrit, let none pre
sume
11061102O that e
states, degrees, and o
ffices,
11071103were not deriu'd corruptly, and that cleare honour
11081104were purcha
st by the merrit of the wearer,
11091105How many then
should couer that
stand bare?
11101106How many be commaunded that commaund?
11111107How much low pea
santry would then be gleaned
11121108From the true
seede of honour? and how much honour
11131109Pickt from the chaft and ruin of the times,
11141110To be new varni
st; well but to my choi
se.
11151111Who choo
seth me
shall get as much as he de
serues,
11161112I will a
ssume de
sert; giue me a key for this,
11171113And in
stantly vnlocke my fortunes heere.
11181114Portia. Too long a pau
se for that which you
finde there.
11191115Arrag. What's heere, the pourtrait of a blinking idiot
11201116Pre
senting me a
shedule, I will reade it:
11211117How much vnlike art thou to
Portia?
11221118How much vnlike my hopes and my de
seruings.
11231119Who choo
seth me,
shall haue as much as he de
serues?
11241120Did I de
serue no more then a fooles head,
11251121Is that my prize, are my de
serts no better?
11261122Portia. To o
ffend and iudge are di
stin
ct o
ffices,
The fier seauen times tried this,
11301126Seauen times tried that iudement is,
E. That