194193Portia. By my troth Nerrissa, my little body is awearie of this

195194 great world.

196195Ner. You would be sweet Madam, if your miseries were in the

197196same aboundance as your good fortunes are: and yet for ought I

198197see, they are as sicke that surfeite with too much, as they that starue

199198with nothing; it is no meane happines therfore to be seated in the

200199meane, superfluitie comes sooner by white haires, but competen-

201200cie liues longer.

202201Portia. Good sentences, and well pronounc'd.

203202Ner. They would be better if well followed.

204203Portia. If to do were as easie as to know what were good to do,

205204Chappels had beene Churches, and poore mens cottages Princes

206205Pallaces, it is a good diuine that followes his owne instructions, I

207206can easier teach twentie what were good to be done, then to be one

208207of the twentie to follow mine owne teaching: the braine may de-

209208uise lawes for the blood, but a hote temper leapes ore a colde de-

210209cree, such a hare is madnes the youth, to skippe ore the meshes of

211210good counsaile the cripple; but this reasoning is not in the fashion

212211to choose mee a husband, ô mee the word choose, I may neyther

213212choose who I would, nor refuse who I dislike, so is the will of a ly-

214213uing daughter curbd by the will of a deade father: is it not harde

215214Nerrissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none.

216215Ner. Your Father was euer vertuous, and holy men at theyr

218216death haue good inspirations, therefore the lottrie that he hath deuised

219217in these three chests of gold, siluer, and leade, whereof who

220218chooses his meaning chooses you, will no doubt neuer be chosen

221219by any rightlie, but one who you shall rightly loue: But what

222220warmth is there in your affection towardes any of these Princelie

223221suters that are already come?

224222Por. I pray thee ouer-name them, and as thou namest them, I

225223will describe them, and according to my description leuell at my

226224affection.

227225Ner. First there is the Neopolitane Prince.

229226Por. I thats a colt indeede, for he doth nothing but talke of his

230227horse, & he makes it a great appropriation to his owne good parts

231228that he can shoo him himselfe: I am much afeard my Ladie his

232229mother plaid false with a Smyth.

233230Ner. Than is there the Countie Palentine.

234231Por. Hee doth nothing but frowne (as who should say, & you

235232will not haue me, choose, he heares merry tales and smiles not, I

236233feare hee will prooue the weeping Phylosopher when hee growes

237234old, beeing so full of vnmannerly sadnes in his youth,) I had rather

239235be married to a deaths head with a bone in his mouth, then to ey-

240236ther of these: God defend me from these two.

241237Ner. How say you by the French Lord, Mounsier Le Boune?

242238Por. God made him, and therefore let him passe for a man, in

243239truth I knowe it is a sinne to be a mocker, but hee, why hee hath a

244240horse better then the Neopolitans, a better bad habite of frowning

245241then the Count Palentine, he is euery man in no man, if a Trassell

246242sing, he falls straght a capring, he will fence with his owne shadow.

247243If I should marry him, I should marry twenty husbands: if hee

248244would despise me, I would forgiue him, for if he loue me to madnes,

249245I shall neuer requite him.

250246Ner. What say you then to Fauconbridge, the young Barron

251247of England?

252248Por. You know I say nothing to him, for hee vnderstands not

253249me, nor I him: he hath neither Latine, French, nor Italian, & you

254250will come into the Court and sweare that I haue a poore pennie-

B worth

255251worth in the English: hee is a proper mans picture, but alas who

256252can conuerse with a dumbe show? how odly hee is suted, I thinke

257253he bought his doublet in Italie, his round hose in Fraunce, his bon-

258254net in Germanie, and his behauiour euery where.

259255Nerrissa. What thinke you of the Scottish Lorde his neigh-

260256bour?

261257Portia. That hee hath a neyghbourlie charitie in him, for hee

262258borrowed a boxe of the eare of the Englishman, and swore hee

263259would pay him againe when he was able: I think the Frenchman

264260became his suretie, and seald vnder for another.

265261Ner. How like you the young Germaine, the Duke of Saxo-

266262nies nephew?

267263Por. Very vildlie in the morning when hee is sober, and most

268264vildly in the afternoone when he is drunke: when he is best, he is

269265a little worse then a man, & when he is worst he is little better then

270266a beast, and the worst fall that euer fell, I hope I shall make shift

271267to goe without him.

272268Ner. Yf hee shoulde offer to choose, and choose the right Cas-

273269ket, you should refuse to performe your Fathers will, if you should

274270refuse to accept him.

275271Portia. Therefore for feare of the worst, I pray thee set a deepe

276272glasse of Reynishe wine on the contrarie Casket, for if the deuill

277273be within, and that temptation without, I knowe hee will choose

278274it. I will doe any thing Nerrissa ere I will be married to a spunge.

279275Nerrissa. You neede not feare Ladie the hauing anie of these

280276Lords, they haue acquainted me with theyr determinations, which

281277is indeede to returne to theyr home, and to trouble you with no

282278more sute, vnlesse you may be wonne by some other sort thē your

283279Fathers imposition, depending on the Caskets.

284280Por. Yf I liue to be as old as Sibilla, I will die as chast as Diana,

285281vnlesse I be obtained by the maner of my Fathers will: I am glad

286282this parcell of wooers are so reasonable, for there is not one among

287283them but I doate on his very absence: & I pray God graunt them

288284a faire departure.

289285Nerrissa. Doe you not remember Lady in your Fathers time, a

290286Venecian a Scholler & a Souldiour that came hether in companie

291287of the Marquesse of Mountferrat?

292288Portia. Yes, yes, it was Bassanio, as I thinke so was he calld.

293289Ner. True maddam, hee of all the men that euer my foolish

294290eyes look'd vpon, was the best deseruing a faire Ladie.

295291Portia. I remember him well, and I remember him worthie of

296292 thy prayse.

297293How nowe, what newes?

299295Ser. The foure strangers seeke for you maddam to take theyr

300296leaue: and there is a fore-runner come from a fift, the Prince of

301297Moroco, who brings word the Prince his Maister will be heere to

302298night.

303299Por. Yf I could bid the fift welcome with so good hart as I can

304300bid the other foure farewell, I should bee glad of his approch: if

305301he haue the condition of a Saint, and the complexion of a deuill, I

306302had rather he should shriue mee then wiue mee. Come Nerrissa,

307303sirra goe before: whiles we shut the gate vpon one wooer, another

308304knocks at the doore. Exeunt.