Hearing applause, and universal shout,
Giddy in spirit, still gazing, in a doubt
Whether those peals of praise be his or no;
So, thrice fair lady, stand I, even so;
As doubtful whether what I see be true,
Until confirm’d, sign’d, ratified by you.

Por. You see me, lord Bassanio, where I stand,
Such as I am: though, for myself alone,
I would not be ambitious in my wish,
To wish myself much better; yet, for you,
I would be trebled twenty times myself;
A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times
More rich;
That only to stand high on your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account: but the full sum of me
Is sum of something 17; which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschoold, unpractis'd:
Happy in this, she is not yet so old
But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn;
Happiest of all, is, that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself, and what is mine, to you, and yours
Is now converted: but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants,
Queen o'er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, these servants, and this same myself,
Are yours, my lord; I give them with this ring;
Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it
presage

the ruin of your love, And be my vantage to exclaim on you.

17 The folio reads, “Is sum of nothing, which may probably be the true reading, as it is Portia's intention, in this speech, to undervalue herself.

Bass. Madam, you have bereft me of all words, Only my blood speaks to you in my veins : And there is such confusion in my powers, As, after some oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appear Among the buzzing pleased multitude: Where every something, being blent together, Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy, Express’d, and not express’d: But when this ring Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence; 0, then be bold to say, Bassanio's dead.

Ner. My lord and lady, it is now our time, That have stood by, and seen our wishes prosper, To cry, good joy; Good joy, my lord, and lady!

Gra. My lord Bassanio, and my gentle lady, I wish you all the joy that you can wish; For, I am sure, you can wish none from me 18 : when your

honours mean to solemnize The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, Even at that time I may be married too.

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

Gra. I thank your lordship; you have got me one. My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours: You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid; You lov’d, I lov’d; for intermission 19 No more pertains to me, my lord, than you. Your fortune ood

upon

the caskets there;
And so did mine too, as the matter falls :
For wooing here, until I sweat again;
And swearing, till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love: at last,-if promise last,
I got a promise of this fair one here,
To have her love, provided that your fortune
Achiev'd her mistress.

And,

18 That is, none away from me; none that I shall lose, if you

gain it.

19 Pause, delay.

Por.

Is this true, Nerissa ? Ner. Madam, it is, so you stand pleas'd withal. Bass. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith ? Gra. Yes, 'faith, my lord. Bass. Our feast shall be much honour'd in

your marriage. Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy for a thousand ducats.

Ner. What, and stake down?
Gra. No; we shall ne'er win at that sport, and

stake down.
But who comes here? Lorenzo, and his infidel?
What, and my old Venetian friend, Salerio?

Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, and SALERIO. Bass. Lorenzo, and Salerio, welcome hither? If that the youth of my new interest here Have power to bid you welcome :By your leave, I bid my very friends and countrymen, Sweet Portia, welcome. Por.

my

lord; They are entirely welcome.

Lor. I thank your honour: For my part, my lord, My purpose was not to have seen you here; But meeting with Salerio by the way, He did entreat me, past all saying nay, To come with him along. Sale.

I did, my lord, And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio Commends him to you. [Gives BASSANIO a letter. Bass.

Ere I

ope

his letter, I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth.

Sale. Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind; Nor well, unless in mind : his letter there Will show

you

his estate. Gra. Nerissa, cheer yon stranger; bid her wel

So do I,

come.

Your hand, Salerio; What's the news from Venice?
How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?
I know, he will be glad of our success;
We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.
Sale.'Would you had won the fleece that he hath lost!
Por. There are some shrewd contents in yon?

same paper,
That steal the colour from Bassanio's cheek:
Some dear friend dead: else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution
Of any constant 20 man. What, worse and worse?-
With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,
And I must freely have the half of any thing
That this same paper brings you.
Bass.

0, sweet Portia, Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady, When I did first impart my love to you, I freely told you, all the wealth I had Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman; And then I told you true: and yet, dear lady, Rating myself at nothing, you shall see How much I was a braggart: When I told you My state was nothing, I should then have told you That I was worse than nothing: for, indeed, I have engag'd myself to a dear friend, Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy, To feed my means.

Here is a letter, lady; The paper as the body of my friend, And every word in it a gaping wound. Issuing life-blood-But is it true, Salerio? Have all his ventures fail'd ? What, not one hit ? From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England, From Lisbon, Barbary, and India ?

20 It should be remembered that stedfast, sad, grave, sober, were ancient synonymes of constant.

Not one, my

And not one vessel ’scape the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?
Sale.

lord,
Besides, it should appear, that if he had
The present money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it : Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man
So keen and greedy to confound a man:
He plies the duke at morning, and at night;
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,
The duke himself, and the magnificoes
Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.

Jes. When I was with him, I have heard him swear,
To Tubal, and to Chus, his countrymen,
That he would rather have Antonio's flesh,
Than twenty times the value of the sum
That he did owe him : and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and power deny not,
It will

go
hard with

poor

Antonio.
Por. Is it

your dear friend, that is thus in trouble?
Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,
The best condition’d and unwearied spirit
In doing courtesies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.

Por. What sum owes he the Jew?
Bass. For me, three thousand ducats.
Por.

What, no more?
Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond;
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description
Should lose a hair 21 through Bassanio's fault.

21 Hair is here used as a dissyllable.