THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 1.2

Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.

[Enter PORTIA and NERISSA]

PORTIA By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of

this great world.

NERISSA You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in

the same abundance as your good fortunes are: and

yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit 5

with too much as they that starve with nothing. It

is no mean happiness therefore, to be seated in the

mean: superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but

competency lives longer.

PORTIA Good sentences and well pronounced. 10

NERISSA They would be better, if well followed.

PORTIA If to do were as easy as to know what were good to

do, chapels had been churches and poor men's

cottages princes' palaces. It is a good divine that

follows his own instructions: I can easier teach 15

twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the

twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may

devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps

o'er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the

youth, to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel the 20

cripple. But this reasoning is not in the fashion to

choose me a husband. O me, the word 'choose!' I may

neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I

dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed

by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, 25

Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?

NERISSA Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their

death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery,

that he hath devised in these three chests of gold,

silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning 30

chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any

rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what

warmth is there in your affection towards any of

these princely suitors that are already come?

PORTIA I pray thee, over-name them; and as thou namest 35

them, I will describe them; and, according to my

description, level at my affection.

NERISSA First, there is the Neapolitan prince.

PORTIA Ay, that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but

talk of his horse; and he makes it a great 40

appropriation to his own good parts, that he can

shoe him himself. I am much afeard my lady his

mother played false with a smith.

NERISSA Then there is the County Palatine.

PORTIA He doth nothing but frown, as who should say 'If you 45

will not have me, choose:' he hears merry tales and

smiles not: I fear he will prove the weeping

philosopher when he grows old, being so full of

unmannerly sadness in his youth. I had rather be

married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth 50

than to either of these. God defend me from these

two!

NERISSA How say you by the French lord, Monsieur Le Bon?

PORTIA God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man.

In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker: but, 55

he! why, he hath a horse better than the

Neapolitan's, a better bad habit of frowning than

the Count Palatine; he is every man in no man; if a

throstle sing, he falls straight a capering: he will

fence with his own shadow: if I should marry him, I 60

should marry twenty husbands. If he would despise me

I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness, I

shall never requite him.

NERISSA What say you, then, to Falconbridge, the young baron

of England? 65

PORTIA You know I say nothing to him, for he understands

not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latin, French,

nor Italian, and you will come into the court and

swear that I have a poor pennyworth in the English.

He is a proper man's picture, but, alas, who can 70

converse with a dumb-show? How oddly he is suited!

I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round

hose in France, his bonnet in Germany and his

behavior every where.

NERISSA What think you of the Scottish lord, his neighbour? 75

PORTIA That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for he

borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman and

swore he would pay him again when he was able: I

think the Frenchman became his surety and sealed

under for another. 80

NERISSA How like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony's nephew?

PORTIA Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober, and

most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk: when

he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and

when he is worst, he is little better than a beast: 85

and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall

make shift to go without him.

NERISSA If he should offer to choose, and choose the right

casket, you should refuse to perform your father's

will, if you should refuse to accept him. 90

PORTIA Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a

deep glass of rhenish wine on the contrary casket,

for if the devil be within and that temptation

without, I know he will choose it. I will do any

thing, Nerissa, ere I'll be married to a sponge. 95

NERISSA You need not fear, lady, the having any of these

lords: they have acquainted me with their

determinations; which is, indeed, to return to their

home and to trouble you with no more suit, unless

you may be won by some other sort than your father's 100

imposition depending on the caskets.

PORTIA If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as

chaste as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner

of my father's will. I am glad this parcel of wooers

are so reasonable, for there is not one among them 105

but I dote on his very absence, and I pray God grant

them a fair departure.

NERISSA Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a

Venetian, a scholar and a soldier, that came hither

in company of the Marquis of Montferrat? 110

PORTIA Yes, yes, it was Bassanio; as I think, he was so called.

NERISSA True, madam: he, of all the men that ever my foolish

eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a fair lady.

PORTIA I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of

thy praise. 115

[Enter a Serving-man]

How now! what news?

Servant The four strangers seek for you, madam, to take

their leave: and there is a forerunner come from a

fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the

prince his master will be here to-night. 120

PORTIA If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good a

heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should

be glad of his approach: if he have the condition

of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had

rather he should shrive me than wive me. Come, 125

Nerissa. Sirrah, go before.

Whiles we shut the gates

upon one wooer, another knocks at the door.

[Exeunt]

PORTIA		By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of
		this great world.

NERISSA	You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in
	the same abundance as your good fortunes are: and
	yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit	5
	with too much as they that starve with nothing. It
	is no mean happiness therefore, to be seated in the
	mean: superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but
	competency lives longer.

PORTIA	If to do were as easy as to know what were good to
	do, chapels had been churches and poor men's
	cottages princes' palaces. It is a good divine that
	follows his own instructions: I can easier teach	15
	twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the
	twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may
	devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps
	o'er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the
	youth, to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel the	20
	cripple. But this reasoning is not in the fashion to
	choose me a husband. O me, the word 'choose!' I may
	neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I
	dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed
	by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard,	25
	Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?

NERISSA	Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their
	death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery,
	that he hath devised in these three chests of gold,
	silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning	30
	chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any
	rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what
	warmth is there in your affection towards any of
	these princely suitors that are already come?

PORTIA	I pray thee, over-name them; and as thou namest	35
	them, I will describe them; and, according to my
	description, level at my affection.

PORTIA	Ay, that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but
	talk of his horse; and he makes it a great	40
	appropriation to his own good parts, that he can
	shoe him himself. I am much afeard my lady his
	mother played false with a smith.

PORTIA	He doth nothing but frown, as who should say 'If you	45
	will not have me, choose:' he hears merry tales and
	smiles not: I fear he will prove the weeping
	philosopher when he grows old, being so full of
	unmannerly sadness in his youth. I had rather be
	married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth	50
	than to either of these. God defend me from these
	two!

PORTIA	God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man.
	In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker: but,	55
	he! why, he hath a horse better than the
	Neapolitan's, a better bad habit of frowning than
	the Count Palatine; he is every man in no man; if a
	throstle sing, he falls straight a capering: he will
	fence with his own shadow: if I should marry him, I	60
	should marry twenty husbands. If he would despise me
	I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness, I
	shall never requite him.

NERISSA		What say you, then, to Falconbridge, the young baron
		of England?	65

PORTIA	You know I say nothing to him, for he understands
	not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latin, French,
	nor Italian, and you will come into the court and
	swear that I have a poor pennyworth in the English.
	He is a proper man's picture, but, alas, who can	70
	converse with a dumb-show? How oddly he is suited!
	I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round
	hose in France, his bonnet in Germany and his
	behavior every where.

PORTIA	That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for he
	borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman and
	swore he would pay him again when he was able: I
	think the Frenchman became his surety and sealed
	under for another.	80

PORTIA	Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober, and
	most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk: when
	he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and
	when he is worst, he is little better than a beast:	85
	and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall
	make shift to go without him.

NERISSA	If he should offer to choose, and choose the right
	casket, you should refuse to perform your father's
	will, if you should refuse to accept him.	90

PORTIA	Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a
	deep glass of rhenish wine on the contrary casket,
	for if the devil be within and that temptation
	without, I know he will choose it. I will do any
	thing, Nerissa, ere I'll be married to a sponge.	95

NERISSA	You need not fear, lady, the having any of these
	lords: they have acquainted me with their
	determinations; which is, indeed, to return to their
	home and to trouble you with no more suit, unless
	you may be won by some other sort than your father's	100
	imposition depending on the caskets.

PORTIA	If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as
	chaste as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner
	of my father's will. I am glad this parcel of wooers
	are so reasonable, for there is not one among them	105
	but I dote on his very absence, and I pray God grant
	them a fair departure.

NERISSA	Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a
	Venetian, a scholar and a soldier, that came hither
	in company of the Marquis of Montferrat?	110

NERISSA		True, madam: he, of all the men that ever my foolish
		eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a fair lady.

PORTIA	I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of
	thy praise.	115
	[Enter a Serving-man]
	How now! what news?

Servant	The four strangers seek for you, madam, to take
	their leave: and there is a forerunner come from a
	fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the
	prince his master will be here to-night.	120

PORTIA	If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good a
	heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should
	be glad of his approach: if he have the condition
	of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had
	rather he should shrive me than wive me. Come,	125
	Nerissa. Sirrah, go before.
	Whiles we shut the gates
	upon one wooer, another knocks at the door.
	[Exeunt]