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The Merchant of Venice

Act II, Scene 1

Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.
 
[Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF MOROCCO and his train; PORTIA, NERISSA, and others attending]
 
MOROCCO
           ,        ,         ,        ,    ,
      Mislike | me not | for my | complex|ion,
            ,         ,      ,         ,         ,
      The shad|owed live|ry of | the burn|ished sun,
           ,       ,       ,                ,    ,
      To whom | I am | a neigh|bor, and / near bred.
        ,              ,        ,         ,          ,
      Bring me | the fair|est creat|ure north|ward born,
               ,         ,       T     T    .   T    ,
      Where* Phoe|bus' fire | scarce thaws the ic|icles,
           ,         ,       ,       ,           ,
      And let | us make | incis|ion for | your love,
           ,             ,         ,         ,         ,
      To prove | whose^blood | is red|dest, his | or mine.
          ,          ,            ,  ,         ,
      I tell | thee la|dy this / aspect | of mine
              ,          ,         ,        ,        ,
      Hath feared | the val|iant (by | my love | I swear)
            ,      ,       ,        ,         ,
      The best-|regard|ed vir|gins of | our clime
             ,         ,        ,            ,           ,
      Have loved | it too:| I would | not change | this hue,
          ,         ,              ,           ,       ,
      Except | to steal | your thoughts | my gent|le queen.
 
PORTIA
           ,           ,             ,    ,      ,
      In terms | of choice | I am / not sole|ly led
           ,       ,        ,       ,         ,
      By nice | direc|tion of | a maid|en's eyes:
          ,          ,     ,     2     ,    ,
      Besides,| the lot|tery | of my dest|iny
        ,    2        ,         ,     ,       ,
      Bars me the | right of | volun|tary | choosing:
           ,        ,      ,          ,       ,
      But if | my fath|er had | not scant|ed me,
             ,         ,        ,         ,         ,
      And hedged | me by | his wit | to yield | myself
            ,          ,     ,   2         ,         ,
      His wife,| who wins | me by that | means I | told you,
            ,        ,        ,            ,          ,
      Yourself |(renown|ed prince)| then stood | as fair
          ,    ,     ,           ,         ,
      As an|y com|er I | have looked | on yet
           ,     x
      For my | affection.
 
MOROCCO
                            x           ,        ,
                           Even for | that I | thank you,
            ,         ,          ,     ,   2        ,
      Therefore | I pray | you lead | me to the | caskets
          ,         ,        ,         ,     ,
      To try | my fort|une: By | this sci|mitar
             ,          ,      ,        ,         ,
      That slew | the Soph|y, and | a Pers|ian prince
            ,      T      T    .  T       ,    ,
      That won | three fields of Sul|tan Sol|yman,
          ,          ,           ,         ,           ,
      I would | orestare | the stern|est eyes | that look:
       T   T    .    T           ,       ,         ,
      Outbrave the heart | most^dar|ing on | the earth:
        T    .    T     T        ,                ,    ,
      Pluck the young suck|ing cubs | from the / she-bear,
       T    T   .   T      ,         ,           ,
      Yea mock the li|on when | he roars | for prey
          ,         ,      ,      ,          ,
      To win | the la|dy. But | alas,| the while
          ,     ,          ,       ,         ,
      If Her|cules | and Lich|as play | at dice
             ,        ,       ,          ,        ,
      Which^is | the bet|ter man,| the great|er throw
            ,         ,        ,          ,       ,
      May turn | by fort|une from | the weak|er hand:
       ,   2    ,        ,       ,         ,
      So is Al|cides | beaten | by his | rage,
      <-         ,       T    T    T         ,       ,
         And || so may | I, blind for|tune lead|ing me
        ,                ,        ,    2   ,        ,
      Miss that | which^one | unworth|ier may | attain,
           ,           ,
      And die | with griev|ing.
 
PORTIA
                                ,           ,            ,
                               You | must take | your chance,
            ,      ,        ,           ,         ,
      And eith|er not | attempt | to choose | at all,
           ,         ,           ,                 ,     ,
      Or swear | before | you choose,| if you / choose wrong
       ,           ,         ,     ,      ,
      Never | to speak | to la|dy aft|erward
          ,        ,           ,         ,       ,
      In way | of mar|riage, there|fore be | advised.
 
MOROCCO
            ,           ,      ,           ,         ,
      Nor will | not, come | bring me | unto | my chance.
 
PORTIA
        ,    ,         2        ,       ,       ,
      First for/ward to the | temple,| after | dinner
            ,        ,          ,
      Your haz|ard shall | be made.
 
MOROCCO
                                          ,         ,
                                    Good for|tune then,
           ,          ,             ,         ,    ___
      To make | me blessed | or cursedst | among | men.
 
[Cornets, and exeunt]

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