Prescanned Shakespeare.com
presented by Acoustic Learning
Belmont. A room in PORTIA'S house.
[Enter NERISSA with a Servitor]
NERISSA
T T
. T ,
, ,
Quick, quick I* pray | thee, draw | the curt|ain
straight,
,
, , , ,
The Prince | of Ar|ragon | hath tane | his oath,
,
, , ,
,
And comes | to his | elec|tion pres|ently.
[Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF ARRAGON, PORTIA, and their trains]
PORTIA
, T
T . T ,
,
Behold,| there stand the cask|ets nob|le prince,
. T T
T , ,
,
If you choose that | wherein | I am | contained,
,
, ,
, ,
Straight shall | our nup|tial rites | be
sol|emnized:
,
, ,
, ,
But if | you fail,| without | more* speech | my
lord,
,
, , ,
,
You must | be gone | from hence | immed|iately.
ARRAGON
, 2 ,
, 2 T T
T
I am en|joined by | oath to ob|serve three
things;
, ,
, , ,
First, nev/er to | unfold | to an|yone
, , ,
, ,
Which cask|et 'twas | I chose;| next, if | I fail
,
, , ,
,
Of the / right cask|et, nev|er in | my life
,
, , ,
To woo | a maid | in way | of mar|riage:
<- ,
x ,
, ,
,
Last||ly, if I | do fail | in fort|une of | my
choice,
,
, ,
, ,
Immed|iately | to leave | you, and | be gone.
PORTIA
,
, ,
, ,
To these | injunc|tions eve|ry one | doth^swear
,
, , ,
,
That comes | to haz|ard for | my worth|less self.
ARRAGON
,
, ,
, ,
And so | have I | addressed | me, fort|une now
2 ,
T T T
, ,
To my heart's | hope: Gold, silv|er, and / base
lead.
,
, , ,
, ,
Who choos|eth me | must give | and haz|ard all |
he hath. (*)
2
, , ,
, ,
You shall look | fairer | ere I | give or |
hazard.
,
, ,
, ,
What says | the gold|en chest,| ha, let^|me see:
,
, , , ,
,
Who choos|eth me,| shall gain | what man|y men |
desire: (*)
x
, , x
,
What many | men de|sire, that | many may*| be
meant
, ,
, ,
,
By the / fool mult|itude | that choose | by show,
,
, , ,
,
Not^learn|ing more | than the / fond eye |
doth^teach,
,
, 3 3 , 2
, ,
->
Which pries | not to the in|terior,| but like |
the mart||let
, 2
, ,
, ,
Builds | in the weath|er on | the out|ward wall,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Even | in the force | and road | of cas|ualty.
,
, , ,
,
I will | not choose | what man|y men | desire,
,
, , ,
x
Because | I will / not jump | with com|mon
spirits,
,
, , 2 ,
,
And rank | me with | the bar|barous mult|itudes.
,
, , ,
,
Why then | to thee | thou silv|er
treas|ure-house,
,
, , ,
,
Tell me | once^more,| what tit|le thou | dost
bear;
,
, , ,
, ,
Who choos|eth me | shall get | as much | as he |
deserves: (*)
. T T
T ,
, ,
And well said too;| for who | shall go | about
,
, ,
, 2 ,
To coz|en fort|une, and | be hon|orable
, ,
x ,
,
Without | the stamp | of merit,| let none |
presume
,
, , ,
,
To wear | an un|deserv|ed dig|nity:
, ,
, , ,
O that | estates,| degrees,| and of|fices
,
, , 2
, , 2->
Were not | derived | corrupt|ly, and that / clear
hon||or
,
, x ,
,
Were purch|ased by | the merit | of the | wearer;
,
, , ,
,
How man|y then | should cov|er that / stand bare?
,
, ,
, ,
How man|y be | command|ed that | command?
,
, , ,
,
How much | low peas/antry | would then | be
gleaned
2 ,
, ,
, , ->
From the true | seed of | honor?| And how | much
hon||or
,
2 , , ,
,
Picked | from the chaff | and ru|in of | the
times
. T T T
, , ,
To be new-varn|ished: Well,| but to | my choice.
, ,
, ,
, ,
Who choos|eth me | shall get | as much | as he |
deserves. (*)
, ,
, , ,
,
I will | assume | desert;| Give me | a key | for
this, (*)
,
, ,
, ,
And inst|antly | unlock | my fort|unes here.
PORTIA
,
, , ,
,
Too long | a pause | for that | which you / find
there.
ARRAGON
T T .
T , 2 ,
, 2
What's here, the port|rait of a | blinking |
idiot
, ,
, , x
Presen|ting me | a sched|ule, I | will read it:
,
, , ,
How much | unlike | art thou | to Por|tia?
<- , ,
, ,
, ,
How || much un|like my | hopes and | my
de|servings?
,
, , ,
, ,
Who choos|eth me,| shall have | as much | as he |
deserves. (*)
, . T
T T ,
,
Did I | deserve no more | than a / fool's head,
,
, , ,
x
Is that | my prize,| are my | deserts | no
better?
PORTIA
2 ,
, ,
, ,
To offend | and judge | are dis/tinct of|fices,
, ,
,
And of | opposed | natures.
ARRAGON
T T T
What is here?
. T Tx
T ___ __
The fire seven times | tried | this,
Tx T
T ,
,
Seven times tried | that judg|ment is,
,
, ,
__
That did | never | choose a|miss,
,
, ,
__
Some there | be that | shadows | kiss,
,
, ,
___
Such have | but a | shadow's | bliss:
,
, , ___
There be | fools a|live I | wis
,
, ,
__
Silvered | ore, and | so was | this:
,
, ,
___
Take what | wife you | will to | bed,
,
, ,
__
I will | ever | be your | head:
, __
, __
So be | gone,| you are | sped.
T T
T , ,
Still more fool | I shall | appear
,
, ,
__
By the | time I | linger | here,
<- T T
T , ,
With || one fool's head | I came | to woo,
, ,
, ___
But I | go a|way with | two.
,
, ,
__
Sweet a|dieu. I'll | keep my | oath,
, ,
, ___
Patient|ly to | bear my | wroth.
[Exeunt Arragon and train]
PORTIA
, ,
, , oo
Thus hath | the cand|le singed | the moth:|
,
, 2 ,
, ,
O these | delib|erate fools | when they | do
choose,
,
, , , ,
They have | the wis|dom by | their wit | to lose.
NERISSA
,
, , , ,
The anc|ient say|ing is | no her|esy,
,
, , ,
,
Hanging | and wiv|ing goes | by dest|iny.
PORTIA
T T .
T 2 ,
Come draw the curt|ain Neris|sa. \\
[Enter a Servant]
SERVANT
,
,
Where is | my la|dy?
PORTIA
, ,
,
Here,| what would | my lord?
SERVANT
, ,
, , ,
Madam,| there^is | alight|ed at | your gate
,
, , ,
,
A young | Venet|ian, one | that comes | before
,
, 2 ,
, ,
To sig|nify | the approach|ing of | his lord,
,
, , ,
,
From whom | he bring|eth sens|ible | regrets;
,
, , ,
2 ,
To wit |(besides | commends | and court|eous
breath)
T . T
T , ,
,
Gifts of rich val|ue; yet | I have / not seen
, ,
, ,
,
So like/ly an | ambas|sador | of love.
, ,
, ,
,
A day | in Ap|ril nev|er came | so sweet
,
, ,
, ,
To show | how cost|ly sum|mer was | at hand,
. T T
T , ,
,
As this fore-spur|rer comes | before | his lord.
PORTIA
,
, , ,
,
No more | I pray | thee, I | am half | afeard
,
, , 2 T
T . T
Thou wilt | say a|non he is | some kin to thee,
, , T
T . T ,
Thou spendst | such high-|day wit in prais|ing
him:
T T . T
, ,
,
Come, come Neris|sa, for | I long | to see
T Tx
T , , ,
Quick Cupid's post,| that comes | so man|nerly.
NERISSA
, 2
, ,
, ,
Bassan|io lord,| love if | thy will | it be.
[Exeunt]