 | The Jew of Venice |  |
SCENE Changes to Belmont.
Enter Portia and Nerissa.
Port.
In short, Nerissa, my little Body is weary of this
Great World.
Neriss.
It might indeed, if your Wants were as great as your
Plenty. For ought I see, they are as sick, who surfeit
With too much, as those who starve with too little;
‘From whence I conclude, That Happiness is seated in
‘The Mean: Superfluity brings Care, Care both
‘Robs us of our Time, and shortens our Days;
‘But Competency is the easiest and the longest Liver.
Port.
Good Sentences, and well pronounc'd.
Neriss.
They wou'd be better, if well follow'd.
Port.
It is a good Divine, who follows his own Teaching;
I could easier instruct Twenty, what were good to do,
Than be one of the Twenty, to follow my own Instruction.
The Brain may devise Laws for the Blood; ‘but the hot
‘Part will be sure to get the better of the cold; but what
Is all this to my choosing a Husband: Ah me! The Word
Choose: I am neither to choose whom I like, nor
Refuse whom I dislike; so is the Pleasure of a
Living Daughter restrain'd by the Will of a dead
Father. Was ever Woman ty'd to such hard Laws,
‘Nerissa? Neither to choose, nor refuse?
Neriss.
Your Father was ever virtuous, and holy Men at
Their Deaths have often good Inspirations; wherefore
In this Lottery, which he dying devis'd, in these Three
Caskets of Gold, Silver and Lead, whereof who
Chooses his Meaning chooses you: I have Superstition
‘Enough to believe the Benefit Lot is destin'd for
‘The best Deserver.
‘Love is at best, but a Lottery to all,
‘Your Case looks different, but is in Effect the same
‘With the rest of the World: For it is Fortune that
‘Always decides.—
And now pray discover to whom of this Retinue of Suitors
Stand your Affections most inclin'd,
‘Never was Woman so surrounded as you are.
Port.
‘Penelope was but a poor Princess to Portia,
But come, out with your List; Read me the Names,
And according as I describe, guess at my Inclinations.
Ner.
‘What a long List is here! Alas for poor Men, that
‘Among so many, but one can be happy!
Port.
‘Alas! for poor Woman! that when she might have so
‘Many, she must have but one; but come, a Truce
‘To moral Reflections: Read, read.
Ner.
Imprimis, here in the front, stands Monsieur le Comte,
Your French Lover.
Port.
‘Of himself, thou mean'st: He has more Tricks than
‘A Baboon: If my Bird sings, he strait falls a capering;
He will fence with his own Shadow; ‘nor is his Tongue
‘Less nimble than his Heels; I would as soon marry
‘My Squirrel, or my Monkey.
Ner.
What think you then of your Englishman, he comes next.
Port.
‘The Frenchman's Ape: No, give me an Original,
Whatever it be. The Ape of an Ape must needs be a strange Monster.
Neriss.
‘Myn Heer van Gutts, the Dutchman, how like you him?
Port.
Very vilely in the Morning, when he is sober: And
More vilely in the Afternoon, when he is drunk;
At best, he is worse than a Man; and at worst, no better
Than a Beast: I will do any thing, Nerissa, e're I'll
Be marry'd to a Sponge.
Neriss.
For any thing I find, this Lottery is not like to be
Fair drawn: For if he should choose the right Casket,
You'll refuse to perform your Father's Will.
Port.
Therefore, I prithee, Set a Bumper of Rhenish
On the contrary Casket; for if the Devil be within,
And the Temptation without, I know he will
Choose it.
‘La Seignora Gutts! oh hideous! what
‘A Sound would there be in the Mouth of an
‘Italian?
Enter Servant.
Serv.
Some of the Strangers, Madam, desire to take
Their Leaves: And there are others just arriv'd, and
Alighting at the Gate.
Port.
Would some one, would come, to whom I could bid
Welcome, as heartily, as I can bid all these, Farewell.
‘There is a Man, Nerissa, such a Man; But what we wish,
‘Either never arrives, or is always longest in coming:
Fellow, go before: Nerissa, come: Whilst we shut
Out one Lover, another knocks at the Gate.
Neriss.
‘This Lottery will certainly be drawn full.
[Exeunt.
Enter Portia and Nerissa.
Port.
In short, Nerissa, my little Body is weary of this
Great World.
Neriss.
It might indeed, if your Wants were as great as your
Plenty. For ought I see, they are as sick, who surfeit
With too much, as those who starve with too little;
‘From whence I conclude, That Happiness is seated in
‘The Mean: Superfluity brings Care, Care both
‘Robs us of our Time, and shortens our Days;
‘But Competency is the easiest and the longest Liver.
Port.
Good Sentences, and well pronounc'd.
Neriss.
They wou'd be better, if well follow'd.
Port.
It is a good Divine, who follows his own Teaching;
I could easier instruct Twenty, what were good to do,
4
The Brain may devise Laws for the Blood; ‘but the hot
‘Part will be sure to get the better of the cold; but what
Is all this to my choosing a Husband: Ah me! The Word
Choose: I am neither to choose whom I like, nor
Refuse whom I dislike; so is the Pleasure of a
Living Daughter restrain'd by the Will of a dead
Father. Was ever Woman ty'd to such hard Laws,
‘Nerissa? Neither to choose, nor refuse?
Neriss.
Your Father was ever virtuous, and holy Men at
Their Deaths have often good Inspirations; wherefore
In this Lottery, which he dying devis'd, in these Three
Caskets of Gold, Silver and Lead, whereof who
Chooses his Meaning chooses you: I have Superstition
‘Enough to believe the Benefit Lot is destin'd for
‘The best Deserver.
‘Love is at best, but a Lottery to all,
‘Your Case looks different, but is in Effect the same
‘With the rest of the World: For it is Fortune that
‘Always decides.—
And now pray discover to whom of this Retinue of Suitors
Stand your Affections most inclin'd,
‘Never was Woman so surrounded as you are.
Port.
‘Penelope was but a poor Princess to Portia,
But come, out with your List; Read me the Names,
And according as I describe, guess at my Inclinations.
Ner.
‘What a long List is here! Alas for poor Men, that
‘Among so many, but one can be happy!
Port.
‘Alas! for poor Woman! that when she might have so
‘Many, she must have but one; but come, a Truce
‘To moral Reflections: Read, read.
Ner.
Imprimis, here in the front, stands Monsieur le Comte,
Your French Lover.
Port.
‘Of himself, thou mean'st: He has more Tricks than
‘A Baboon: If my Bird sings, he strait falls a capering;
He will fence with his own Shadow; ‘nor is his Tongue
‘Less nimble than his Heels; I would as soon marry
‘My Squirrel, or my Monkey.
Ner.
What think you then of your Englishman, he comes next.
Port.
‘The Frenchman's Ape: No, give me an Original,
Whatever it be. The Ape of an Ape must needs be a strange Monster.
Neriss.
‘Myn Heer van Gutts, the Dutchman, how like you him?
Port.
Very vilely in the Morning, when he is sober: And
More vilely in the Afternoon, when he is drunk;
At best, he is worse than a Man; and at worst, no better
5
Be marry'd to a Sponge.
Neriss.
For any thing I find, this Lottery is not like to be
Fair drawn: For if he should choose the right Casket,
You'll refuse to perform your Father's Will.
Port.
Therefore, I prithee, Set a Bumper of Rhenish
On the contrary Casket; for if the Devil be within,
And the Temptation without, I know he will
Choose it.
‘La Seignora Gutts! oh hideous! what
‘A Sound would there be in the Mouth of an
‘Italian?
Enter Servant.
Serv.
Some of the Strangers, Madam, desire to take
Their Leaves: And there are others just arriv'd, and
Alighting at the Gate.
Port.
Would some one, would come, to whom I could bid
Welcome, as heartily, as I can bid all these, Farewell.
‘There is a Man, Nerissa, such a Man; But what we wish,
‘Either never arrives, or is always longest in coming:
Fellow, go before: Nerissa, come: Whilst we shut
Out one Lover, another knocks at the Gate.
Neriss.
‘This Lottery will certainly be drawn full.
[Exeunt.
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