[Act 1, Scene 2]
Enter Portia with her waiting
woman Nerissa.
Portia.
By my troth
Nerrissa, my little body is a
wea
[190]
rie of this great world.
Ner.
You would be sweet Madam, if your miseries
were in the same
abundance as your good fortunes are:
and yet for ought I see,
they are as sicke that surfet with
too much, as they that
starue with nothing; it is no smal
[195]
happinesse therefore to bee
seated in the meane, super
fluitie comes sooner by white
haires, but competencie
liues longer.
Portia.
Good sentences, and well pronounc'd.
Ner.
They would be better if well followed.
Portia.
[200]
If to doe were as easie as to know what were
good to doe,
Chappels had beene Churches, and poore
mens cottages Princes
Pallaces: it is a good Diuine that
followes his owne
instructions; I can easier teach twen
tie what were good
to be done, then be one of the twen
[205]
tie to follow mine
owne teaching: the braine may de
uise lawes for the
blood, but a hot temper leapes ore a
colde decree, such a hare
is madnesse the youth, to skip
ore the meshes of good counsaile
the cripple; but this
reason is not in fashion to choose me a
husband: O mee,
[210]
the word choose, I may neither choose whom I
would,
nor refuse whom I dislike, so is the wil of a liuing
daugh
ter curb'd by the will of a dead father: it is not
hard
Ner
rissa
, that I cannot
choose one, nor refuse none.
Ner.
Your father was euer vertuous, and holy men
[215]
at their death haue
good inspirations, therefore the lot
terie that hee hath
deuised in these three chests of gold,
siluer, and leade,
whereof who chooses his meaning,
chooses you, wil no doubt neuer be chosen by any
right
ly, but one who you shall rightly loue: but what
warmth
[220]
is there in your affection towards any of these Princely
suters that are already come?
Por.
I pray thee ouer‑name them, and as thou namest
them, I
will describe them, and according to my descrip
tion
leuell at my affection.
Ner.
[225]
First there is the Neopolitane Prince.
Por.
I that's a colt indeede, for he doth nothing but
talke of his
horse, and hee makes it a great appropria
tion to his
owne good parts that he can shoo him him
selfe: I am
much afraid my Ladie his mother plaid false
[230]
with a Smyth.
Ner.
Than is there the Countie Palentine.
Por.
He doth nothing but frowne (as who should
say, and you will not
haue me, choose: he heares merrie
tales and smiles not, I feare
hee will proue the weeping
[235]
Phylosopher when he growes old,
being so full of vn
mannerly sadnesse in his youth.) I
had rather to be marri
ed to a deaths head with a bone
in his mouth, then to ei
ther of these: God defend me
from these two.
Ner.
How say you by the French Lord, Mounsier
[240]
Le Boune?
Por.
God made him, and therefore let him passe for a
man, in truth I
know it is a sinne to be a mocker, but he,
why he hath a horse
better then the Neopolitans, a bet
ter bad habite of
frowning then the Count Palentine, he
[245]
is euery man in no man,
if a Trassell sing, he fals straight
a capring, he will fence
with his owne shadow. If I should
marry him, I should marry
twentie husbands: if hee
would despise me, I would forgiue him,
for if he loue me
to madnesse, I should neuer requite him.
Ner.
[250]
What say you then to
Fauconbridge, the yong
Baron of
England?
Por.
You know I say nothing to him, for hee vnder
stands not
me, nor I him: he hath neither
Latine,
French
,
nor
Italian, and you will
come into the Court & sweare
that I haue a poore
pennie‑worth in the
English: hee is a
[255]
proper mans picture, but alas who can conuerse with a
dumbe show? how odly he is suited, I thinke he bought
his
doublet in
Italie, his round hose in
France, his bonnet
in
Germanie, and his behauiour euery where.
Ner.
What thinke you of the other Lord his neigh
bour?
Por.
[260]
That he hath a neighbourly charitie in him, for
he borrowed a
boxe of the eare of the
Englishman, and
swore he would pay him againe when hee was able: I
thinke
the
Frenchman became his suretie, and seald
vnder
for another.
Ner.
[265]
How like you the yong
Germaine, the Duke of
Saxonies Nephew?
Por.
Very vildely in the morning when hee is sober,
and most vildely
in the afternoone when hee is drunke:
when he is best, he is a
little worse then a man, and when
[270]
he is worst, he is little
better then a beast: and the worst
fall that euer fell, I hope
I shall make shift to go with
out him.
Ner.
If he should offer to choose, and choose the right
Casket, you
should refuse to performe your Fathers will,
[275]
if you should
refuse to accept him.
Por.
Therefore for feare of the worst, I pray thee set
a deepe glasse
of Reinish‑wine on the contrary Casket,
for if the
diuell be within, and that temptation without,
I know he will
choose it. I will doe any thing
Nerrissa
[280]
ere I will be married to a spunge.
Ner.
You neede not feare Lady the hauing any of
these Lords, they haue acquainted me with their
deter
minations, which is indeede to returne to their
home,
and to trouble you with no more suite, vnlesse you may
[285]
be won by some other sort then your Fathers
impositi
on, depending on the Caskets.
Por.
If I liue to be as olde as
Sibilla, I will dye
as
chaste as
Diana: vnlesse I be
obtained by the manner
of my Fathers will: I am glad this
parcell of wooers
[290]
are so reasonable, for there is not one among
them but
I doate on his verie absence: and I wish them a faire
de
parture.
Ner.
Doe you not remember Ladie in your Fa
thers time, a
Venecian, a Scholler and a Souldior that
[295]
came hither in companie of the Marquesse of
Mount
ferrat
?
Por.
Yes, yes, it was
Bassanio, as I thinke, so was
hee
call'd.
Ner.
True Madam, hee of all the men that euer my
[300]
foolish eyes look'd
vpon, was the best deseruing a faire
Lady.
Por.
I remember him well, and I remember him wor
thy of thy
praise.
Enter a Seruingman.
Ser.
The four Strangers seeke you Madam to take
[305]
their leaue: and
there is a fore‑runner come from a fift,
the Prince of
Moroco, who brings word the Prince his
Maister will be here to night.
Por.
If I could bid the fift welcome with so good
heart as I can bid
the other foure farewell, I should be
[310]
glad of his approach: if
he haue the condition of a Saint,
and the complexion of a
diuell, I had rather hee should
shriue me then wiue me. Come
Nerrissa, sirra go before;
whiles
wee shut the gate vpon one wooer, another
knocks at the
doore.
Exeunt.
