The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (462 page)

Even in the force and road of casualty.

I will not choose what many men desire,

Because I will not jump with common spirits

And rank me with the barbarous multitudes.

Why, then to thee, thou silver treasure-house;

Tell me once more what title thou dost bear:

'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves:'

And well said too; for who shall go about

To cozen fortune and be honourable

Without the stamp of merit? Let none presume

To wear an undeserved dignity.

O, that estates, degrees and offices

Were not derived corruptly, and that clear honour

Were purchased by the merit of the wearer!

How many then should cover that stand bare!

How many be commanded that command!

How much low peasantry would then be glean'd

From the true seed of honour! and how much honour

Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times

To be new-varnish'd! Well, but to my choice:

'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.'

I will assume desert. Give me a key for this,

And instantly unlock my fortunes here.

And now I’m ready. May good luck

Reward my heart’s hope! Gold, silver and lead.

‘Whoever chooses me must give and risk all that he has.’

You’d have to be more beautiful for me to give it all or risk.

Let’s see what the golden trunk says. Well! Let me see:

‘Whoever chooses me will get what many men want.’

What many men want! By ‘many men’ it means

The foolish masses who chose by what looks good,

And not by figuring out what is there beyond the looks.

That kind of thinking doesn’t look at what’s inside, but—like a martin—

Builds its nests exposed on the outside walls,

Despite possible violence and destruction.

I will not choose what many men want,

Because I will not jump on the bandwagon

And go along with what the uncivilized masses want.

Well, I’m guessing it is the silver trunk.

Let see again what its inscription says.

‘Whoever choses me will get all that he deserves.’

That’s well said, for who would expect

To gain riches and be upright

Without deserving it? No one should assume

They should get what they don’t deserve.

If high rank, degrees and offices

Were not gained by corruption, but earned with honer

By the person who gains them!

How many men would have a position that now do not!

How many would be commanded that now command!

How many upper ranks would be shown to be peasants

It rank were based on good name. And how many dignified

Would be picked from the discarded who’ve been tossed aside

To become newly decked out! Well, anyway—regarding my choice:

‘Whoever chooses me will get all that he deserves.’

I will assume I am deserving. Give me the key for this trunk

and I will unlock it to find my fate.

He opens the silver casket

PORTIA

Too long a pause for that which you find there.

You’re taking to long to say what it is you found in there.

ARRAGON

What's here? the portrait of a blinking idiot,

Presenting me a schedule! I will read it.

How much unlike art thou to Portia!

How much unlike my hopes and my deservings!

'Who chooseth me shall have as much as he deserves.'

Did I deserve no more than a fool's head?

Is that my prize? are my deserts no better?

What’s this? A picture of a blind idiot

Showing me a list! I will read it.

This picture looks nothing like Portia!

This is not what I’d hoped for and it is not what I deserve!

‘Whoever chooses me will get all that he deserves.’

Do I not deserve more that a picture of an idiot?

Is this my prize? Do I deserve no better?

PORTIA

To offend, and judge, are distinct offices

And of opposed natures.

Finding offense and judging what you deserve come from places

completely opposite in feeling.

ARRAGON

What is here?

What is this?

Reads

The fire seven times tried this:

Seven times tried that judgment is,

That did never choose amiss.

Some there be that shadows kiss;

Such have but a shadow's bliss:

There be fools alive, I wis,

Silver'd o'er; and so was this.

Take what wife you will to bed,

I will ever be your head:

So be gone: you are sped.

Still more fool I shall appear

By the time I linger here

With one fool's head I came to woo,

But I go away with two.

Sweet, adieu. I'll keep my oath,

Patiently to bear my wroth.

This trunk has gone through fire seven times—

Seven times to make sure the person who chooses it

Did not choose it wrongly.

Some will kiss shadows,

And those will have only the happiness shadow’s can bring.

There are fools alive on this earth, I know,

Who are silver haired the same way as this trunk.

Take whatever wife you will,

But you will always have a fool’s head like the one in the picture.

So, go away—your work was quick here.

I will appear more the fool

The longer I stay.

I came here with a fool’s head,

But I leave with two.

Goodbye, I will keep my oath

And will calmly endure my misfortune.

Exeunt Arragon and train

PORTIA

Thus hath the candle singed the moth.

O, these deliberate fools! when they do choose,

They have the wisdom by their wit to lose.

They were singed like moths to the candle!

Oh, those calculating fools! When they choose,

They have just about enough wisdom to lose.

NERISSA

The ancient saying is no heresy,

Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.

The ancient saying is no lie:

Men die and marry by destiny.

PORTIA

Come, draw the curtain, Nerissa.

Please, close the curtain, Nerissa.

Enter a Servant

Servant

Where is my lady?

Where is my lady?

PORTIA

Here: what would my lord?

I’m here—what do you need?

Servant

Madam, there is alighted at your gate

A young Venetian, one that comes before

To signify the approaching of his lord;

From whom he bringeth sensible regreets,

To wit, besides commends and courteous breath,

Gifts of rich value. Yet I have not seen

So likely an ambassador of love:

A day in April never came so sweet,

To show how costly summer was at hand,

As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord.

Madam, there is at your gate

A young Venetian who is coming

Ahead to announce the arrival of his lord,

And he delivers very polite greetings

And—besides the courteous words—

He brings gifts of great value. I have not seen

Such a promising suitor so far.

A day in April could not be so sweet

To show the promise of summer to come

As this messager shows of his lord.

PORTIA

No more, I pray thee: I am half afeard

Thou wilt say anon he is some kin to thee,

Thou spend'st such high-day wit in praising him.

Come, come, Nerissa; for I long to see

Quick Cupid's post that comes so mannerly.

Please, say nothing else. I am almost afraid

You will say he is somehow related to you.

You put so much energy into praising him.

Let’s go, Nerissa, I want to see

This potential love who has been so well announced.

NERISSA

Bassanio, lord Love, if thy will it be!

Lord, I so hope it is Bassanio!

Exeunt

Enter SALANIO and SALARINO

SALANIO

Now, what news on the Rialto?

Now what’s the news on the Rialto?

SALARINO

Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd that Antonio hath

a ship of rich lading wrecked on the narrow seas;

the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very

dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcasses of many

a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip

Report be an honest woman of her word.

There’s a rumor that Antonio had

a ship full of treaure wrecked in the English Chanel.

on the place called the Goodwins, I think, a very

dangerous flat that proves fatal to ships. Many

tall ships have sunk there, if the rumors

I hear are correct.

SALANIO

I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever

knapped ginger or made her neighbours believe she

wept for the death of a third husband. But it is

true, without any slips of prolixity or crossing the

plain highway of talk, that the good Antonio, the

honest Antonio,--O that I had a title good enough

to keep his name company!—

I wish the rumors were not true, in the way