As are those dulcet sounds in break of day
That creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear, 52
And summon him to marriage. Now he goes,
With no less presence, but with much more love,
Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin tribute paid by howling Troy 56
To the sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice;
The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With bleared visages, come forth to view
The issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules! 60
Live thou, I live: with much, much more dismay
I view the fight than thou that mak'st the fray.
Here Music. A Song the whilst Bassanio comments on the caskets to himself.
'Tell me where is fancy bred,
Or in the heart or in the head? 64
How begot, how nourished?
Reply, reply.
It is engender'd in the eyes,
With gazing fed; and fancy dies 68
In the cradle where it lies.
Let us all ring fancy's knell:
I'll begin it,—Ding, dong, bell.
All. Ding, dong, bell. 72
Bass. So may the outward shows be least themselves:
The world is still deceiv'd with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt
But, being season'd with a gracious voice, 76
Obscures the show of evil? In religion,
What damned error, but some sober brow
Will bless it and approve it with a text,
54, 55 With . . . Alcides; cf. n.
54 presence: dignity of person
58 Dardanian: Trojan
63 fancy: love
79 approve: prove, ratify
