T
4
THE BA TTALION.
He iirst makes mention of her riches, next her lovliness,
then of her virtues, and finally of the “fair speechless mes-
sages’’ which he “did receive” from her eyes. Though he
mentions these other most desirable qualities first, there is no
doubt in my mind that he prized more than all those “fair
speechless messages;” for it is evident from what took place
later that they were messages of wondrous love, to which she
dared not give verbal expression on account of a whim of her
father, according to which she was to become the wife of the
one who chose the right casket and not the wife of the one
who, unluckily, might choose the wrong casket, but was more
worthy of her by virtue of the tender love his heart bore her.
Doubtless it was the expressiveness of Portia’s eyes that first
cast the charm over Bassanio and drew his thoughts slowly but
surely away from all else save her.
It would be difficult indeed to imagine two people in love
where these eye messages did not play quite an important part.
Our modern youths, as doubtless were the youths of
Shakespeares’ time, are frequently heard to say: “If you love
me darling, tell me with your eyes.”
Shakespeare does not tell us much about Portia’s eye, but
it would be a base thought indeed to imagine them other than
most charmingly beautiful. They would be out of harmony
with the rest of her make-up, were they not so. W e have
Bassanio’s word for it that they could speak very eloquently,
and they probably told Portia’s secret to Bassanio before she
was fully aware of it herself.
At Portia’s first appearance in the play she is sad and
melancholy, as shown when she alludes to her will being
checked by that of her father; also when she says: “My
body is aweary of this great world.” She soon regains her
good humor, however, and as Nerissa names over her numer
ous suitors to her she makes some ridiculous remark about
each. She became grave at the mention of Bassanio’s name