At the present time and for the foreseeable future, this is my last Shakespeare song. It is a setting from The Merchant Of Venice, one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. The song is performed in a key scene of the play, where the hero Bassanio must choose between 3 casks; if he chooses correctly he will win his future wife. At this point in the play, two suitors have already chosen incorrectly, and Portia begs Bassanio to postpone choosing from among the caskets, for according to the rules of the lottery, he must leave immediately if he fails, and she has fallen in love with him. Bassanio, however, decides to accept the challenge, as he wants to marry her. He rejects the gold and silver caskets and opts for the casket of lead. Inside, he finds Portia’s picture and a written message confirming that he has won her father’s consent. This song is not performed by any character in particular; presumably, a household servant of Portia’s or some other bystanders may perform the song. The words, of course, are supposed to provide Bassanio with clues to the correct answer, as they all rhyme with the word ’lead’.