Ofgod-like amity; which appears most strongly How true a gentleman you send relief, The husbandry and manage of my house, Until her husband and my lord's return: And there we will abide. I do desire you, The which my love, and some necessity, Lor. Madam, with all my heart; Por. My people do already know my mind, on you. Jes. I wish your ladyship all heart's content. Por. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas'd To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jessica. [Exeunt JESSICA and LORENZO. Now, Balthazar, As I have ever found thee honest, true, Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin'd speed But get thee gone; I shall be there before thee. Ner. Shall they see us? Por. They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit, That they shall think we are accomplished With what we lack. I'll hold thee any wager, When we are both accouter'd like young men, I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two, And wear my dagger with the braver grace; And speak, between the change of man and boy, With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps Into a manly stride; and speak of frays, Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lies, And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell, Above a twelvemonth:-I have within my mind A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, Which I will practise. Ner. Why, shall we turn to men? Por. Fie! what a question's that, If thou wert near a lewd interpreter? But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device When I am in my coach, which stays for us At the park gate; and therefore haste away, For we must measure twenty miles to-day. [Exeunt. SCENE V.-The same.-A Garden. Enter LAUNCELOT and JESSICA. Laun. Yes, truly :-for, look you, the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore, I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter: Therefore, be of good cheer; for, truly, I think, you are damn'd. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good; and that is but a kind of bastard hope neither. Jes. And what hope is that, I pray thee? Laun. Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew's daughter. Jes. That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed; so the sins of my mother should be visited upon me. Laun. Truly then I fear you are damn'd both by father and mother: thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother: well, you are gone both ways. Jes. I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian. Laun. Truly the more to blame he: we were Christians enough before; e'en as many as could well live, one by another: This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money. Enter LORENZO. Jes. I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say; here he comes. Lor. I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners. Jes. Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are out: he tells me flatly, there is no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter: and he says you are no good member of the commonwealth; for, in converting Jews to Christians, you raise the price of pork. Lor. I shall answer that better to the commonwealth, than you can the getting up of the negro's belly: the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot. Luun. It is much, that the Moor should be more than reason: but if she be less than an honest woman, she is, indeed, more than I took her for. Lor. How every fool can play upon the word! I think, the best grace of wit will shortly turn into silence; and discourse grow commendable in none only but parrots.-Go in, sirrah; bid. them prepare for dinner. Laun. That is done, Sir; they have all stomachs. Lor. Goodly lord, what a wit-snapper are you! then bid them prepare dinner. Luun. That is done too, Sir; only, cover is the word. Lor. Will you cover then, Sir? Laun. Not so, Sir, neither; I know my duty. Lor. Yet more quarrelling with occasion! Wilt thou show the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain meaning: go to thy fellows; bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. Luun. For the table, Sir, it shall be served in; for the meat, Sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, Sir, why, let it be as humours and conceits shall govern. [Exit LAUNCELOT. And on the wager lay two earthly women, Lor. Even such a husband Jes. Nay, but ask my opinion too of that. Lor. No, pray thee, let it serve for table- Jes. Well, I'll set you forth. ACT IV. [Exeunt. SCENE I.-Venice.-A Court of Justice. Enter the DUKE, the Magnificoes; ANTONIO, BASSANIO, GRATIANO, SALARINO, SALANIO, and others. Duke. What, is Antonio here? Ant. Ready, so please your grace. Duke. I am sorry for thee; thou art come to answer A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch Ant. I have heard, Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify durate, And that no lawful means can carry me My patience to his fury; and am arm'd To suffer, with a quietness of spirit, The very tyranny and rage of his. Salan. He's ready at the door: he comes, my lord. Enter SHYLOCK. Duke. Make room, and let him stand before Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, purpose; And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn, Upon your charter, and your city's freedom. swer: As there is no firm reason to be render'd, Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my Bass. Every offence is not a hate at first. Shy. What, would'st thou have a serpent sting thee twice? Ant. I pray you, think you question** with You may as well go stand upon the beach, Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the You may as well do any thing most hard, court. Hatred, malice. * Pity. + Seeming. ↑ Whereas. ¶ Crying. Particular fancy. ** Converse. As seek to soften that (than which what's | Even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet, harder?) His Jewish heart:-Therefore, I do beseech you, Make no more offers, use no further means, Shy. If every ducat in six thousand ducats, Were in six parts, and every part a ducat, I would not draw them, I would have my bond. Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none? Shy. What judgement shall I dread, doing no wrong? You have among you many a purchas'd slave, The slaves are ours :-So do I answer you: Sular. My lord, here stays without Duke. Bring us the letters; Call the messenger. Bass. Good cheer, Antonio! What, man? [all, courage yet! The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood. Ant. I am a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death; the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me : You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio, Than to live still, and write mine epitaph. Enter NERISSA, dressed like a lawyer's clerk. Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? Ner. From both, my lord: Bellario greets [Presents a letter. Bass. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? your grace. Shy. To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there. Gra. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew, Thou mak'st thy knife keen: but no metal can, No, not the hangman's ax, bear half the keen ness Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee? Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make. Gra. O, be thou damn'd, inexorable dog! And for thy life let justice be accus'd. Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith, To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That souls of animals infuse themselves Into the trunks of men: thy currish spirit, Govern'd a wolf; who, hang'd for human slaughter, Malice. And, while thou lay'st in thy unhallow'd dam, Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud: Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend A young and learned doctor to our court :Where is he? Ner. He attendeth here hard by, To know your answer, whether you'll admit him. Duke. With all my heart :-some three or four of you, Go give him courteous conduct to this place.Mean time, the court shall hear Bellario's letter. [Clerk reads.] Your grace shall understand, that, at the receipt of your letter, I am very sick: but in the instant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young doctor of Rome, his name is Balthasar: l'acquainted him with the cause in controversy between the Jew and Antonio the merchant: we turned o'er many books together: he is furnish'd with my opinion; which, better'd with his own learning, (the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend,) comes with him, at my importunity, to fill up your grace's request in my stead. I beseech you, let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation; for I never knew so young a body with so old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his commendation. Duke. You hear the learn'd Bellario, what he writes: And here, I take it, is the doctor come. Enter PORTIA, dressed like a doctor of laws. Give me your hand: Came you from old Bel lario? Por. I did, my lord. Duke. You are welcome: take your place. Por. Is your name Shylock? Por. Of a strange nature is the suit you fol- Ant. Ay, so he says. Por. Do you confess the bond? Por. Then must the Jew be merciful. that. Por. The quality of mercy is not strain'd; It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heaven' Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless'd; It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes: 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings But mercy is above this sceptred sway, It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's, Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the [you, [Venice O wise young judge, how do I honour thee! Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond. Shy. Here 'tis, most reverend doctor, here it is. Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offer'd thee. Shy. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven: Shall I lay perjury upon my soul? Por. Why, this bond is forfeit ; Shy. When it is paid according to the tenor.It doth appear, you are a worthy judge; You know the law, your exposition Hath been most sound: I charge you by the Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar, [law, Proceed to judgement: by my soul I swear, There is no power in the tongue of man To alter me: I stay here on my bond. Ant. Most heartily I do Leseech the court To give the judgement. Por. Why then, thus it is. You must prepare your bosom for his knife: Shy. O noble judge! O excellent young man! Por. For the intent and purpose of the law Hath full relation to the penalty, Which here appeareth due upon the bond. Shy. 'Tis very true: O wise and upright judge! How much more elder art thou than thy looks! So says the bond;-Doth it not, noble judge!- Por. Come, merchant, have you any thing to say? Ant. But little; I am arm'd, and well prepar'd. Give me your hand, Bassanio; fare you well! Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife, Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If she were by, to hear you make the offer. Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love; I would she were in heaven, so she could Entreat some power to change this currish Jew. Ner. "Tis well you offer it behind her back; The wish would make else an unquiet house. Shy. These be the Christian husbands: I have a daughter; 'Would, any of the stock of Barrabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! [Aside. We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence. Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh Por. Thyself shalt see the act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd, Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st. Gra. O learned judge!-Mark, Jew;learned judge! Shy. I take this offer then ;-pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. Bass. Here is the money. [haste;- judge! Por. Therefore, prepare thee to cut off the flesh. Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less, nor more, But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more, Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take the for- Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go. Bass. I have it ready for thee; here it is. Por. He hath refus'd it in the open court; He shall have merely justice, and his bond. Gra. A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel!I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal? Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiTo be so taken at thy peril, Jew. [ture The law hath yet another hold on you. The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it: You take my house, when you do take the prop Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else; for God's sake. Ant. So please my lord the duke, and all the To quit the fine for one half of his goods; Two things provided more,-That, for this fa vour, He presently become a Christian; Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant The pardon, that I late pronounced here. Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou say? Shy. I am content. Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift. Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence; I am not well; send the deed after me, Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. [more, Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit SHYLOCK. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon; I must away this night toward Padua, And it is meet, I presently set forth. Duke. I am sorry, that your leisure serves you not. Antonio, gratify this gentleman; Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted Por. He is well paid, that is well satisfied; Bass. Dear Sir, of force I must attempt you further; Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute, Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you, Not to deny me, and to pardon me. Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. [sake; Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your And, for your love, I'll take this ring from [more; Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no And you in love shall not deny me this. you : Bass. This ring, good Sir,-alas, it is a trifle, The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, Por. I see, Sir, you are liberal in offers: my wife; And, when she put it on, she made me vow, That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it. Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. And if your wife be not a mad woman, ring Bb |