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Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;

And then I told you true: and yet, dear lady,
Rating myself at nothing, you shall see

How much I was a braggart: When I told you
My state was nothing, I should then have told you
That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,
I have engag'd myself to a dear friend,
Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady;
The paper as the body of my friend,
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Iffuing life-blood.-But is it true, Salerio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? What, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And not one veffel 'scape the dreadful touch

Of merchant-marring rocks?

SALE. Not one, my

lord.

Besides, it should appear, that if he had
The prefent money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it: Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the fhape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man :
He plies the duke at morning, and at night;
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,
The duke himself, and the magnificoes

Of greatest port, have all perfuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.

JES. When I was with him, I have heard him swear, To Tubal, and to Chus, his countrymen,

That he would rather have Antonio's flesh,

VOL. II.

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Than twenty times the value of the fum

That he did owe him: and I know, my lord,

If law, authority, and power deny not,

It will

go hard with poor Antonio.

POR. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble?
BASS. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,
The best condition'd and unwearied fpirit
In doing courtefies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
POR. What fum owes he the Jew?
BASS. For me, three thousand ducats.
POR. What, no more?

Pay him fix thousand, and deface the bond;
Double fix thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this defcription

Shall lofe a hair through Baffanio's fault.
First, go with me to church, and call me wife;
And then away to Venice to your friend;
For never fhall you lie by Portia's fide
With an unquiet foul. You fhall have gold
Το pay the petty debt twenty times over;
When it is paid, bring your true friend along :
My maid Neriffa, and myself, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows. Come, away;
shall hence upon your wedding-day :
your friends welcome, show a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.

For

Bid

you

But let me hear the letter of your friend.

BASS. [reads.] Sweet Baffanio, my ships have all mifcarried, my creditors grow grow cruel, my eftate is very low, my bond to the few is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impossible I could live, all debts are cleared between you and I, if I

might but fee you at my death: notwithstanding, ufe your pleafure: if your love do not perfuade you to come, let not my let

ter.

POR. O love, dispatch all business, and be gone.
BASS. Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make hafte: but, till I come again,
No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay,

No reft be interpofer 'twixt us twain.

SCENE III. Venice. A Street.

[Exeunt.

Enter SHYLOCK, SALANIO, ANTONIO, and GAOLER. SHY. Gaoler, look to him ;-Tell not me of mercy ;This is the fool that lent out money gratis ;

Gaoler, look to him.

ANT. Hear me yet, good Shylock.

SHY. I'll have my bond; speak not against my bond; I have fworn an oath, that I will have my bond: Thou call❜ft me dog, before thou hadft a cause: But, fince I am a dog, beware my fangs : The duke fhall grant me justice.—I do wonder, Thou naughty gaoler, that thou art fo fond To come abroad with him at his request.

ANT. I pray thee, hear me speak.

Sør. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak :
I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more.
I'll not be made a foft and dull-ey'd fool,

To shake the head, relent, and figh, and yield
To Christian interceffors. Follow not;
I'll have no speaking; I will have my bond.

[Exit SHYLOCK. SALAN. It is the most impenetrable cur,

That ever kept with men.

ANT. Let him alone;

I'll follow him no more with bootlefs prayers.
He seeks my life; his reason well I know;
I oft deliver'd from his forfeitures

Many that have at times made moan to me;
Therefore he hates me.

SALAN. I am fure, the duke

Will never grant this forfeiture to hold.

ANT. The duke cannot deny the course of law;
For the commodity that strangers have
With us in Venice, if it be denied,

Will much impeach the justice of the state;
Since that the trade and profit of the city
Confifteth of all nations. Therefore, go:
These griefs and loffes have so 'bated me,
That I fhall hardly fpare a pound of flesh
To-morrow to my bloody creditor..

Well, gaoler, on:-Pray God, Bassanio come

To see me pay his debt, and then I care not! [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Belmont. A Room in PORTIA'S House. Enter PORTIA, NERISSA, LORENZO, JESSICA, and

BALTHAZAR.

LOR. Madam, Although I speak it in your presence, You have a noble and a true conceit

Of god-like amity; which appears most strongly
In bearing thus the abfence of your lord.
But, if

you knew to whom you show this honour,
How true a gentleman you fend relief,
How dear a lover of my lord your husband,
I know, you would be prouder of the work,
Than cuftomary bounty can enforce you.

POR. I never did repent for doing good,
Nor fhall not now: for in companions

That do converfe and waste the time together,
Whose fouls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners, and of fpirit;
Which makes me think, that this Antonio,
Being the bofom lover of my lord,
Muft needs be like my lord: If it be fo,
How little is the coft. I have bestow'd,
In purchasing the semblance of my foul
From out the state of hellish cruelty?
This comes too near the praifing of myself;
Therefore, no more of it: hear other things.-
Lorenzo, I commit into your hands

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The husbandry and manage of my house,
Until my lord's return: for mine own part,
I have toward heaven breath'd a fecret vow,
To live in prayer and contemplation,
Only attended by Neriffa here,

Until her husband and my lord's return:
There is a monastery two miles off,

And there we will abide. I do defire you,

Not to deny this impofition;

The which my love, and fome neceffity,

Now lays upon you.

LOR. Madam, with all my heart;

I fhall obey you in all fair commands.

POR. My people do already know my mind, And will acknowledge you and Jeffica

In place of lord Baffanio and myself.

So fare

you well, till we shall meet again.

LOR. Fair thoughts, and happy hours, attend on you! JES. I wish your ladyship all heart's content.

POR. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas'd

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