How much you would? Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. Ant. And for three months. Shy. I had forgot,-three months, you told me so. Well then, your bond; and, let me see,-But hear you; Methought, you said, you neither lend, nor borrow, Upon advantage. Ant. I do never use it. Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's sheep, This Jacob from our holy Abraham was (As his wise mother wrought in his behalf) The third possessor; ay, he was the third. Ant. And what of him? did he take interest? He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes ; Fall party-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob's. This was a way to thrive, and he was blest; And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not. Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv'd for ; A thing not in his power to bring to pass, But sway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heaven. Or is your gold and silver, ewes and rams? But note me, signior. Ant. Mark you this, Bassanio, The devil can cite scripture for his purpose." Is like a villain with a smiling cheek; A goodly apple rotten at the heart; O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath ! Shy. Three thousand ducats,-'tis a good round sum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. [7] See St. Matthew, iy. 6. HENLEY. Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholden to you? And all for use of that which is mine own. A cur can lend three thousand ducats? Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last; Ant. I am as like to call thee so again, As to thy friends; (for when did friendship take Who if he break, thou may'st with better face Shy. Why, look you, how you storm ! I would be friends with you, and have your love, [8] Usance, in our author's time, I believe, signified interest of money. It has been once before used in this play in that sense. MALONE. [9] A breed, i.e. interest money bred from the principal. By the epithet barren, the author would instruct us in the argument on which the advocates against usury went, which is this; that money is a barren thing, and cannot, like corn and cattle, multiply itself. And to set off the absurdity of this kind of usury, he put breed and barren in opposition. WARBURTON. Dr. Warburton very truly interprets this passage. Old Meres says, "Usuvie and encrease by gold and silver is unlawful, because against nature; nature hath made them sterill and barren, usurie makes them procreative. FARMER. Supply your present wants, and take no doit Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me : Ant. This were kindness. Shy. This kindness will I show :- In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken Ant. Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond, Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me, I'll rather dwell in my necessity. Ant. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it: Within these two months, that's a month before This bond expires, I do expect return Of thrice three times the value of this bond. Shy. O father Abraham, what these Christians are; A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, And I will go and purse the ducats straight; I will be with you. Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. [Exit. 'This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. SCENE I.-Belmont. ACT II. A Room in PORTIA's House. Flourish of cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and his Train; PORTIA, NERISSA, and other of her Attendants. Morocco. MISLIKE me not for my complexion, To prove whose blood is reddest, his, or mine. * Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue, Bars me the right of voluntary choosing: And hedg'd me by his wit, 3 to yield myself Mor. Even for that I thank you ; [1] To understand how the tawny prince, whose savage dignity is very well supported, means to recommend himself by this challenge, it must be remembered that red blood is a traditionary sign of courage: Thus Macbeth calls one of his frighted soldiers, a lily-liver'd boy; again, in this plav, Cowards are said to have livers white as milk; and an effeminate and timorous man is termed a milksop. JOHNSON. It is customary in the east for lovers to testify the violence of their passion by cutting themselves in the sight of their mistresses. See Habits du Levant, pl. 43, and Picart's Religious Ceremonies, Vol. VII. p. 111. HARRIS. [2] i. e. terrify'd. To fear is often used by our old writers, in this sense. STEEVENS. [3] I suppose we may safely read-and hedg'd me by his will. Confined me by his will. JOHNS. As the ancient meaning of wit, was sagacity, or power of mind, I have not misplaced the original reading. See our author, passim. STEEVENS. That slew the Sophy, and a Persian prince, And so may I, blind fortune leading me, Por. You must take your chance; And either not attempt to choose at all, Or swear, before you choose,-if you choose wrong, In way of marriage; therefore be advis'd. Mor. Nor will not; come, bring me unto my chance. Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner Your hazard shall be made. Mor. Good fortune then! [Cornets. To make me bless't, or cursed'st among men. [Exeunt. Venice. A Street. SCENE II. Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO. Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master: The fiend is at mine elbow ; and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away: My conscience says,-no; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo; or, as aforesaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy heels: Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; via ! says the fiend; away! says the fiend, for the heavens ; rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me,-my honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son,—or rather an honest woman's son;-for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste ;—well, my con |