The prefent money to difcharge the Iew,
He would not take it: neuer did I know
A creature that did beare the shape of man,
So keene and greedy to confound a man.
He plies the Duke at morning and at night,
And doth impeach the freedome of the ftate
If they deny him iuftice.Twenty Merchants,
The Duke himselfe, and the Magnificoes
Of greatest port haue all perfwaded with him,
But none can driue him from the enuious plea
Of forfeyture,of iuftice, and his bond,

Leffica. When I was with him, I haue heard him sweare
To Tuball and to Chus, his Country-men,
That he would rather haue Anthonios flesh,
Then twenty times the value of the summe
That he did owe him: and I know my Lord,
If law,authority, and power deny not,
It will go hard with poore Anthonio.

Por.Is it your deare friend that is thus in trouble?
Baff. The deereft friend to me,the kindest man,
The best condition'd and vnwearied fpirit
In doing courtefies: and one in whom

The ancient Romane honour more appeares,
Then any that drawes breath in Italy.

Por.What fumme owes he the Iew?

Ba.For me three thousand Ducats.

Por. What no more,pay him fix thousand & deface the bond, Double fixe thousand,and then treble that,

Before a friend of this defcription

Shall lofe a haire through Bafanios fault.
First go with me to Church,and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend;
For neuer fhall you lye by Portias fide
With an vnquiet foule. You fhall haue gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times ouer.
When it is paid,bring your true friend along;

My

3

My maide Nerriffa, and my felfe meane time
Will liue as maides and widdowes; come away,
For you fhall hence vpon your wedding day.
Bid your friends welcome, fhew a merry cheere,
Since you are deere bought, I will loue you deere,
But let me heare the letter of your friend.

Sweet Bassanio, My ships haue all miscarried,my Creditors grow cruell, my estate is very low my band to the Lew is forfet, and fince in paying it, it is impossible should line, all debts are cleered betweene you and I if I might but fee you at my death. Notwithstanding, vse your pleasure; if your lone doe not perswade you to come, let not my

Letter.

O Loue! dispatch all bufineffe,and be gone.

Baff. Since I haue your good leaue to go away,

I will make haft. But till I come againe,
No bed fhall ere be guilty of my stay,

No reft be interposer twixt vs.swaine.

Enter the low, and Salarino, and Anthonio,
and the laylor.

Iew Taylor, looke to him, tell not me of mercy,
This is the foole that lent out money gratis.
Taylor, looke to him.

An. Heare me yet good Shylocks.

Iew. Ile haue my bond, fpeake not against my bond:
I haue fworne an oath, that I will haue my bond.
Thou cald't me dogge before thou hadfta caufe,
But fince I am a dogge, beware my fangs.
The Duke hall grant me iuftice I do wonder
Thou naughty laylor that thou art fo fond
To come abroad with him at his requeft.
An. I prethee heare mespeake.

lew. Ile haue my bond; I will not heare thee speake;
Ile haue my bond,and therefore fpeake no more,

Exennt.

Ile not be made a foft and dull. ey'd foole,
To shake the head, relent, and figh,and yeeld
To Chriftian interceffors: follow not,
Ile haue no fpeaking,I will haue my bond.

Sol. It is the most impenetrable curre
That euer kept with men.

Ant. Let him alone,

Exit Iew.

Ile follow him no more with bootleffe prayers.
He feckes my life, his reason well I know:

I oft deliuer'd from his forfeitures

Many that haue at times made mone to mee,
Therefore he hates me.

Sal. I am fure the Duke will neuer grant

This forfeyture to hold.

An. The Duke cannot deny the courfe of Law: For the commodity that firangers haue

With vs in Venice, if it be denied,

Will much impeach the iuftice of his state,
Since that the trade and profit of the City
Confifteth of all Nations. Therefore goe,
Thefe greefes and loffes haue fo bated me,
That I fhall hardly fpare a pound of flesh
To morrow, to my bloody Creditor.
VVell Iaylor on, pray God Bassanio come
To fee me pay his debt,and then I care not. Exeunt.

Enter Portia, Nerriffa, Lorenzo, Ieffica, and a
man of Portias.

Lor.Madam,although I fpeake it in your presence,
You haue a noble and a true conceite

OfGod-like amity, which appeares most strongly,
In bearing thus the abfence of your Lord.
But if you knew to whom you fhew this honour,
How true a Gentleman you fend releefe,

How

How deere a louer of my Lord your husband,
I know you would be prouder of the wotke,
Then cuftomary bounty can enforce you.

Por. I neuer did repent for doing good,
Nor fhall not now: for in companions
That do conuerfe and waste the time together,
Whose foules do beare an equall yoke of loue,
There must be needs a like proportion
Oflineaments, of manners, and of fpirit:
Which makes me thinke, that this Anthonie
(Being the bofome-louer of my Lord)it
Muft needs be like my Lord. Ifit befo,
How little is the coft I haue bestowed
In purchafing the semblance of my foule,
From out the ftate of hellifh mifery.
This comes too neere the praifing of my selfe,
Therefore no more of it: heere other things
Lorenzo I commit into your hands,

The husbandry and manage of my house,
Vntill my Lords returne. For mine owne part,
I haue toward heauen breath'd a fecret vow,
To liue in prayer and contemplation,
Onely attended by Nerriffa heere,
Vntill her husband,and my Lords returne.
There is a Monaftery two miles off,
And there will we abide. I do defire you,
Not to deny this impofition,

The which my loue, and fome neceffity
Now layes vpon you.

Lor. Madame, with all my heart,

I fhall obey you in all faire commands.

Por. My people do already know my mind, And will acknowledge you and leffica,

In place of Lord Bassanio and

my felfe

And fo farewell till we fhall meete againe.

Lor.Faire thoughts & happy hours attend on you.

Ga

lef.

With gazing fed, and Fancie dies :

In the cradle where it lyes,

Let us all ring Fancies knell.

Ile begin it.

Ding, dong, bell.

All. Ding, dong, bell.

Baff.So may the outward fhowes be leaft thefelues
The world is ftill deceiu'd with ornament.
In Law, what plea fo tainted and corrupt,
But being feafon'd with a gracious voice,
Obfcures the show of euill. In religion
What damned error but fome fober brow
Will bleffe it,and approue it with a text,
Hiding the grofenes with faire ornament:
There is no voice fo fimple, but affumes
Some of vertue on his outward parts;
How many cowards whofe hearts are all as falfe
As ftaiers of fand,weare yet vpon their chins
The beards of Hercules,and frowning Mars,
Who inward fearcht,haue lyuers white as milke,
And these affume but valours excrement,
To render them redoubted. Looke on beauty,
And you shall fee tis purchaft by the weight,
Which therein works a miracle in nature,
Making them lighteft that weare most of it:
So are thofe crifped fnaky golden locks

Which maketh fuch wanton gambals with the wind,
Vpon fuppofed faireneffe,often knowne

To be the dowry of a second head,

The skull that bred them in the Sepulcher.
Thus ornament is but the guiled fhore.
To a most dangerous fea : the beautious scarfe
Vailing an Indian beauty; In a word,
The feeming truth which cunning times put on
To intrap the wifeft. Therefore thou gaudy gold,

Hard