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 wife and upright judge,

How much more elder art thou than thy looks!
Por. Therefore lay bare your bofom.

Shy. Ay, his breaft;

So fays the bond; doth it not, noble judge?
Nearest his heart, those are the very words.

Por. It is fo. Are there scales to weigh the flesh? Shy. I have them ready.

Por. Have by fome furgeon, Shylock, on your`

charge,

To ftop his wounds, left he should bleed to death.
Shy. Is it fo nominated in the bond?

Por. It is not fo exprefs'd; but what of that? "Twere good, you do fo much for charity.

Shy. I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond. Por. Come, merchant, have you any thing to fay? Ant. But little. I am arm'd, and well prepar'd. Give me your hand, Baffanio, fare you well! Grieve not that I am fall'n to this for you: "For herein fortune fhews herself more kind, "Than is her cuftom. It is still her use, "To let the wretched man outlive his wealth, "To view with hollow eye, and wrinkled brow, "An age of poverty:" from which ling'ring penance Of fuch a mifery doth fhe cut me off.

Commend me to your honourable wife;
Tell her the process of Anthonio's end:
Say, how I lov'd you; fpeak me fair in death;
And when the tale is told, bid her be judge,
Whether Baffanio had not once a love.
Repent not you that you shall lofe your friend;
And he repents not that he pays your debt:
For if the Jew do cut but deep enough,
I'll pay it inftantly with all my heart.

Baff. Anthonio, I am married to a wife,
Which is as dear to me as life itself;
But life itself, my wife, and all the world,
Are not with me efteem'd above thy life.

I would lofe all; ay, facrifice them all

Here to this devil, to deliver you.

Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If he were by to hear you make the offer.

Gra. I have a wife, whom, I proteft, I love;

I would the were in heav'n, fo she could
Intreat fome pow'r to change this currifh Jew.
Ner. 'Tis well you offer it behind her back;
The wifh would make elfe an unquiet house.

Shy. These be the Christian husbands. I've a daughWould any of the stock of Barrabas

[ter; Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! [Afide. We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence.

Por. A pound of that fame merchant's flesh is thine; The court awards it, and the law doth give it. Shy. Moft rightful judge!

Por: And- you muft cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it.

Shy. Moft learned judge! a fentence: come, pre

pare.

Por. Tarry a little, there is fomething else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;
The words exprefsly are, a pound of flesh.
Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou doft shed

One drop of Chriftian blood, thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate

Unto the ftate of Venice.

Gra. O upright judge judge!

Shy. Is that the law?

mark, Jew; O learned

Por. Thyfelf fhalt see the act:

For as thou urgeft juftice, be affur'd,

Thou shalt have juftice, more than thou defir'ft.
Gra. O learned judge! mark, Jew; a learned judge!
Shy. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice,
And let the Chriftian go.

Bal. Here is the money.

Por. The Jew fhall have all juftice; foft! no hafte; He fhall have nothing but the penalty.

Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! Per. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh;

Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou lefs, nor more,
But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak❜ft more
Or lefs than a juft pound, be' but fo much
As makes it light or heavy in the fubftance,
On the divifion of the twentieth part
Of one poor fcruple; nay, if the scale turn
But in the eftimation of a hair,

Thou dieft, and all thy goods are confifcate.
Gra. A fecond Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!
Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip.

Por. Why doth the Jew paufe? take the forfeiture. Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go. Baff. I have it ready for thee; here it is. Por. He hath refus'd it in the open court; He shall have merely juftice, and his bond.

Gra. A Daniel, ftill fay I; a fecond Daniel! I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shy. Shall I not barely have my principal?

Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, To be fo taken at thy peril, Jew.

Shy. Why, then the devil give him good of it! I'll ftay no longer queftion.

Por. Tarry, Jew.

The law hath yet another hold on yoù.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice,

If it be prov'd against an alien,

That, by direct or indirect attempts,
He feeks the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive,
Shall feize on half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainft all other voice.
In which predicament, I fay, thou ftand'ft.
For it appears by manifeft proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,
Thou haft contriv'd against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou haft incurr'd

The danger formally by me rehears'd.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.

Gra. Beg, that thou may'ft have leave to hang thyfelf;

And yet thy wealth being forfeit to the state,
Thou haft not left the value of a cord;
Therefore thou must be hang'd at the ftate's charge.
Duke. That thou may'ft fee the diff'rence of our
I pardon thee thy life before thou afk it.
[fpirit,
For half thy wealth, it is Anthonio's ;
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humblenefs may drive unto a fine.

Por. Ay, for the ftate; not for Anthonio.
Shy. Nay, take my life and all: pardon not that.
You take my houfe, when you do take the prop
That doth fuftain my houfe: you take my life,
When you do take the means whereby I live.

Por. What mercy can you render him, Anthonio?
Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's fake.
Ant. So please my Lord the Duke, and all the court,
To quit the fine for one half of his goods,
I am content; fo he will let me have

The other half in ufe, to render it
Upon his death unto the gentleman
That lately ftole his daughter.

Two things provided more, that for this favour
He prefently become a Chriftian;

The other, that he do record a gift

Here in the court, of all he dies poffefs'd,

Unto his fon Lorenzo and his daughter.

Duke. He fhall do this, or else I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what doft 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,

And I will fign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In chrift'ning thou shalt have two godfathers. Had I been judge, thou should'ft have had ten more, To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

[Exit Shylock, Duke. Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do defire your Grace of pardon;

I muft away this night to Padua,

And it is meet I prefently fet forth.

Duke. I'm forry that your leisure ferves you not." Anthonio, gratify this gentleman;

For in my mind you are much bound to him.

[Exit Duke and his train.

Baff. Moft worthy Gentleman! I and my friend
Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Ant. And ftand indebted, over and above,
In love and fervice to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid that is well fatisfy'd;
And I, delivering you, am fatisfy'd,
And therein do account myfelf well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;
I wish you well, and fo I take my leave.

Baff. Dear Sir, of force I must attempt you further.
Take fome remembrance of us, for a tribute,
Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves, I'll wear 'em for your fake;
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you.
Do not draw back your hand, I'll take no more;
And you in love fhall not deny me this.

Baff. This ring, good Sir, alas, it is a trifle;
I will not shame myself to give you this.
Por. I will have nothing elfe but only this;

And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Ba. There's more depends on this, than on the value.

The deareft ring in Venice will I give you,
And find it out by proclamation;

Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Por. I fee, Sir, you are liberal in offers You taught me firft to beg; and now, methinks, You teach me how a beggar should be anfwer'd.` Bal Good Sir, this ring was giv'n me by my wife.