Baff. Be affured you may.

Sny. I will be affured I may and that I may be affured, I will bethinke me, may I fpeake with Anthonio?

Baff. If it please you to dine with vs.

Shy. Yes, to fmell porke, to eate of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite coniured the diuell into: I will buy with you, fell with you, talke with you, walke with you, and fo following: but I will not eate with you, drinke with you, nor pray with you. What newes on the Ryalto, who is he comes heere?

Enter Anthonio.

Baff. This is figniour Anthonio.

Shy. How like a fawning publican he lookes. I hate him for he is a chriftian :

But more, for that in lowe fimplicity

He lends out mony gratis, and brings downe
The rate of vfance heere with vs in Venice.
If I can catch him once vpon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I beare him.
He hates our facred nation, and he rayles
Euen there where merchants moft do congregate,
On me, my bargaines, and my well-won thrift,
Which he cals interest: curfed be my tribe
If I forgiue him.

Baff. Shylocke, do you heare.

Shy. I am debating of my prefent store,
And by the neere gueffe of my memory,
I cannot inftantly raise vp the groffe
Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?
Tuball, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,

Will furnish me; but foft, how many months.

Doe

Doe you defire? Reft you faire good fignior,
Your worship was the last man in our mouthes.

Ant. Shylocke, although I neither lend nor borrow,
By taking nor by giuing of exceffe,

Yet to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,

Ile breake a custome: are you refolu'd, †
How much he would haue §?

Shy. I, I, three thousand ducats.

Ant. And for three moneths.

Shy. I had forgot, three months, you told me fo. Well then, your bond: and let me fee, but heare you, Me-thought you faid, you neither lend nor borrow Vpon aduantage.

Ant. I do neuer vse it.

Shy. When Iacob graz'd his vnckle Labans fheepe,

This Iacob from our holy Abram was

(As his wife mother wrought in his behalfe)

The third poffeffer; I, he was the third.

Ant. And what of him, did he take interest ?
Shy. No, not take intereft, not as you would fay
Directly intereft, marke what lacob did,
When Laban and himfelfe were compremyzd,
That all the eanelings which were streakt and pied,
Should fall as Jacobs hier, the ewes being rancke,
In th'end of autumne turned to the rams,
And when the worke of generation was
Betweene these woolly breeders in the acte,
The skilful shepheard pyld me certaine wands,
And in the doing of the deed of kinde,
He stucke them vp before the fulfome ewes,
Who then conceiuing, did in eaning time

*albeit. + is be yet poffeft. ‡ye would? baue omitted in two of the

copies,

in end.

Fall

Fall party-coloured lambes, and thofe were lacobs.
This was a way to thriue, and he was bleft:
And thrift is bleffing if men steale it not.

Ant. This was a venture fir, that Iacob fer'ud for,
A thing not in his power to bring to passe,
But fwayd and fashion'd by the hand of heauen.
Was this inferted to make intereft good?
Or is your gold and filuer, ewes and rams ?
Shy. I cannot tell, I make it breed as fast,
But note me fignior.

Ant. Marke you this Bassanio,

The diuell can cite fcripture for his purpose,
An euill foule producing holy witnesse,
Is like a villaine with a smiling cheeke,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O what a goodly outfide falfhood hath.

Shy. Three thousand ducats, tis a good round fum.
Three months from twelue, then let me fee the rate.
Ant. Well Shylocke, fhall we be beholding to you?
Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft

In the Ryalto you haue rated me

About my monies and my vfances:

Still haue I borne it with a patient fhrug,
(For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe)
You call me misbeleeuer, cut-throate dog,
And fpet vpon my lewish gaberdine,

And all for vfe of that which is mine owne.
Well then, it now appeares you need my helpe
Goe to then, you come to me, and you say,
Shylocke, we would haue monies, you fay fo:
You that did voyd your rume vpon my beard,
And foote me as you fpurne a ftranger curre
Ouer your threshold, money is your fute,
What should I fay to you? should I not say,

Hath

Hath a dog money? is it poffible

A curre can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and in a bond-mans key,
With bated breath, and whispring humblenesse
Say this: faire fir, you spet on me on Wendsday last,
You fpurn'd me fuch a day another time,
You call'd me dog: and for these curtefies
Ile lend you thus much monies.

Ant. I am as like to call thee fo againe,
To spet on thee againe, to spurne thee to.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friends, for when did friendship take
A breed for barren mettall of his friend?

But lend it rather to thine enemy,

Who if he breake, thou maist with better face
Exact the penalty.

Shy. Why looke you how you ftorme,

I would be friends with you, and haue your loue,
Forget the shames that you haue ftain'd me with,
Supply your prefent wants, and take no doyte
Of vfance for my monies, and you'l not heare me,
This is kinde I offer.

Bal. This were kindnesse.

Shy. This kindneffe will I fhow,

Goe with me to a notarie, feale me there
Your fingle bond, and in a merry sport,
If you repay me not on fuch a day

In fuch a place, fuch fumme or fummes as are
Exprest in the condition, let the forfeit

Be nominated for an equall pound

Of

your faire flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleafeth me.

Ant. Content ifaith, Ile feale to fuch a bond, And fay there is much kindneffe in the Iew.

Baff. You fhall not feale to such a bond for me, Ile rather dwell in my neceffity.

An. Why feare not man, I will not forfet it, Within these two months, that's a month before This bond expires, I do expect returne

Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

Shy. O father Abram, what these chriftians are,
Whofe owne hard dealings teaches them fufpect
The thoughts of others: pray you tell me this,
If he should breake his day, what should I gaine
By the exaction of the forfeiture ?

A pound of mans flesh taken from a man,
Is not fo eftimable, profitable neyther
As flesh of muttons, beefes, or goats, I fay,
To buy his fauour, I extend this friendship,
If he will take it fo, if not adiew,

And for my loue, I pray you wrong me not.

Ant. Yes Shylocke, I will feale vnto this bond. Shy. Then meete me forthwith at the noteries, Giue him direction for this merry bond,

And I will goe and purse the ducats straight,

See to my house, left in the fearefull guard

Of an vnthrifty knaue; and prefently

Ile be with you.

Exit.

Ant. Hie thee gentle Iew: the Hebrew will turne christian,

he growes fo* kinde.

Baff. I like not faire termes, and a villaines minde.

Ant. Come on, in this there can be no difmay.

My fhips come home a month before the day..

Exeunt.

Enter Morochus a tawny Moore all in white, and three or foure followers accordingly, with Portia, Nerriffa, and their traine. Moroc. Miflike me not for my complexion,

* fe omitted in two copies.

The