'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; It is an attribute to God himself; . And earthly power doth then show likest God's, Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice Por. Is he not able to discharge the money? And I beseech you, Por. It must not be; there is no power in Venice Can alter a decree established: 'Twill be recorded for a precedent; And many an error, by the same example, Will rush into the state: it cannot be.. Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel !— O wise young judge, how do I honour thee! Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond. [5] An imprecation adopted from that of the Jews to Pilate: "His blood be on us, and our children!" HENLEY. [6] Malice oppresses honesty; a true man in old language is an honest man. now call the jury good men and true. JOHNSON. We Shy. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven: Shall I lay perjury upon my soul? No, not for Venice. Por. Why, this bond is forfeit; And lawfully by this the Jew may claim Nearest the merchant's heart :-Be merciful; Hath been most sound: I charge you by the law, Por. Why then, thus it is. You must prepare your bosom for his knife. Which here appeareth due upon the bond. Shy. 'Tis very true: O wise and upright judge! So says the bond ;-Doth it not, noble judge ?— Por. It is so. Are there balance here, to weigh Shy. I have them ready. Por. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death. Shy. Is it so nominated in the bond? Por. It is not so express'd; But what of that? Twere good you do so much for charity. Por Come, merchant, have you any thing to say? 43 Than is her custom : it is still her use, To let the wretched man out-live his wealth, Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife, Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If she were by, to hear you make the offer. Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love; I would she were in heaven, so she could Shy. These be the Christian husbands: I have a daughter; 'Would, any of the stock of Barrabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! [Aside. We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence. Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine; The court awards it, and the law doth give it. Shy. Most rightful judge! Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it. Shy. Most learned judge !—A sentence; come, prepare. This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate Gra. O upright judge!-Mark, Jew;-O learned judge! Shy. Is that the law? Por. Thyself shalt see the act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd, Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st. Bass. Here is the money. Por. Soft; The Jew shall have all justice ;-soft !—no haste ;— Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip. Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture. Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go. Bass. I have it ready for thee; here it is. Por. He hath refus'd it in the open court; He shall have merely justice, and his bond. Gra. A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel !— I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal? Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. Shy. Why then the devil give him good of it! I'll stay no longer question. Por. Tarry, Jew; The law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be prov'd against an alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts, He seek the life of any citizen, The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, Thou hast contriv'd against the very life Gra. Beg, that thou may'st have leave to hang thyself. And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Thou hast not left the value of a cord; Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's ; Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio. Shy. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that: You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life, When you do take the means whereby I live. Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio ? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else; for God's sake. Ant. So please my lord the duke, and all the court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods; I am content, so he will let me have The other half in use,-to render it, Upon his death, unto the gentleman Two things provided more,-That, for this favour, The other, that he do record a gift, Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd, Unto his son Lorenzo, and his daughter. Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant The pardon, that I late pronounced here. [7] Antonio's offer is, "that he will quit the fine for one half of his fortune, pro vided that he will let him have it at interest during the Jew's life, to render it on his death to Lorenzo." M. MASON. |