eases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction. Enter a Servant. Serv. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both. Salar. We have been up and down to seek him. Enter TUBAL. Salan. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt SALAN., SALAR. and Servant. Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? Hast thou found my daughter? Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her. Shy. Why there, there, there, there! A diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now. Two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels.-I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! 'Would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them?-Why, so ;-and I know not what's spent in the search. Why, thou loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge; nor no ill luck stirring but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs, but o' my breathing; no tears, but o' my shedding. Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa, Shy. What, what, what? Ill luck, ill luck? Tub. hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God, I thank God!-Is it true? is it true? Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck. Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal.-Good news, good Ha ha!-Where? In Genoa? news! Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats. Shy. Thou stickest a dagger in me.--I shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting! Fourscore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break. Shy. I am very glad of it; I'll plague him; I'll torture him; I am glad of it. Tub. One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal. It was my turquoise; I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor. I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone. Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true. Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt. 1 The turquoise is a well-known precious stone found in the veins of the mountains on the confines of Persia to the east. In old times, its value was much enhanced by the magic properties attributed to it in common with other precious stones, one of which was, that it faded or brightened its hue as the health of the wearer increased or grew less. SCENE II. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, and Attendants. The Caskets are set out. Por. I pray you tarry; pause a day or two, But lest you should not understand me well, 2 I speak too long; but 'tis to peize the time; Bass. Let me choose, For as I am, I live upon the rack. Por. Upon the rack, Bassanio? Then confess What treason there is mingled with your love. Bass. None, but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear the enjoying of my love. 1 To be o'erlooked, forelooked, or eye-bitten, was a term for being bewitched by an evil eye. 2 To pieze is from peser (Fr.), to weigh or balance. There may as well be amity and life 'Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. Bass. Promise me life, and I'll confess the truth. Bass. Had been the very sum of Confess, and love, my confession. O happy torment, when my torturer Doth teach me answers for deliverance ! If Por. Away then; I'm locked in one of them; you do love me, you will find me out. Nerissa, and the rest, stand all aloof.— Let music sound, while he doth make his choice; May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream, And what is music then! Then music is Live thou, I live.-With much, much more dismay Music, whilst BASSANIO comments on the Caskets to himself. 1 i. e dignity of mien. SONG. 1. Tell me, where is fancy1 bred, 2. It is engendered in the eyes, Let us all ring fancy's knell; I'll begin it, Ding, dong, bell. All. Ding, dong, bell. Bass. So may the outward shows be least them selves: The world is still deceived with ornament.2 In law, what plea so tainted and 1 Love. 2 Bassanio begins abruptly, the first part of the argument having passed in his mind. 3 i. e. justify it. 4 That is, what a little higher is called the beard of Hercules. |