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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, sacrifice 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 fhe were in heaven, fo fhe could
Entreat fome power to change this currifh Jew.
Ner. 'Tis well you offer it behind her back :
The wifh would make elfe an unquiet house.

Shy. Thefe be the Chriftian hufbands: I have a daughter;

Would, any of the ftock of Barrabas

Had been her husband, rather than a Chriftian! [Afide. -We trifle time; I pray thee, purfue fentence.

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, prepare. 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 fhed

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

Unto the ftate of Venice.

Gra. O upright judge !-Mark, Jew ;-O learned judge!

Shy. Is that the law?

Por. Thyfelf fhall fee the act :

For, as thou urgeft justice, be affur'd,

Thou fhalt have justice, more than thou defir'ft.
Gra. Olearned judge!-Mark, Jew;—a learned judge!
Shy. I take this offer then ;-pay the bond thrice,
And let the Christian go.

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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!
Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou lefs, nor more,
But juft a pound of flesh: if thou tak'ft more,
Or lefs, than just a pound,-be it 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 fcale turn
But in the estimation of a hair,-

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

Por. Why doth the Jew paufe ?-take thy 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 fhall 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 fhalt 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 you.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice

If it be prov'd againft an alien,

That, by direct, or indirect attempts,

He feek the life of any citizen,

The party, 'gainft 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 formerly by me rehears'd.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke.

Gra. Beg, that thou may'ft have leave to hang thyself;
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 state's charge.
Duke. That thou may'ft fee the difference of our spirit,
I pardon thee thy life before thou afk it:
For half thy wealth, it is Anthonio's ;
The other half comes to the general ftate,
Which humbleness 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 house, when you do take the prop,
That doth sustain 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 elfe, for God's fake.
Anth. 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 presently become a Christian;

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 elfe 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 fend the deed after me,

And I will fign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In chriftening thou shalt have two godfathers; Had I been judge, thou fhould't have had ten more,[7] To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit SHY. A** Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner.

[9] i. e. A jury of twelve men, to condemn thee to be hanged. THEO.

Por. I humbly do defire your grace of pardon; I must away this night to Padua,

And it is meet, I prefently fet forth.

Duke. I am forry that your leisure ferves you nòt.--Anthonio, gratify this gentleman;

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

[Exeunt Duke, and bis train,

Baff. Moft worthy gentleman, I and my friend
Have by your wifdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Anth. 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 myself 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 fir, of force, I muft 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 them 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 shall not deny me this.

Baff. This ring, good fir,-alas, it is a trifle ;. I will not shame myself to give you this.

Por. I will have nothing else but only this;

And now, methinks I have a mind to it.

Baff. There's more depends on this, than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,

And find it out by proclamation;

Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Por. I fee, fir, you are liberal in offers:

wife;

You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar fhould be anfwer'd.
Baff. Good fir, this ring was given me by my
And when the put it on, fhe made me vow,
That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.
Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts,

An if your wife be not a mad woman,
And know how well I have deferv'd this ring,
She would not hold out enmity for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!
[Exit with NERISSA.
Anth. My lord Baffanio, let him have the ring;
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandment.

Baff. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canft,
Unto Anthonio's house :-away, make hafte.-
Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont: Come, Anthonio.

Re-enter PORTIA and NERISSA.

[Exeunt.

Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, And let him fign it: We'll away to-night,

And be a day before our husbands home:
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter GRATIANO.

Gra. Fair fir, you are well o'erta'en;
My lord Baffanio, upon more advice,

Hath fent you here this ring; and doth entreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be :

This ring I do accept most thankfully,

And fo, I pray you, tell him: Furthermore,
I pray you, fhew my youth old Shylock's houfe.
Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would fpeak with you :-

I'll fee if I can get my husband's ring,

[TO PORTIA

Which I did make him swear to keep forever.

Por. Thou may'ft, I warrant: We fhall have old fwearing,

That they did give the rings away to men;

But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too.— Away, make hafte; thou know'ft where I will tarry. Ner. Come, good fir, will you fhew me to this house ?

[Exeunt.

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