The Complete Works of Shakspeare, Revised from the Best Authorities : with a Memoir, and Essay on His Genius

Por. The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven. Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown. His scepter shews the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings: But mercy is above this sceptered sway; It is enthronéd in the hearts of kings; It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then shew likest God's When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That, in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy; And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much To mitigate the justice of thy plea;

Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice

Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

Shy. A Daniel come to judgment: yea, a
Daniel!

O wise young judge, how do I honor thee!
Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond.
Shy. Here't is, most reverend doctor; here it is.
Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offered

thee.

Shy. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in hea

ven:

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 A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off Nearest the merchant's heart. Be merciful; Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond. Shy. When it is paid according to the tenor. It doth appear you are a worthy judge; You know the law, your exposition Hath been most sound. I charge you by the law, Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar, Proceed to judgment: by my soul I swear, There is no power in the tongue of man To alter me. I stay here on my bond. Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court To give the judgment.

Por. Why then, thus it is:

Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the You must prepare your bosom for his knife:

law,

The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

Por. Is he not able to discharge the money? Bass. Yes, here I tender it for him in the court;

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 wise and upright

judge!

How much more elder art thou than thy looks!
Por. Therefore lay bare your bosom.
Shy. Ay, his breast:

Yea, twice the sum: if that will not suffice,
I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er,
On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart:
If this will not suffice, it must appear
That malice bears down truth. And I beseech So says the bond:

you,

Wrest once the law to your authority:
To do a great right, do a little wrong;
And curb this cruel devil of his will.

Por. It must not be: there is no power in

Venice

Can alter a decree established:

"T will be recorded for a precedent; And many an error, by the same example, Will rush into the state: it cannot be.

- doth it not, noble judge? Nearest his heart; those are the very words. Por. It is so. Are there balance here, to weigh The flesh?

Shy. I cannot find it: 't is not in the bond. Por. Come, merchant, have you anything to say?

Ant. But little: I am armed, and well prepared.
Give me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well!
Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you;
For herein Fortune shews herself more kind
Than is her custom. 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 lingering penance
Of such a misery doth she cut me off.
Commend me to your honorable wife:
Tell her the process of Antonio's end;

Say how I loved you; speak me fair in death;
And when the tale is told, bid her be judge
Whether Bassanio had not once a love.
Repent not you that you shall lose your friend,
And he repents not that he pays your debt;
For, if the Jew do cut but deep enough,
I'll pay it instantly with all my heart.

Bass. Antonio, 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 esteemed above thy life:
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all
Here to this devil, to deliver you.

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
Entreat some power to change this currish Jew.
Ner. 'T is well you offer it behind her back;
The wish would make else an unquiet house.
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.

Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,
Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate.
Gra. A second Daniel; a Daniel, Jew!
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 refused 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, Upon his death, unto the gentleman To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.

That lately stole his daughter.

Shy. Why then the devil give him good of it! Two things provided more:-that, for this favor, I'll stay no longer question.

The law hath yet another hold on you.
It is enacted in the laws of Venice,-
If it be proved against an alien,
That, by direct or indirect attempts,
He seek the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one 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, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament I say thou stan'dst:
For it appears by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,
Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurred.

The danger formerly by me rehearsed.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.

He presently become a Christian;
The other, that he do record a gift,
Here in the court, of all he dies possessed,
Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter.

Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant
The pardon that I late pronounced here.
Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou
say?

Gra. Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our And it is meet I presently set forth.

spirit,

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's:
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.
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.

Duke. I am sorry that your leisure serves you

not.

Antonio, gratify this gentleman;

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.
[Exeunt DUKE, Magnificoes,
and Train.

Bass. Most worthy gentlemen, 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 stand indebted, over and above,
In love and service to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid that is well satisfied;

Ant. So please my lord the Duke, and all the And I, delivering you, am satisfied,

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,

And therein do account myself well paid:
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
pray you know me, when we meet again:
I wish you well, and so I take my leave.

Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you Unto Antonio's house: away, make haste.

further:

Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute,
Not as a fee. Grant me two things, I pray you:
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield.

Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake; 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.

Bass. This ring, good sir!—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.

Bass. 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 see, sir, you are liberal in offers:
You taught me first to beg; and now methinks
You teach me how a beggar should be answered.
Bass. Good sir, this ring was given me by my
wife;

And, when she put it on, she made me vow
That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.
Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their
gifts.

An if your wife be not a mad woman,
And know how well I have deserved this ring,
She would not hold out enemy for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!
[Exeunt PORTIA and NERISSA.
Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring:
Let his deservings, and my love withal,
Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment.
Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him;
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canst,

This ring I do accept most thankfully,
And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore,
I pray you shew my youth old Shylock's house.
Gra. That will I do.
Ner.

Sir, I would speak with you.-
I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,

[TO PORTIA. Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

Por. Thou mayst, I warrant. We shall have old swearing

That they did give the rings away to men:
But we 'll outface them, and outswear them too.
Away, make haste; thou know'st where I will
tarry.

Ner. Come, good sir, will you shew me to this [Exeunt.

house?

ACT V.

SCENE I. - Belmont. Avenue to PORTIA's House. | My mistress will before the break of day

Lor. Who comes so fast in silence of the night? Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold!
Steph. A friend.
There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st,
Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I But in his motion like an angel sings,
pray you, friend?
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins:
Steph. Stepháno is my name; and I bring word Such harmony is in immortal souls;

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The Complete Works of Shakspeare, Revised from the Best Authorities ..., Band 2