ز

You use in abject and in Navish part,
Because you bought them. Shall i fay to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs ?
Why sweat they under burdens ? let their beds
Be made as soft as yours, and let their pala es
Be season'd with such viands; you will answer,
The llaves are ours.

So do I answer you:
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought, 'tis mine, and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie, upon your law !
There is no force in the decrees of Venice:
I stand for judgment; answer; shall I have it?

Duke. Upon my pow'r I may dismiss this Court,
Unless Bellario, a learned Doctor,
Whom I have sent for to determine this,
Come here to day.

Sal. My lord, here stays, without,
A messenger with letters from the Doctor,
New come from Padua.

Duke. Bring us the letters, call the messenger.
Ball
. Good cheer, Anthonio ; what, man, courage

yet :
The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all,
Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.

Ant. I am a tainted weather of the flock,
Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me.
You cannot better be employ'd, Basanio,
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.

Enter Neriffa, dress'd like a Lawyer's Clerk.
Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? (25)
Ner. From both, my lord: Bellario greets your

Grace.
Bal. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?

(25) From both : my Lord Bellario greets your Grace.] Thus the two old Folio's, and Mr. Pope in his 4to, had inaccurately pointed this Pafsage, by which a Doctor of Laws was at once rais’d to the Dignity of the Peerage. I set it right in my SHAKIS PEAR E reffor'd, as Mr. Pope has since done from thence in his last Edition.

Sby. To cut the forfeit from that bankrupt there.
Gra. Not on thy soale, but on thy soul, harsh

Jew, (20)
Thou mak’lt thy knife keen; for no metal can,
No, not the hangman's ax, bear half the keenness
Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?

Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.

Gra. O be thou damn'd, inexorable dog, And for thy life let justice be accus'd ! Thou almost mak’ft me waver in my faith, To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That fouls of animals infuse themselves Into the trunks of men. Thy currish spirit Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human slaughter, Ev'n from the gallows did his fell foul fleet, And, whilst thou lay'st in thy unhallow'd dam, Infus'd it self in thee: for thy desires Are wolfish, bloody, starv’d, and ravenous.

Shy. ”Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond, Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud. Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall

(26) Not on thy Soale, but on thy Soul, harsh Jew,] I was obliged, from the Authority of the old Folio's, to restore this Conceit, and Jingle upon two Words alike in sound, but differing in Sense. Gratiano thus rates the Jew; “ Tho' thou thinkest, that thou art whetting thy Knife “ on the Soale of thy Shoe, yet it is upon thy Soul, thy immortal Part, " that thou do'st it, thou inexorable Man!” There is no Room to doubt, but This was our Author's Antithesis ; as it is fo usual with him to play on Words in this manner: and That from the Mouth of his most serious Characters. So in Romeo and Juliet ;

You have dancing Shoes,
With nimble Soales ; I have a Soul of Lead,

me to the Ground; I cannot move. And again, immediately after,

I am too fore enpierced with his Shaft,

To soare with his light Feathers. So in King John :

0, lawful let it be That I have room with Rome to curse awhile ! And, in Julius Cæfar ;

Now is it Rome, indeed; and room enough,

When there is in but one only man.
But this fort of Jingle is too perpetual with our Anthor to need any

farther Instances. VOL. II.

F

To

That flakes

To curtless ruin. I stand here for law. (27)

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend А young

and learned doctor to our Court. Where is he?

Ner. He attendeth here hard by
To know your answer, whether you'll admit him.

Duke. With all my heart. Some three or four of you
Go, give him courteous conduct to this place :
Mean time, the Court shall hear Bellario's letter.

OUR Grace sball understand, that, at the receipt of

your letter, I am very fick: but at the instant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young Doctor of Rome, his name is Balthasar: I acquainted him with the cause in controversie between the Jew and Anthonio the merchant. We turn'd o'er many books together : he is furnished with my opinion, which, bettered with his own learning, (the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend,) comes with him at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's request in my stead. I beseech you, let bis lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation : For I never knew so young a body with so old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his commendation.

Enter Portia, dress’d like a Dostor of Laws. Duke. You hear the learn'd Bellario, what he writes, And here, I take it, is the Doctor come: Give me your hand. Came you from old Bellario ?

Por. I did, my lord.

Duke. You're welcome: take your place.
Are you acquainted with the difference,
That holds this present question in the Court?

(27) To careless Ruine.] This, I am sure, is a signal Instance of Mr. Pope's Carelessness, for Both the Old 4to's have it cureless. "The Players in their Edition, for some particular Whim, chang'd the Word to endless; which Mr. Rowe has copied, because, I prefume, he had never seen the old Quarto's. Our Author has used this Epithet, cureless, again in his Poem, callid, Tarquin and Lucrece. St. 111.

O, batefull, vaporous and foggy Night!
Since thou art guilty of my cureless Crime.

Por.

Por. I am informed throughly of the case.
Which is the merchant here? and which the Hew?

Duke. Anthonio and old Shylock, both stand forth.
Por. Is your name Shylock ?
Shy. Shylock is my name.
Por. Of a strange nature is the suit you

follow;
Yet in such rule, that the Venetian law
Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.
You stand within his danger, do you not? [To Anth.

Ant. Ay, so he says.
Por. Do you confess the bond ?
Ant. I do.
Por. Then must the few be merciful.
Shy. On what compulsion must I? tell me that.

Por. The quality of mercy is not ftrain’d;
It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heav'n
Upon the place beneath. It is twice bless'd;
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 pow'r,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth fit the dread and fear of Kings;
But mercy is above this scepter'd sway,
It is enthroned 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,
Tho' justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation. We do

We do pray for mercy,
And that same pray'r 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. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, The penalty and forfeit of my

bond, Por. Is he not able to discharge the mony? Bal. Yes, here I tender it for him in the Court,

F 2

Yea,

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 you, (28)
Wreft 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 pow'r 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.
Shy. Here'tis, most rev'rend Doctor, here it is.
Pór. Shylock, there's thrice thy mony offer'd thee.

Shy. An oath, an oath, — I have an oath in heav'n.
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 mony, bid me tear the bond.

Shy. When it is paid according to the tenour.
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.

(28) That Malice bears down truth.] I propos'd, in my SHAK BS PEAR e restor'd, to read ruth here; i. e. Compassion, Mercy. But, upon more mature Advice, I believe, the Text needs no Alteration. Truth may mean here, Reason; the reasonable Offers of Accommodation, which we have made.

Ant.