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Defy the matter.' How far'ft thou, Jeffica?
And now, good sweet, fay thy opinion,
How doft thou like the Lord Baflanio's wife!
Jef. Paft all expreffing: it is very meet
The Lord Baffanio live an upright life.
For, having fuch a blefling in his Lady,
He finds the joys of heaven here on earth:
And if on earth he do not merit it,

In reafon he fhould never come to heav'n.
Why, if two gods fhould play fome heav'nly match,
And on the wager lay two earthly women,
And Portia one, there must be fomething else
Pawn'd with the other; for the poor rude world
Hath not her fellow.

Lor. Even fuch a husband

Halt thou of me, as fhe is for a wife.

Jef. Nay, but afk my opinion too of that.
Lor. I will anon: first let us go to dinner.

Jef. Nay, let me praife you while I have a ftomach.
Lor. No, pray thee, let it ferve for table-talk;
Then, howloe'er thou fpeak'ft, 'mong other things,
I fhall diget it.

Jef. Well, I'll fet you forth.

[Exeunt.

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Enter the Duke, the Senators; Anthonio, Baffanio, and Gratiano, at the bar.

Duke.

THAT, is Anthonio here?

WHAT

Anth. Ready, fo please your Grace.

Duke. I'm forry for thee; thou art come to anfwer A ftony adverfary, an inhumane wretch

Uncapable of pity, void and empty

From dram of mercy.

any

Ant. I have heard,

Your Grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify

His rig'rous courfe; but fince he ftands obdurate,
And that no lawful means can carry me
Out of his envy's reach, I do oppofe
My patience to his fury; and am arm'd

Το

To fuffer, with a quietnefs of fpirit,

The very tyranny and rage of his.

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court. Sal. He's ready at the door: he comes, my Lord. Euter Shylock.

1

Duke. Make room, and let him stand before our face.
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act; and then, 'tis thought,
Thoul't fhew thy mercy and remorfe more itrange,
Than is thy frange apparent cruelty.

And, where thou now exact'st the penalty,
Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,
Thou wilt not only lose the forfeiture,
But, touch'd with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal;

Glancing an eye of pity on his loffes,
That have of late fo huddled on his back,
Enough to prefs a royal merchant down;
And pluck commiferation of his state

From braffy bofoms, and rough hearts of flint;
From ftubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd
To offices of tender courtesy.

We all expect a gentle anfwer, Jew.

Shy. I have poffefs'd your Grace of what I purpose; And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn,

To have the due and forfeit of my bond.
If you deny it, let the danger light
Upon your charter, and your city's freedom!
You'll ask me, why I rather chufe to have
A weight of carrion flesh, than to receive
Three thoufand ducats? I'll now anfwer that,
By faying, 'tis my humour; is it anfwerd?
What if my house be troubled with a rat,
And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand ducats
To have it bane'd? What, are you answer'd yet?
Some men there are love not a gaping pig;
Some that are mad if they behold a cat;
And others, when the bag-pipe fings i' th' nofe,
Cannot contain their urine for affection*.

VOL II.

* That is, they are fo affected with it.

L

Masters

Mafters of paffion fway it to the mood

Of what it likes or lothes. Now, for your answer.
As there is no firm reafon to be render'd,.
Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;
Why he, a harmlefs neceffary cat;
Why he, a woollen bag-pipe; but of force
Mult yield to fuch inevitable fhame,
As to offend, himfelf being offended:
So can I give no reafon, nor I will not,
More than a lodge'd hate and a certain loathing
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus

A lofing fuit against him. Are you answer'd?
Ba. This is no anfwer, thou unfeeling man,
T'excufe the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my answer.
Baf. Do all men kill the thing they do not love?
Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
Baff. Ev'ry offence is not a hate at first.

Shy. What, would't thou have a ferpent fting thee twice ?

Ant. I pray you, think, you queftion with a Jew.
You may as well go ftand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood 'bate his ufual height,
You may as well ufe queftion with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb.
You may as well forbid the mountain-pines
To wag their high tops, and to make a noise,
When they are fretted with the gufts of heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,

As feek to foften that, (than which what's harder!)
His Jewish heart. Therefore, I do befeech you,
Make no more offers, use no farther means;
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.,
Baf. For thy three thoufand ducats here is fix.
Shy. If ev'ry ducat in fix thousand ducats
Were in fix parts, and ev'ry part a ducat,
I would not draw them; I would have my bond.
Duke. How fhalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring
none?

Shy. What judgment fhall I dread, doing no wrong? You have among you many a purchas'd flave,

Which, like your affes, and your dogs, and mules,
You use in abject and in flavith part,

Because you bought them. Shall I fay to you,
Let them be free; marry them to your heirs ;
Why fweat they under burdens? let their beds
Be made as foft as your's, and let their palates
Be season'd with fuch viands: you will answer,
The flaves 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; anfwer; fhall I have it?
Duke. Upon my pow'r I may dismiss this court,
Unlefs Bellario, a learned Doctor,

Whom I have fent for to determine this,

Come here to-day.

Sal. My Lord, here ftays without,

A meffenger with letters from the Doctor,
New come from Padua.

Duke. Bring us the letters, call the meffenger. Baff. Good cheer, Anthonio: what, man, courage yet: The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, Ere thou fhalt lofe for me one drop of blood.

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

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Enter Neriffa, drefs'd like a lawyer's clerk,

Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario?
Ner. From both, my Lord. Bellario greets your
Grace.

Baff. Why doft thou whet thy knife fo earneftly?

[The Few whetting his knife on the fole of his shoe. Shy. To cut the forfeit from that bankrupt there. Gra. Not on thy fole, but on thy foul harth Jew, Thou mak'ft thy knife keen; for no metal can, No, not the hangman's ax, bear half the keennefs

Of thy fharp 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 juftice be accus'd!
Thou almoft mak'ft me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,

That fouls of animals infufe themselves
Into the trunks of men. Thy currifh fpirit
Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human flaughter,
Ev'n from the gallows did his fell foul fleet,
And, whilst thou lay'ft in thy unhallow'd dam,
Infus'd itself in thee: for thy defires

Are wolfish, bloody, ftarv'd, and ravenous.

Shy. Till thou canft rail the seal from off my bond, Thou but offend'ft thy lungs to fpeak fo loud. Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall To curelefs ruin. I ftand here for law.

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend

A 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 fhall hear Bellario's letter.

OUR Grace fall understand, that, at the receipt of

YOU

your meffenger came, in loving vifitation was with me a young Doctor of Rome, his name is Balthafar. I acquainted him with the caufe in controverfy 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 greatnefs whereof I cannot enough commend), comes with him at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's request in my ftead. I befeech you, let his lack of years be no impediment, to let him lack a reverend eftimation; for I never knew fo young a body with fo old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whofe trial fhall better publish his

commendation.

Enter Portia, dreffed like a Doctor of Laws. Duke. You hear the learn'd Bellario what he writes,

And

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