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

In reafon he should never come to heav'n.

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Why, if two gods fhould play fome heav'nly match,
And on the wager lay two earthly women,, dia mol
And Portia one, there must be something else and I
Pawn'd with the other; for the poor rude world
Hath not her fellow.

Lor. Even fuch a husband

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

1

Jef. Nay, but afk my opinion too of that.

Lor. I will anon: first let us go to dinner.

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

Jef. Well, I'll fet you forth.

ACT IV.

[Exeunt.A

Τ

SCENE I.

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

Duke.

'HAT, is Anthonio here?

WHAT,

Anth. Ready, so please your Grace.

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

Uncapable of pity, void and empty

From any dram of mercy.

Ant. I have heard,

Your Grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify

His rig'rous courfe; but fince he stands 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

To fuffer, with a quietnefs of spirit,

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, Enter Shylock.

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 ftrange,
Than is thy ftrange apparent cruelty.

And, where thou now exact'ft 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 purpofe; And by our holy Sabbath have I fworn,

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 thousand ducats? I'll now anfwer that,
By faying, 'tis my humour; is it answerd?
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 anfwer'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 *.

*That is, they are to affected with it.

VOL. II.

Mafters

anfwer.

Masters of paffion sway it to the mood
Of what it likes or lothes. Now, for your
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, himself being offended:
So can I give no reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodge'd hate and a certain loathing
I bear Arthonio, that I follow thus

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

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my anfwer.
Baff. 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 firft.

Shy. What, would'st thou have a ferpent fling thee twice?

Ant. I pray you, think, you question 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
Το wag their high tops, and to make a noife,
When they are fretted with the gusts of heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,

As feek to foften that, (than which what's harder!}
His Jewith heart. Therefore, I do befeech you,
Make no more offers, ufe no farther means;
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.
Baff. For thy three thousand 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 ufe in abject and in flavish 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 feafon'd with fuch viands: you will anfwer,
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 ftand for judgment; anfwer; fhall I have it?
Duke. Upon my pow'r I may difmifs 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 fhall 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, Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground, and fo let me. You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio, Than to live ftill, and write mine epitaph.

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

Of

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Of thy fharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee? A
Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make. {}
Gra. O be thou damn'd, inexorable dog, I
And for thy life let juftice be accus'd!
Thou almost mak'ft me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,
That fouls of animals infufe themfelves
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, whilft 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 feal 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 anfwer, 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 underftand, that, at the receipt of your letter, I am very fick but at the inftant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young Door of Rome, his name is Balthafar. I acquainted him with the caufe in controverfy between the Few and Anthonio the merchant. We turn'd o'er many books together: he is furnished with my opinion, which, bettened 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 ftead. I befeech you, let his lack of years be no impediment, to let bim 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 publifh 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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