You call me-misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,
And all for use of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help;
Go to then; you come to me, and you say,
Shylock, we would have monies ; You say so;
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me, as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold ; monies is your suit.
What should I say to you? Should I not say,
Hath a dog money? is it possible,
A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With 'bated breath, and whispering humbleness,
Say this,
Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last:
You spurn'd me such a day; another time
You calld me—dog; and for these courtesies
P'll lend

you

thus much monies.
Ant. I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friends ; (for when did friendship take
A breed for barren metal of his friend ?)
But lend it rather to thine enemy;
Who if he break, thou may'st with better face
Exact the penalty.
Shy.

Why, look

you,
how
you

storm!
I would be friends with you, and have your love,
Forget the shames that you have stain'd me with,
Supply your present wants, and take no doit
Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me :
This is kind I offer.

a

Go with me to a notary, seal me there
Your single bond ; and, in a merry sport,
If

you repay me not on such a day,
In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are
Express’d in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body pleaseth me.

Ant. Content, in faith ; I'll seal to such a bond,
And say there is much kindness in the Jew.

Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me,
I'll rather dwell in my necessity.

Ant. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it;
Within these two months, that's a month before
This bond expires, I do expect return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

Shy. O father Abraham, what these Christians are ;
Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this ;
If he should break this day, what should I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture?
A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not so estimable, profitable neither,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I

say,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, so; if not, adieu ;
And, for my love, I pray you, wrong me not.

Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond.

Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the notary's;
Give him direction for this merry bond,
And I will go and purse the ducats straight;
See to my house, left in the fearful guardd
Of an unthrifty knave; and presently
I will be with you.

[Exit. Ant.

Hie thee, gentle Jew. This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind.

Bass. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind.

Ant. Come on; in this there can be no dismay My ships come home a month before the day. [Exeunt.

a

ACT II.

Scene I. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House.

Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and

his Train; Portia, NERISSA, and other of her Attend-
ants.

Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion,
The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd sun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phæbus' fire scarce thaws the icicles,
And let us make incision for your love,
To prove whose blood is reddest, his, or mine. "
I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mine
Hath fear'd' the valiant ; by my love, I swear,
The best regarded virgins of our clime
Hath lov'd it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen.

Por. In terms of choice I am not solely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes :
Besides, the lottery of my destiny
Bars me the right of voluntary choosing :
But, if my father had not scanted me,
And hedg'd me by his wit, to yield myself
His wife, who wins me by that means I told you,
Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair,
As
any

comer I have look'd on yet,
For my affection.
Mor.

Even for that I thank you ;
Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets,

• To prove whose blood is reddest, his, or mine.] To understand how the tawny prince, whose savage dignity is very well supported, means to recommend himself by this challenge, it must be remembered that red blood is a traditionary sign of courage : Thus Macbeth calls one of his frighted soldiers, a lily-liver'd boy; again, in this play, cowards are said to have livers as white as milk; and an effeminate and timorous man is termed a milksop.—Johnson. It is customary in the east for lovers to testify the violence of their passion by cutting themselves in the sight of their mistresses.--HARRIS.

- fear'd-] i. e. Terrify'd.

f

To try my fortune. By this scimitar,
That slew the Sophy, and a Persian prince,
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,-
I would out-stare the sternest

eyes

that look,
Out-brave the heart most daring on the earth,
Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she bear,
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
To win thee, lady: But, alas the while !
If Hercules, and Lichas, play at dice
Which is the better man, the greater throw
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand:
So is Alcides beaten by his page;
And so may I, blind fortune leading me,
Miss that which one unworthier may attain,
And die with grieving.
Por.

You must take your chance;
And either not attempt to choose at all,
Or swear, before you choose,-if you choose wrong, ,
Never to speak to lady afterward
In way of marriage; therefore be advised.h

Mor. Nor will not; come, bring me unto my chance.

Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner Your hazard shall be made.

Good fortune then ! [Cornets. To make me blesti or cursed'st among men. [Exeunt.

Mor.

SCENE II.

Venice. A Street.

Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO.

Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master : The fiend is at mine elbow; and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away: My conscience says, -no; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest

Lichas,] An attendant of Hercules.
advised.) Well considered. This word is the opposite to rash.
blest—] For most blest.

i

Gobbo; or as aforesaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy heels: Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; via ! says the fiend : away! says the fiend, for the heavens ;k rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my conscience, hanging .

, about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me, my honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son, or rather an honest woman's son ;-for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste;-well, my conscience says, Launcelot, budge not ; budge, says the fiend; budge not, says my conscience: Conscience, say I, you counsel well ; fiend, say I, you counsel well :' to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who, (God bless the mark !) is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself: Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew: The fiend gives the more friendly counsel : I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

Enter Old GOBBO, with a Basket. Gob. Master, young man, you, I pray you; which is the way

to master Jew's ? Laun. [Aside.] O heavens, this is my true begotten father! who, being more than sand-blind,' high-gravel blind, knows me not :-I will try conclusions with him.

Gob. Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's ?

Laun. Turn up on your right hand, at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's house.

k

for the heavens ;] This petty oath, which has much perplexed the commentators, means neither more nor less than by heaven, as Mr. Gifford has proved by several apposite quotations.- Ben Jonson, vol. ii. 67.

- sand-blind,] Having an imperfect sight as if there were sand in the

try conclusions] Try experiments.

1

eye.- NARES.

m