Salarino.

My lord, here stays without

A messenger with letters from the doctor,
New come from Padua.

Duke.

Bring us the letters; call the messenger.

[Exeunt Solanio and Saiarino.

Bass.

Good cheer, Antonio! 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 wether of the flock,

Meetest for death; the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me:
You cannot better be employed, Bassanio,
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.

[Re-enter Solanio and Salarino with Nerissa,
who is dressed like a lawyer's clerk. Shylock
kneels to whet his knife.

Duke.

[To Nerissa.

Came you

from Padua, from Bellario?

Ner.

From both, my lord: Bellario greets your grace.

[Presents a letter, and then sits at table c.

Bass.

Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?

Shy.

To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there.

Gra.

Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew,

Thou mak'st thy knife keen.

Can no prayers pierce thee?

[To Shylock.

Shy.

No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.

Gra.

O, be thou damned, inexorable dog!
And for thy life let justice be accused.
Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,

That souls of animals infuse themselves
Into the trunks of men: thy currish spirit
Governed a wolf, who, hanged for human slaughter
Even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet,
And, whilst thou lay'st in thy unhallowed dam,
Infused itself in thee; for thy desires

Are wolfish, bloody, starved, 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
To cureless ruin.-I stand here for law.

Duke.

This letter from Bellario doth commend

A young and learnèd 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:- Go, some of you,

And give him courteous conduct to this place.—

[Rises.

[Exeunt Salarino, Solanio, and Gratiano R. I. E. Meantime, the court shall hear Bellario's letter. [Reads. "Your grace shall understand that, at the receipt of your letter, I am very sick but in the instant that your

messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young doctor of Rome; his name is Balthazar: I acquainted him with the cause in controversy between the Jew and Antonio the merchant: we turned 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 his 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.”

You hear the learned Bellario what he writes:

[Re-enter Gratiano. And here, I take it, is the doctor come.—

[Re-enter Salarino and Solanio, with Portia, who is dressed like a Doctor of Laws.

Give me your hand: Came you from old Bellario ?

I did, my lord.

Por.

Duke.

You are welcome: take your place. [Portia goes to desk R.

Are you acquainted with the difference

That holds this present question in the court?

Por.

I am informed throughly of the cause.

Which is the Merchant here, and which the Jew?