What if my Houfe be troubled with a Rat,
And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand Ducats
To have it brain'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' Nose,
Cannot contain their Urine for affection.
Masterless Paffion fways it to the mood
Of what it likes or loaths. Now for your Anfwer.
As there is no firm reafon to be rendred
Why he cannot abide a gaping Pig,
Why he a harmless neceffary Cat,
Why he a woollen Bag-pipe, but of force
Muft yield to fuch inevitable Shame,
As to offend himself, being offended;
So can I give no Reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate, and a certain loathing
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus
A lofing Suit against him. Are you answered?
Baff. This is no Anfwer, thou unfeeling Man,
To excuse 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. Every Offence is not a Hate at first.
Shy. What, would'st thou have a Serpent fting 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,
Or even as well ufe Question with the Wolf,
The Ewe bleat for the Lamb: When you behold,
You may as well forbid the Mountain Pines
Το
wag their high Tops, and to make no 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 harder,
His Jewish Heart. Therefore I do beseech 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 every Ducat in fix thousand Ducats Were in fix parts, and every part a Ducat,
I would not draw them, I would have my Bond.
Duke. How shalt thou hope for Mercy, rendring none?
Shy. What Judgment fhall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchas'd Slave,
Which, like your Affes, and your Dogs and Mules,
You use 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 Burthens? Let their Beds
Be made as foft as yours, and let their Pallats
Be feafon'd with fuch Viands: You will answer,
The Slaves 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 Power I may dismiss this Court,
Unless Bellario, a Learned Doctor,
Whom I have fent for to determine this,
Come here to day.
Sal. My Lord, here ftays without
A Messenger with Letters from the Doctor,
New come from Padua.
Duke. Bring us the Letters, call the Messengers.
Baff. Good cheer, Anthonio; What Man, Courage yet:
The Jew fhall have my Flesh, Blood, Bones, and all,
E'er thou shalt 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 earlieft to the Ground, fo let me.
You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio,
Than to live ftill, and write mine Epitaph.
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 so earnestly?
Shy. To cut the Forfeiture from that Bankrupt there.
Gra. Not on thy foal, but on thy Soul, harfh Jew,
Thou mak' ft thy Knife keen; but no Metal can,
No, not the Hangman's Ax, bear half the keenness
Of thy fharp Envy. Can no Prayers pierce thee?
Shy. No, none that thou haft 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 Souls of Animals infuse themselves
Into the Trunks of Men. Thy currish Spirit
Govern'd a Wolf, who hang'd for human Slaughter,
Even from the Gallows did his fell Soul fleet,
And whil'ft thou layeft in thy unhallowed Dam,
Infus'd it felf in thee; for thy Defires
Are Wolfish, Bloody, Starv'd, and Ravenous.
Shy. 'Till thou canft rail the Seal from off my Bond,
Thou but offend'ft thy Lungs to speak fo loud.
Repair thy Wit, good Youth, or it will fall
To endless Ruin. I ftand here for Law.
Duke. This Letter from Bellario doth commend
A Young and Learned Doctor in 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 hall understand, that at the receit of your
Letter I am very sick: But at the Instant that your MefJenger came, in loving Vifitation was with me a young Dotor of Rome, his Name is Balthafar: I acquainted him with the Cafe in Controverfie, 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 ftead. I beseech you, let his lack of Tears be no impediment to let him lack a reverend Eftimation: For I never
knew so young a Body with fo old a Head. I leave him to your gracious Acceptance, whofe trial fhall better publish his Commendation.
Enter Portia, Dress'd like a Doctor 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 are welcome: Take your Place.
Are you acquainted with the Difference,
That holds this present Question in the Court?
Por. I am informed throughly of the Cafe.
Which is the Merchant here, and which the Jew?
Duke. Anthonie and old Shylock, both stand forth.
Por. Is your Name Shylock?
Por. Of a ftrange Nature is the Suit you follow, Yet in fuch Rule, that the Venetian Law
Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.
You ftand within his Danger, do you not ? [To Anthonio.
Ant. Ay, fo he fays,
Por. Do you confefs the Bond?
Per. Then muft the Jew be merciful.
Shy. On what Compulfion muft 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 blefs'd,
It bleffeth him that gives, and him that takes.
'Tis Mightieft in the Mightieft, it becomes
The throned Monarch better than his Crown':
His Scepter fhews the force of temporal Power,
The Attribute to Awe and Majefty,
Wherein doth fit the Dread and Fear of Kings;
But Mercy is above this fceptred Sway,
It is enthroned in the Hearts of Kings,
It is an Attribute to God himself;
And earthly Power doth then fhew likeft God's,
When Mercy feafons Juftice. Therefore, Je
Tho' Juftice be thy Plea, confider this,
That in the course of Juftice none of us
Should fee Salvation. We do pray for Mercy,
And that fame Prayer doth teach us all to render
The Deeds of Mercy. I have fpoke thus much
To mitigate the Juftice of thy Plea;
Which if thou follow, this ftrict courfe of Venice
Muft 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?
Baff. Yes, here I tender it for him in the Court,
Yea, twice the Sum; if that will not fuffice,
I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er,
On forfeit of my Hands, my
Head, my
If this will not fuffice, it must appear
That Malice bears down Truth. And I befeech you
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 muft not be, there is no Power in Venice
Can alter a Decree established.
"Twill be recorded for a Prefident,
And many an Error by the fame Example
Will rush into the State. It cannot be.
Shy. A Daniel come to Judgment, yea, a Daniel.
O wife young Judge, how do I honour thee!
Por. I pray you let me look upon the Bond.
Shy. Here 'tis, moft Reverend Doctor, here it is.
Por. 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
Neareft the Merchant's Heart. Be merciful,
Take thrice thy Mony, bid me tear the Bond.
Shy. When it is paid according to the Tenure.
It doth appear you are a worthy Judge ;
You know the Law, your Expofition
Hath been moft found. I charge you by the Law,
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