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Por. There are fome fhrewd contents in yon' fame That fteal the colour from Baffanio's cheek:

Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world
Could turn fo much the conftitution

Of any

conftant man.

What, worfe and worfe!

With leave, Baffanio, I am half yourself,
And I must have the half of

any thing

That this fame paper brings you.

Baff. O fweet Portia!

Here are a few of the unpleasant'ft words

That ever blotted paper.

Gentle Lady,

When I did first impart my love to you,
I freely told you, all the wealth I had
Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman:

And then I told you true; and yet, dear Lady,
Rating myfelf at nothing, you shall fee

[paper,

How much I was a braggart. When I told you,.
My ftate was nothing, I should then have told you,
That I was worse than nothing For indeed
I have engag'd myself to a dear friend,
Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, Lady,
The paper, as the body of my friend;
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Iffuing life-blood. But is it true, Salanio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? what, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, from England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And not one veffel 'fcap'd the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?

Sal. Not one, my

Lord.

Befides, it should appear, that if he had
The prefent money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it. Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man.
He plies the Duke at morning and at night,
And doth impeach the freedom of the ftate,
If they deny him juftice. Twenty merchants,
The Duke himself, and the magnificoes
Of greatest port, have all perfuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea

K. 3

Of

Of forfeiture, of juftice, and his bond.

Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him swear, To Tubal and to Chus his countrymen,

That he would rather have Anthonio's fiesh,
Than twenty times the value of the fum
That he did owe him; and I know, my Lord,
If law, authority, and pow'r desy not,
It will go hard with poor Anthonio.

Por. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?
Bal. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,
The beft condition'd: an unweary'd spirit
In doing courtefies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Por. What fum owes he the Jew?
Baff. For me three thousand ducats,
Por. What, no more?

Pay him fix thousand, and deface the bond;
Double fix thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description

Shall lofe a hair through my Baffanio's fault.
Firft, go with me to church, and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend:
For never fhall you lie by Portia's fide
With an unquiet foul. You fhall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over.
When it is paid, bring your true friend along;
My maid Neriffa and myself, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows: come, away!
For you shall hence upon your wedding-day *.
But let me hear the letter of
your friend.

Bal. [reads.] Sweet Baffanio, my fhips have all mifcarry'd, my creditors grow cruel, my eftate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impoffible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and me, if I might but fee you at my death; notwithstanding, use your pleasure: if your love do not perfuade you to come, let not my letter.

your wedding day.

Bid your friends welcome, fhew a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.
But let me hear, &c.

}

Por,

gone.

Por. O love! dispatch all business, and be
Baff. Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make hafte; but till I come again,

No bed fhall e'er be guilty of my stay;

No reft be interpofer 'twixt us twain.

SCENE IV. Changes to a freet in Venice.

[Exeunt.

Enter Shylock, Solarino, Anthonio, and the Goaler.
Shy. Goaler, look to him: tell not me of mercy.
This is the fool that lent out money gratis.
Goaler, look to him.

Ant. Hear me yet, good Shylock.

Shy. I'll have my bond; speak not against my bond: I've fworn an oath that I will have my bond.

Thou call'dft me dog before thou hadst a caufe;
But fince I am a dog, beware my fangs:
The Duke fhall grant me juftice. I do wonder,
Thou naughty goaler, that thou art fo fond
To come abroad with him at his request.

Ant. I pray thee, hear me speak.

Shy. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak: I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more;

I'll not be made a soft and dull-ey'd fool,
To shake the head, relent, and figh, and yield
To Chriftian interceffors. Follow not;
I'll have no speaking; I will have my bond.

Sola. It is the most impenetrable cur
That ever kept with men.

Ant. Let him alone,

[Exit Shylock.

I'll follow him no more with bootlefs pray'rs:
He seeks my life; his reafon well I know;

I oft deliver'd from his forfeitures

Many. that have at times made moan to me;
Therefore he hates me.

Sola. I am fure the Duke

Will never grant this forfeiture to hold.

Ant. The Duke cannot deny the course of law;
For the commodity that strangers have
With us in Venice, if it be deny'd,

Will much impeach the justice of the state;

Since that the trade and profit of the city
Confiteth of all nations. Therefore go,
Thefe griefs and loffes have fo 'bated me,
That I fhall hardly fpare a pound of flesh-
To-morrow to my bloody creditor,
Well, goaler, on; pray God, Baffanio come
To fee me pay his debt, and then I care not!

SCENE V. Changes to Belmont.

[Exeunt:

Enter Portia, Neriffa, Lorenzo, JeJica, and Balthazar. Lor. Madam, although I fpeak it in your prefence,.

You have a noble and a true conceit

Of God-like amity; which appears moft ftrongly
In bearing thus the abfence of your Lord,
But if you knew to whom you fhew this honour,
How true a gentleman you send relief to,
How dear a lover of my Lord your husband;
I know you would be prouder of the work,
Than customary bounty can inforce you.

Por. I never did repent of doing good,
And fhall not now; for in companions
That do converfe and waste the time together,
Whofe fouls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There muft needs be a like proportion
Of lineaments of manners, and of fpirit:
Which makes me think, that this Anthonio,
Being the bofom-lover of my Lord,
Muft needs be like my Lord. If it be fo,
How little is the coft I have bestowed,
In purchafing the femblance of my foul
From out the state of hellish cruelty?
This comes too near the praifing of myself;
Therefore, no more of it: hear other things.
Lorenzo, commit into your hands

The husbandry and manage of my houfe,
Until my Lord's return.

For mine own part,

I have tow'rd heaven breath'd a fecret vow,

To live in prayer and contemplation,

Only attended by Neriffa here,

Until her husband and my Lord's return.

There is a monastery two miles off,

And

And there we will abide. I do defire you,
Not to deny this impofition:

The which my love and fome neceffity

Now lays upon me.

Lor. Madam, with all my heart;

I shall obey you in all fair commands.

Por. My people do already know my mind,
And will acknowledge you and Jeffica
In place of Lord Baffanio and myself.
So fare you well till we shall meet again.

Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you! Jef. I wish your Ladyfhip all heart's content. Por. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jeffica.

Now, Balthazar,

[Exeunt Feffica and Lorenzo.

As I have ever found thee honeft, true,

So let me find thee ftill: take this same letter,
And ufe thou all th' endeavour of a man,

In fpeed to Padua; fee thou render this

Into my coufin's hand, Doctor Bellario;

And look what notes and garments he doth give thee,
Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin'd fpeed
Unto the Traject, to the common ferry

Which trades to Venice: wafte no time in words,
But get thee gone; I fhall be there before thee.
Bal. Madam, I go with all convenient speed.
Por. Come on, Neriffa; I have work in hand,
That you yet know not of: we'll fee our husbands,
Before they think of us.

Ner. Shall they fee us?

Por. They fhall, Neriffa; but in fuch a habit,
That they fhall think we are accomplished
With what we lack. I'll hold thee any wager,

When we are both apparell'd like

young men, I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two, And wear my dagger with the braver grace;

And fpeak between the change of man and boy, • With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps Into a manly ftride; and fpeak of frays,

'Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies, How honourable ladies fought my love,

[Exit.

• Which

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