I would lofe all; ay, facrifice them all

Here to this devil, to deliver you.

Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If the were by to hear you make the offer.

Gra. I have a wife, whom, I proteft, I love;
I would he were in heav'n, fa fhe could
Intreat fome pow'r to change this currish Jew.

Ner. "Tis well you offer it behind her back;
The wifh would make else an unquiet house.

Shy. Thefe be the Chriftian husbands. I've a daughter; Would any of the stock of Barrabas

Had been her husband, rather than a Chriftian! [Afide.We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence.

Por. A pound of that fame merchant's flesh is thine; The court awards it, and the law dóth give it.

Shy. Moft rightful judge!

Por. And you muft cut this flesh from off his breast;: The law allows it, and the court awards it.

Shy. Moft learned judge! a fentence: come, prepare
Por. Tarry a little, there is fomething else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;
The words exprefsly are, a pound of flesh.
Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou doft fhed

One drop of Chriftian blood, thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confifcate

Unto the ftate of Venice.

Gra. O upright judge! mark, Jew; O learned judge! Shy. Is that the law?

Por. Thyfelf fhalt fee the act:

For as thou urgeft juftice, be affur'd,

Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st.

Gra. O learned judge! mark, Jew; a learned judge!! Shy. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice,

And let the Christian go.

Baff Here is the money.

Por. The Jew fhall have all juftice; foft! no hafte; He fhall have nothing but the penalty.

Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh; Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou lefs, nor more,

But

But just a pound of fiefh: if thou takʼst more
Or lefs than a juft pound, be't but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
On the divifion of the twentieth part
Of one poor fcruple; nay, if the scale turn
But in the estimation of a hair,

Thou dieft, and all thy goods are confifcate.
Gra. A fecond Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!
Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip.

Por. Why doth the Jew paufe? take the forfeiture.
Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go.
Baff. I have it ready for thee; here it is....
Por. He hath refus'd it in the open court;
He shall have merely justice, and his bond.

Gra. A Daniel, ftill fay I; a fecond Daniel!
I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.
Shy. Shall I not barely have my principal?
Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,
To be fo taken at thy peril, Jew.

Shy. Why, then the devil give him good of it!
I'll stay no longer question.

Por. Tarry, Jew.

The law hath yet another hold on you.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice,

If it be prov'd against an alien,

That, by direct or indirect attempts,
He feeks the life of any citizen

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive,
Shall feize on half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainft all other voice.
In which predicament, I fay, thou ftand'.
For it appears by manifeft proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,
Thou haft contriv'd againft the very life
Of the defendant; and thou haft incurr'd
The danger formally by me rehears'd.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.

Gra. Beg, that thou may'ft have leave to hang thyself z

And yet thy wealth being forfeit to the state,

Thou haft not left the value of a cord;

Therefore

Therefore thou must be hang'd at the ftate's charge.
Duke. That thou may'ft fee the diff'rence of our fpirit,
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
For half thy wealth, it is Anthonio's:
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

Por. Ay, for the state; not for Anthonio.
Shy. Nay, take my life and all: pardon not that.
You take my house, when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house: you take my life,
When you do take the means whereby I live.

Por. What mercy can you render him, Anthonio Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's fake. Ant. So please my Lord the Duke, and all the courty To quit the fine for one half of his goods,

I am content; fo he will let me have

The other half in ufe, to render it

Upon his death unto the gentleman
That lately ftole his daughter.

Two things provided more, that for this favour
He presently become a Chriftian;

The other, that he do record a gift.

Here in the court, of all he dies poffefs'd,
Unto his fon Lorenzo and his daughter.

Duke. He fhall do this, or else I do recant

The pardon that. I late pronounced here.

Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what doft thou say? Shy. I am content.

Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift.

Shy. I pray you give me leave to go from hence; I am not well; fend the deed after me,,

And I will fign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In chrift'ning thou fhalt have two godfathers. Had I been judge, thou should't have had ten more, To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

[Exit Shylock Duke. Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do defire your. Grace of pardon;

I must away this night to Padua,

And, it is meet I prefently fet forth.

Duke. I'm forry that your leifure ferves

you not.

Anthonic

Anthonio, gratify this gentleman;

For in my mind you are much bound to him.

[Exit Duke and his train.

SCENE III.

Bal. Moft worthy gentleman! I and my friend
Have by your wifdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Ant. And ftand indebted, over and above,
In love and fervice to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid that is well fatisfy'd:
And I, delivering you, am fatisfy'd,
And therein do account myself well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;
1 with you well, and so I take my leave.

Baff. Dear Sir, of force I must attempt you further. Take fome remembrance of us, for a tribute,

1

Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves, I'll wear 'em for
your fake;
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you..
Do not draw back your hand, I'll take no more;
And in love shall not deny me this.
Baff. This ring, good Sir, alas, it is a trifle;
I will not fhame myfelf to give you this.

you

Por. I will have nothing elfe but only this; And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Ball. There's more depends on this, than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,

And find it out by proclamation;

Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Por. I fee, Sir, you are liberal in offers;
You taught me firft to beg; and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar fhould be answer❜d.
Baff Good Sir, this ring was giv'n me by my wife;
And when the put it on, fhe made me vow,
That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lofe it.

Por.

Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts; And if your wife he not a mad woman, And know how well I have deferv'd the ring, She would not hold out enmity for ever,

For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

[Exit with Nerissa.
Ant. My Lord Baffanio, let him have the ring.
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandment.
Baf. Co, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'ft.

Unto Anthonio's houfe: away, make hafte. [Exit Gra.
Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont; come, Anthonio.

Re-enter Portia with Neriffa.

[Exeunt.

Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, And let him fign it; we'll away to-night,

And be a day before our husbands home:

This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Fair Sir, you are well o'erta'en:
My Lord Baffanio, upon more advice,
Hath fent you here this ring, and doth intreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be.

This ring I do accept moft thankfully,

And fo, I pray you, tell him; furthermore,
I pray you, fhew my youth old Shylock's houfe.
Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would speak with you.

I'll fee if I can get my husband's ring:
Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

[To Pur.

Por. Thou may'ft, I warrant. We fhall have old That they did give the rings away to men ; [fwearing, But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too: Away, make hafte, thou know'ft where I will tarry.

Ner. Come, good Sir, will you fhew me to this house?