Anth. This was a venture, Sir, that Jacob ferv'd for; A thing not in his power to bring to pass,

But fway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heav'n.
Was this inferted to make int'reft good?

Or is your gold and filver, ewes and rams?
Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast;
But note me, Signior.

» Anth. Mark you

this, Baffanio?

The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.
An evil foul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.

Q, what a goodly outfide's falfehood hath!

Shy. Three thousand ducats! 'tis a good round fum.
Three months from twelve, then let me fee the rate.
Anth. Well, Shylock, fhall we be beholden to you?
Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft
In the Ryalto you have rated me,

About my monies and my ufances.
Still have I born it with a patient shrug;
(For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe.)
You call me mifbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And fpit upon my Jewish gaberdine;
And all for ufe of that which is my own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help:
Go to then; you come to me, and you fay,
Shylock, we would have monies; you say so;
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me, as you fpurn a stranger cur
Over
threshold: money
your
is your fuit;
What should I fay to you? fhould I not fay,
Hath a dog money? Is it pofiible

A cur can lend three thousand ducats? Or,
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,

With 'bated breath, and whifp'ring humbleness,

Say this, Fair Sir, you fpit on me laft Wednesday,
You fpurn'd me fuch a day; another time

You call'd me dog; and for thefe courtefies
I'll lend you thus much monies?

Anth. I am as like to call thee fo again,
To fpit on thee again, to fpurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not

A's

As to thy friend, (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, how you ftorm?

I would be friends with

you, and have your love;
Forget the fhames that you have ftain'd me with;
Supply your prefent wants, and take no doit
Of ufance for my monies, and you'll not hear me:
This is kind 1 offer.

Anth. This were kindness.

Shy. This kindness will I show;
Go with me to a notary, feal me there
Your fingle bond; and in a merry sport,

If

you repay me not on fuch a day,

In fuch a place, fuch fum, or fums, as are
Exprefs'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 it shall please me.

Anth. Content, in faith; I'll feal to fuch a bond, And fay, there is much kindness in the Jew.

Baff. You fhall not feal to such a bond for me, I'll rather dwell in my neceffity.

Anth. 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 Chriftians are!
Whofe own hard dealings teach them to fufpect
The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this,
If he should break his day, what should I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture?

A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not fo eftimable or profitable,

As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I fay,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, fo; if not, adieu;

And

Breed of metal, meaning money at ufury, money that breeds more- -The old editions (two of them) have it, A bribe of barren metal

And for

my love, I pray you, wrong me not.
Anth. Yes, Shylock, I will feal 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 strait;
See to my houfe, left in the fearless guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
I will be with you.

Anth. Hie thee gentle Jew.

This Hebrew will turn Chriftian; he grows kind.
Buf. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind.
Anth. Come on, in this there can be no difmay;
My hips come home a month before the day.

ACT II. SCENE I.

Belmont.

[Exity

[Exeunt▸

Enter Morochius, a Tawny-Moor, all in white; and three or four followers accordingly; with Portia, Nerissa, and her train. Flourish cornets.

MISLIKE me not for my complexion,

Mor.
The fhadow'd livery of the burnish'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phoebus' fire fcarce thaws the icicles,
And let us make incifion for your love,
To prove whofe blood is reddeft, his or mine.
I tell thee, Lady, this afpect of mine
Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love, I swear,
The beft-regarded virgins of our clime

Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to fteal your thoughts, my gentle Queen.
Por. In terms of choice I am not folely led
By nice direction of a maiden's
eyes:

Befides, the lottery of my destiny
Bars me the right of voluntary chufing.
But if my father had not fcanted me,
And hedg'd me by his wit to yield myself
His wife, who wins me by that means I told
Yourself, renowned Prince, then stood as fair,
VOL. II.

H

you;

As

As any comer I have look'd on yet,

For my affection.

Mor. Ev'n for that I thank you;

Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the cafkets
To try my fortune. By this fcimitar,

That flew the Sophy and a Perfian prince,
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,
I would out ftare the fterneft eyes that look,
Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth,
Pluck the young fucking 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 fo may I, blind fortune leading me,
Mifs that, which one unworthier may attain;
And die with grieving.

Por. You must take your chance,

And either not attempt to chufe at all,

Or fwear, before chufe, if you

chufe you

Never to speak to lady afterward

In way of marriage; therefore be advis'd.

wrong,

Mor. Nor will not; therefore bring me to my chance. Por. Firft, forward to the temple; after dinner

Your hazard shall be made.

Mor. Good fortune then,

[Cornets.

To make me blefs'd, or curfed'ft among men! [Exeunt,

SCENE II. Changes to Venice.

Enter Launcelot alone,

Laun. Certainly my confcience will ferve me to run from this Jew my mafter. The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, faying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbe, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, ufe your legs, take the ftart, run away. My confcience fays, No; take heed, honeft Launcelot ; take heed, honest Gobbo; or, as aforefaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo, do not run; fcorn running with thy heels. Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack;

Via! fays the fiend; Away! fays the fiend; for the heav'ns roufe up a brave mind, fays the fiend, and run. Well, my confcience, hanging about the neck of my heart, fays very wifely to me, My honeft friend Lauricelot, being an honeft man's fon, or rather an honeftwoman's fon (for indeed my father did fome thing fmack, fomething grow to; he had a kind of tafte;) -well, my confcience fays, Budge not; Budge, fays the fiend; Budge not, fays my confcience; Confcience, fay 1, you counfel ill; Fiend, fay I, you counfel ill. To be rul'd by my confcience, I should ftay with the Jew my master, who, God blefs the mark, is a kind of devil; and to run away from the Jew, I fhould be rul❜d by the fiend, who, faving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnal; and in my confcience, my confcience is but a kind of hard confcience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counfel; I will run, fiend, my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

Enter old Gobbo, with a basket.

Gob. Mafter young man, you, I the way to Mafter Jew's?

pray you, which is

Laun. O heav'ns, this is my true-begotten father, who being more than fand-blind, high-gravel-blind, knows me not; I will try confufions with him.

Gob. Mafter young Gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to Mafter Jew's?

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

at the

Gub. By God's fonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit; can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?

Laun. Talk you of young Mafter Launcelot? (mark me now, now will I raife the waters;) talk you of young

Mafter Launcelot?

Gob. No, Mater, Sir, but a poor man's fon. His father, though I fay't, is an honeft exceeding poor man, and, God be thanked, well to live.