That doth sustain my house; you take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live.

Broken

Portia. What mercy can you render him, Antonio?
Gratiano. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake.
Antonio. So please my lord the duke and all the court
To quit the fine for one half of his goods,
I am content; so he will let me have
The other half in use, to render it,
Upon his death, unto the gentleman

That lately stole his daughter: a hit munifter il 380

Two things provided more, that, for this favour,

He presently become a Christian; The

The other, that he do record a gift,
Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd,
Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter.

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

The pardon that I late pronounced here - I

Portia. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say?
Shylock. I am content.

Portia.

Clerk, draw a deed of gift. 390

Shylock. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence;
I am not well: send the deed after me,
And I will sign it. Lowly

b

Get thee gone, but do it.

Duke.
Gratiano. In christening shalt thou have two godfathers
Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more,
To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit Shylock.
Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner.
Portia. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon :

I must away this night toward Padua,
And it is meet I presently set forth.

Duke. I am sorry that your leisure serves you not.
Antonio, gratify this gentleman,

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

bylock.

400

[Exeunt Duke and big brain. Tall pow

F Trumpet

Bassanio. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend
Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted

Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.

Antonio. And stand indebted, over and above,
In love and service to you evermore.

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

410

Bassanio. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further: Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute,

Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,

Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

420

Portia. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. avto Antonio] Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your

sake;

[To Bassanio] And, for your love, I'll take this ring from

you:

Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more;

And you in love shall not deny me this.

Bassanio. This ring, good sir, alas, it is a trifle!

I will not shame myself to give you this.

Portia. I will have nothing else but only this;
And now methinks I have a mind to it.

Bassanio. 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.

Portia. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers:
You taught me first to beg; and now methinks
You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd.

430

Bassanio. Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife; And when she put it on, she made me vow

That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it.

Portia. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. An if your wife be not a mad-woman,

And know how well I have deserved the ring,
She would not hold out enemy for ever,

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

441

[Exeunt Portia and Nerissa.

Antonio. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring:

Let his deservings and my love withal

Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment.

Bassanio. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him; Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst,

Unto Antonio's house: away! make haste. [Exit Gratiano. Come, you and I will thither presently;

And in the morning early will we both

Fly toward Belmont: come, Antonio. ce

SCENE II. The same. A street.

Enter PORTIA and NERISSA.

45I

[Exeunt.

eu

Portia. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed

And let him sign it: we'll away to-night

And be a day before our husbands home:
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter GRATIANO.

Gratiano. Fair sir, you are well o'erta'en:
My Lord Bassanio upon more advice

Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat
Your company at dinner.

Portia.

That cannot be:

His ring I do accept most thankfully:

And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore,

I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house.

ΤΟ

Gratiano. That will I do.

Nerissa.

Sir, I would speak with you.

[Aside to Portia] I'll see if I can get my husband's ring, Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

Portia. [Aside to Nerissa] Thou may'st, I warrant. We shall have old swearing

That they did give the rings away to men;

But we'll outface them, and outswear them too.

[Aloud] Away! make haste: thou know'st where I will tarry.

Nerissa. Come, good sir, will you shew me to this

Lor. The moon shines bright: in such a night as this,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees
And they did make no noise, in such a night
Troilus methinks mounted the Troyan walls
And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.

Jessica.

In such a night

Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew
And saw the lion's shadow ere himself
And ran dismay'd away.

Lorenzo.

In such a night

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand

Upon the wild sea banks and waft her love
To come again to Carthage.

ΙΟ

And with an unthrift love did run from Venice
As far as Belmont.

Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well,
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith
And ne'er a true one.

Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

Jessica. I would out-night you, did no body come;
But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

20

Lorenzo. Who comes so fast in silence of the night? Re Stephano. A friend.

Lorenzo. A friend! what friend? your name, I pray you, friend?

Stephano. Stephano is my name; and I bring word
My mistress will before the break of day
Be here at Belmont: she doth stray about
By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays
For happy wedlock hours.

Lorenzo.

Who comes with her?

Stephano. None but a holy hermit and her maid.

I pray you, is my master yet return'd?

Lorenzo. He is not, nor we have not heard from him. But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,

And ceremoniously let us prepare

Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

30

Enter LAUNCELOT.

Launcelot. Sola, sola! wo ha, ho! sola, sola !

Lorenzo. Who calls?

Re

+

Launcelot. Sola! did you see Master Lorenzo? Master Lorenzo, sola, sola!

Lorenzo. Leave hollaing, man: here.

40