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Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin'd speed
Unto the traject, to the common ferry,

Which trades to Venice:-wafte no time in words, thee gone; I fhall be there before thee.

But get

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Bal. Madam, I go with all convenient speed. [Exit BAL.

Por. Come on, Neriffa; I have work in hand That you yet know not of: we'll see 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 us men. I'll hold thee any

wager,

When we are both accouter'd like young men,
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace;
And speak between the change of man and boy,
With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride; and speak of frays,
Like a fine bragging youth: and tell quaint lies,
How honorable ladies fought my love,
Which I denying, they fell fick and died.
Then I'll repent, and wish I had not kill'd them.
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
That men fhall fwear, I've discontinu'd school
Above a twelvemonth :-I've within my mind
A thoufand raw tricks of thefe bragging Jacks,

Which

Which I will practise.

But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which stays for us
At the park gate; and therefore hafte away,
For we must measure twenty miles ere day.

ACT V.

[Exeunt.

SCENE,

A Court of Justice in Venice.

The DUKE and his Train, ANTONIO, BASSANIO, SOLANIO, SALARINO, GRATIANO, and Attendants, difcovered..

Duke. WHAT, is Antonio here ?

Ant. Ready, fo please your grace.

Duke. I'm forry for thee; thou art come to

anfwer

A ftony adversary, an inhuman wretch

Incapable of pity, void and empty

From any dram of mercy.

Ant. I have heard,

Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify

His rigorous courfe; but fince he stands obdurate, And that no lawful means can carry me

Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose

My

My patience to his fury; and am arm'd
To fuffer, with a quietnefs of fpirit,
The very tyranny and rage of his.

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court.
Sala. He's ready at the door: he comes, my lord..

Enter SHYLOCK.

Duke. Make room, and let him ftand before our face.

Shylock, the world thinks, and I think fo too, That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice To the laft hour of act; and then, 'tis thought, Thou'lt show thy mercy, and remorse, more firange Than is thy ftrange apparent cruelty:

And, where thou now exact'ft the penalty,
Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture,

But, touch'd with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal;

Glancing an eye of pity on his loffes,
That have of late fo huddled on his back
Enough to prefs a royal merchant down,
And pluck commiferation of his state

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From braffy bofoms, and rough hearts of flint,
From ftubborn Turks, or Tartars, never train'd
To offices of tender courtesy.-

We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.
K

Shy.

L

Shy. I have poffefs'd your grace of what I

purpose ;

And by our holy sabbath have I sworn,
To have the due and forfeit of my bond.
If you deny it, let the danger light

Upon your charter, and your city's freedom.
You'll ask me, why I rather chufe to have
A weight of carrion flesh, than to receive
Three thoufand ducats: I'll not anfwer that:
But fay, it is my humour: Is it answer'd?
What if my house be troubled with a rat,
And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand ducats
To have it ban'd? What, are you anfwer'd yet?
Some men there are, love not a gaping pig;
Some, that are mad if they behold a cat;
Now for your answer:

As there is no firm reason to be render'd,

Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;

Why he, a harmless neceffary cat.

So can I give no reason, nor will I,

More than a lodg'd hate, and a certain loathing, I bear Antonio, that I follow thus

A lofing fuit against him. Are you answer'd?

Bass. This is no anfwer, thou unfeeling man, T'excufe the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my

anfwer.

Bass.

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Bass. Do all men kill the things they do not. love?

Shy. Hátes any man the thing he would not kill?

Bass. Every offence is not a hate at first.

Shy. What, would'st thou have a ferpent fting
thee twice?

Ant. I pray you, think you queftion with the
Jew:

You may as well go ftand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood bate his usual height;
You may as well ufe queftion with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb;
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 heaven
You may as well-do any thing most hard,
As feek to soften that (than which what's harder?)
His Jewish heart:-Therefore, I do befeech you,
Make no more offers, ufe no further means;
But, with all brief and plain conveniency,
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.
Bass. Forthy three thousand ducats here are 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.

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