Of merchant-marring rocks?
Sal. Not one, my lord.
Befides, it fhould appear, that if he had
The prefent mony 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 state,
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
Of forfeiture, of juftice, and his bond.
Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him swear,
To Tubal and to Chus his country-men,
That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh
Than twenty times the value of the fum
That he did owe him; and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and pow'r deny not,
It will go hard with poor Anthonio.
Por. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?
Baff. The dearest friend to me, the kindeft man,
The beft condition'd and unweary'd fpirit
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?
Ball. For me three thousand ducats.
Por. What, no more?
Pay him fix thoufand, and deface the bond;
Double fix thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this defcription
Shall lofe a hair through my Bassanio's fault.
First 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 Nerissa and my felf 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.
Baff. reads. Sweet Baffanio, my hips 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 fhould 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
Por. O love! difpatch all bufinefs, and be gone.
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 ftay,
Nor reft be interpofer 'twixt us twain.
SCENE IV. Venice.
Enter Shylock, Solarino, Anthonio, and the Goaler. Shy. "Goaler, look to him: tell not me of mercy. This is the fool that lent out mony gratis.
Goaler, look to him.
Anth. Hear me yet, good Shylock.
Shy. I'll have my bond; fpeak not against my
I've fworn an oath that I will have my bond.
Thou call'dft me dog before thou hadft a caufe;
But fince I am a dog, beware my fangs :
The Duke shall grant me juftice. I do wonder,
Thou naughty goaler, that thou art so fond
To come abroad with him at his request.
Anth. 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 foft 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. [Exit Shylock, Sola. It is the most impenetrable cur
Bid your friends welcome, fhew a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.
But let me hear,
That ever kept with men.
Anth. Let him alone,
I'll follow him no more with bootless pray'rs :
He feeks 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. Iam fure the Duke
Will never grant this forfeiture to hold.
Anth. 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 juftice 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 shall 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. Belmont.
Enter Portia, Neriffa, Lorenzo, Jeffica, 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 ftrongly
In bearing thus the absence 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 enforce you.
Por. I never did repent of doing good,
And shall not now; for in companions
That do converfe and waste the time together,
Whofe fouls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit;
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 purchasing the semblance of my foul
From out the state of hellish cruelty!
This comes too near the praifing of my felf;
Therefore no more of it: hear other things;
Lorenzo, I commit into your hands
The husbandry and manage of
my house,
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 monaftery two miles off,
And there we will abide. I do defire you
Not to deny this imposition,
The which my love and fome neceffity
Now lay upon you.
Lor. Madam, with all my heart;
I fhall obey you in all fair commands.
Por. My people do already know my mind,
And will acknowledge you and
In place of lord Bassanio and my felf.
So fare you well 'till we shall meet again.
Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!
Jef. I wish your ladyship all heart's content.
Por. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas'd To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jeffica.
As I have ever found thee honeft, true,
So let me find thee ftill: take this fame letter,
And use 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 speed
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. [Exit.
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.
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 speak of frays
Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies fought my love,
Which I denying, they fell fick and dy'd,
I could not do with all: then I'll repent,
And wifh, for all that, that I had not kill'd them.
And twenty of thefe puny lies I'll tell;
That men fhall fwear I've difcontinued fchool
Above a twelve-month. I have in my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging jacks,
Which I will practise.
Ner. Shall we turn to men?
Por. Fie, what a queftion's that,
If thou wert near a lewd interpreter !
But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which ftays for us
At the park gate; and therefore hafte away,
For we must measure twenty miles to-day.
[Exeunt. SCENE VI. Enter Launcelot and Jeffica. Laun. Yes, truly: for look you, the fins of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you; and fo now I fpeak my agitation of the matter: therefore be of good cheer; for truly I think you are damn'd: there is but one hope in it that can do you any good, and that is but a kind of baftard-hope neither.
Jef. And what hope is that, I pray thee?
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