Ay, his breast: Por. Therefore, lay bare your bosom. Shy. So says the bond;-Doth it not, noble judge?— Nearest his heart, those are the very words. Por. It is so. Are there balance here, to weigh The flesh. Shy. I have them ready. Por. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death. Por. It is not so express'd; But what of that? To let the wretched man out-live his wealth, Repent not you that you shall lose your friend, I'll pay it instantly with all my heart. Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife, Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If she were by, to hear you make the offer. 'Would, any of the stock of Barrabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! [Aside. We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence. thine; The court awards it, and the law doth give it. Shy. Most rightful judge! Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it. Shy. Most learned judge!-A sentence; come, prepare. Por, Tarry a little;-there is something else, This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Unto the state of Venice. Gra. O upright judge!-Mark, Jew ;-O learned judge! Shy. Is that the law? Por. Thyself shalt see the act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'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. Bass. Por. Soft; Here is the money. The Jew shall have all justice;-soft!-no haste;He shall 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 less, nór more, But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more, Or less, than a just pound,-be it but so much As makes it light, or heavy, in the substance, Or the division of the twentieth part Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn But in the estimation of a hair,— Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip. Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture. Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go. Bass. 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, still say I; a second Daniel!I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal ? Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. Shy. Why then the devil give him good of it! Por. The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, life Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. Gra. Beg, that thou may'st have leave to hang thyself: And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it:. Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio.. Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else; for God's sake. Ant. 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 Two things provided more,-That, for this favour, The other, that he do record a gift, Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd, |