Ant. Mark you this, Bassanio, O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath! Shy. Three thousand ducats,-'tis a good round sum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. · Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholden to you? Shy. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft, In the Rialto you have rated me About my monies, and my usances* : Still have I borne it with a patient shrug; A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or, Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last; Ant. I am as like to call thee so again, * Interest. But lend it rather to thine enemy; Who if he break, thou may'st with better face Shy. Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me : This is kind I offer. Ant. This were kindness. Shy. In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me. Ant. Content, in faith: I'll seal to such a bond, And say, there is much kindness in the Jew. Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me, I'll rather dwell in my necessity. Ant. 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 Christians are; Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, And, for my love, I pray you, wrong me not. * Abide. Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal 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 straight; See to my house, left in the fearful guard Of an unthrifty knave; and presently I will be with you. [Exit. Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. Bass. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind. Ant. Come on: in this there can be no dismay, My ships come home a month before the day. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. Belmont. A room in Portia's house. Flourish of cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and his train; Portia, Nerissa, and other of her attendants. Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion, Have lov'd it too; I would not change this hue, * Allusion to the eastern custom for lovers to testify their passion by cutting themselves in their mistresses' sight. + Terrified. Besides, the lottery of my destiny Bars me the right of voluntary choosing: And hedg'd me by his wit, to yield myself For my affection. Mor. Even for that I thank you; And so may I, blind fortune leading me, Por. You must take your And either not attempt to choose at all, chance; Or swear, before you choose,-if you choose wrong, Never to speak to lady afterward In way of marriage; therefore, be advis'd*. Mor. Nor will not; come, bring me unto my chance. Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner Your hazard shall be made. Mor. Good fortune then! [Cornets. To make me bless't, or cursed'st among men. [Exeunt. * Not precipitate. SCENE II. Venice. A Street. Enter Launcelot Gobbo. Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master: The fiend is at mine elbow; and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away: My conscience says,-no; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo: or, as aforesaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo, do not run scorn running with thy heels: Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; via! says the fiend; away! says the fiend, for the heavens; rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says yery wisely to me, my honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son, or rather an honest woman's son ;for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste ;-well, my conscience says, Launcelot, budge not; budge, says the fiend; budge not, says my conscience: Conscience, say I, you counsel well; fiend, say I, you counsel well: to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who (God bless the mark!) is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself: Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew: The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment, I will run. |