Shy. I have possess'd your grace of what I purpose; I stand for judgment: answer; shall I have it? And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn To have the due and forfeit of my bond: Of what it likes, or loathes. Now, for your answer: More than a lodg'd hate, and a certain loathing, A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd? Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my answer. Shy. What! would'st thou have a serpent sting thee twice? Ant. I pray you, think you question with the Jew. You may as well go stand upon the beach, And bid the main flood bate his usual height; Or e'en as well use question with the wolf, When you behold the ewe bleat for the lamb; You may as well forbid the mountain pines To wag their high tops, and to make no noise, When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven; You may as well do any thing most hard, As seek to soften that (than which what's harder?) His Jewish heart.-Therefore, I do beseech you, Make no more offers, use no farther means, But with all brief and plain conveniency, Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will. Bass. For thy three thousand ducats here is six. Shy. If every ducat in six thousand ducats Were in six parts, and every part a ducat, I would not draw them: I would have my bond. Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none? Shy. What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong? Because you bought them :-shall I say to you, Duke. Upon my power I may dismiss this court, Unless Bellario, a learned doctor, Whom I have sent for to determine this, Salar. My lord, here stays without A messenger with letters from the doctor, Duke. Bring us the letters: call the messenger. Bass. Good cheer, Antonio! What man, courage yet! The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood. Ant. I am a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me. You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio, Than to live still, and write mine epitaph. Enter NERISSA, dressed like a lawyer's clerk. Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? Ner. From both, my lord. Bellario greets your grace. [Presenting a letter. Bass. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? [SHYLOCK whets his knife. Shy. To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there. Gra. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew, Thou mak'st thy knife keen; but no metal can, No, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee? Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make. Gra. O, be thou damn'd, inexorable dog, And for thy life let justice be accus'd! Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith, To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That souls of animals infuse themselves Into the trunks of men: thy currish spirit Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human slaughter, Even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet, And whilst thou lay'st in thy unhallow'd dam, Infus'd itself in thee; for thy desires Are wolfish, bloody, starv'd, and ravenous. Shy. Till thou can'st rail the seal from off my bond, Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud. Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall To cureless ruin.-I stand here for law. Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend A young and learned doctor to our court.Where is he? Ner. He attendeth here hard by, To know your answer, whether you'll admit him. Go give him courteous conduct to this place.- 66 [Clerk reads.] 'Your grace shall understand, that at the receipt of your letter I am very sick; but in the instant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young doctor of Rome; his name is Balthazar. I acquainted him with the cause in controversy between the Jew and Antonio, the merchant : we turned o'er many books together: he is furnish'd with my opinion; which, better'd with his own learning, the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend, comes with him, at my importunity, to fill up your grace's request in my stead. I beseech you, let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation, for I never knew so young a body with so old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his commendation." Duke. You hear the learn'd Bellario, what he writes: And here, I take it, is the doctor come. Enter PORTIA, dressed like a doctor of laws. Give me your hand. Came you from old Bellario? Por. I did, my lord. Duke. You are welcome: take your place. Are you acquainted with the difference That holds this present question in the court? Por. I am informed throughly of the cause.Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew? Duke. Antonio and old Shylock, both stand forth. Por. Is your name Shylock? Shy. Shylock is my name. Por. Of a strange nature is the suit you follow; Yet in such rule, that the Venetian law Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.You stand within his danger, do you not? [TO ANTONIO. Ant. Ay, so he says. Por. Ant. I do. Por. Do you confess the bond? Then must the Jew be merciful. And earthly power doth then show likest God's, Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart. If this will not suffice, it must appear That malice bears down truth: and, I beseech you, A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court : Por. Which here appeareth due upon the bond. Ay, his breast; The flesh? To let the wretched man out-live his wealth, pay it instantly with all my heart. Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife, Por. It must not be. There is no power in Venice Which is as dear to me as life itself; Can alter a decree established: 'Twill be recorded for a precedent, And many an error, by the same example, Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!— O, wise young judge, how I do honour thee! Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond. [Showing it. Por. We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence. 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, pre- One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods 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 desirest. Gra. O learned judge!-Mark, Jew:—a learned judge! Shy. I take his 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! Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip. Por. Why doth the Jew pause? Take thy forfeiture. Sky. 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. I'll stay no longer question. Por. Tarry, Jew: The law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be prov'd against an alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts, He seek the life of any citizen, The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, The danger formerly by me rehears'd. Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio. Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? Two things provided more,-that, for this favour, Duke. He shall do this, or else I do recant Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift. Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence. I am not well. Send the deed after me, And I will sign it. Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. Gra. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers: Had I been judge, thou should'st 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. Por. 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. [Exeunt DUKE, Magnificoes, and train. Por. He is well paid, that is well-satisfied; I pray you, know me, when we meet again: I wish you well, and so I take my leave. Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you farther: 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. Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake; And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you.— Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more, N And you in love shall not deny me this. Por. I will have nothing else but only this; Bass. 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. Por. 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. Bass. 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. Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. An if your wife be not a mad woman, And know how well I have deserv'd this ring, She would not hold out enemy for ever, For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you. [Exeunt PORTIA and NERISSA. Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring, Let his deservings, and my love withal, Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment. Bass. Go, Gratiano; run and overtake him; Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou can'st, Unto Antonio's house.-Away! make haste. [Exit GRATIANO. Come, you and I will thither presently, ACT V. SCENE I.-Belmont. The Avenue to PORTIA'S House. Enter LORENZO and JESSICA. Steph. A friend. Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I pray you, friend? Steph. Stephano is my name; and I bring word, Lor. The moon shines bright.-In such a night as this, My mistress will before the break of day When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees, And they did make no noise; in such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls, And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents, Where Cressid lay that night. In such a night, Jes. Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself, And ran dismay'd away. Lor. In such a night, Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Upon the wild sea-banks, and wav'd her love Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs That did renew old son. Lor. In such a night, In such a night, Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew, Jes. In such a night, Did young Lorenzo swear he lov'd her well, Lor. Jes. I would out-night you, did no body come; But, hark, I hear the footing of a man. Enter STEPHANO. Lor. Who comes so fast in silence of the night? Become the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica: look, how the floor of heaven There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st, Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn: [Music. Jes. I am never merry when I hear sweet music. Lor. The reason is, your spirits are attentive: For do but note a wild and wanton herd, Or race of youthful and unhandled colts, Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neighing loud, If they but hear, perchance, a trumpet sound, By the sweet power of music: therefore, the poet Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, [Music again. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA, at a distance. Por. That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. Ner. When the moon shone, we did not see the candle. Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less: | A substitute shines brightly as a king, Until a king be by; and then his state Empties itself, as doth an inland brook Into the main of waters. Music! hark! Ner. It is your music, madam, of the house. Ner. Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam. [Music ceases. No note at all of our being absent hence;— Por. This night, methinks, is but the daylight sick; It looks a little paler: 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the sun is hid. Enter BASSANIO, ANTONIO, GRATIANO, and their followers. Bass. We should hold day with the Antipodes, Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; But God sort all!-You are welcome home, my lord. Bass. I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend: This is the man, this is Antonio, To whom I am so infinitely bound. Por. You should in all sense be much bound to him, For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. Ant. No more than I am well acquitted of. It must appear in other ways than words, Gra. [To NERISSA.] By yonder moon, I swear, you do me wrong; In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk: Por. A quarrel, ho, already! what's the matter? Ner. What talk you of the poesy, or the value? You swore to me, when I did give it you, That you would wear it till your hour of death, And that it should lie with you in your grave: Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths, You should have been respective, and have kept it. Gave it a judge's clerk! no, God's my judge, The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face, that had it. Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. Ner. Ay, if a woman live to be a man. Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk; I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And so riveted with faith unto your flesh. I gave my love a ring, and made him swear Never to part with it; and here he stands: I dare be sworn for him, he would not leave it, Nor pluck it from his finger for the wealth That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief: An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it. Bass. [Aside.] Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear I lost the ring defending it. Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away |