Proceed to judgment: by my soul I swear, Por. You must prepare your Why then, thus it is. bosom for his knife: Shy. O noble judge! O excellent young man! Por. For the intent and purpose of the law Hath full relation to the penalty, Which here appeareth due upon the bond. Shy. 'Tis very true: O wise and upright judge! How much more elder art thou than thy looks! Por. Therefore, lay bare your bosom. Shy. Ay, his breast: 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. Shy. Is it so nominated in the bond? Por. It is not so express'd; But what of that? 'Twere good you do so much for charity. Shy. I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond. Por. Come, merchant, have you any thing to say?. Ant. But little; I am arm'd, and well prepar'd. — Give me your hand, Bassanio; fare you well! Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you; For herein fortune shows herself more kind Than is her custom: it is still her use, To let the wretched man out-live his wealth, To view with hollow eye, and wrinkled brow, An age of poverty; from which lingering penance Of such a misery doth she cut me off. Commend me to your honourable wife: Tell her the process of Antonio's end, Say, how I lov'd you, speak me fair in death; 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. Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love; I would she were in heaven, so she could The wish would make else an unquiet house. Shy. These be the Christian husbands: I have a daughter; 'Would, any of the stock of Barrabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! [Aside We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence. Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is 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; The words expressly are, a pound of flesh: One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods. Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate 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;— 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. 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! I'll stay no longer question. Por. Tarry, Jew; The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, Thou hast contriv'd against the very life The danger formerly by me rehears'd. 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. Por. Ay, for the state;1 not for Antonio. Ay, for the state; &c.] That is, the state's moiety may be com muted for a fine, but not Antonio's. MALONE. 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, Unto his son Lorenzo, and his daughter. The pardon, that I late pronounced here. Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou Por. say? 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 more2, 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. Bass. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend, Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted 2 thou should'st have had ten more,] i. e. a jury of twelve men, to condemn thee to be hanged. |