Anth. Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow
By taking, nor by giving of excess,
Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a cuftom.Is he yet poffeft,
How much you would?

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
Anth. And for three months.

Shy. I had forgot, three months, you told me fo; Well then, your bond; and let me fee,but hear

you,

Methought, you faid, you neither lend nor borrow Upon advantage.

Anth. I do never use it.

Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep,This Jacob from our holy Abraham was (As his wife mother wrought in his behalf). The third poffeffor; ay, he was the third.

Anth. And what of him? did he take interest ? Shy. No, not take int'reft; not, as you would fay,

Directly, int'reft; mark, what Jacob did.
When Laban and himself were compromis'd,

That all the yeanlings, which were ftreak'd and

pied,

Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes, being rank,
In th' end of autumn turned to the rams;
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The skilful fhepherd peel'd me certain wands;
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He stuck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in yeaning time
Fall party-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was blett;
And thrift is bleffing, if men fteal it not.

Anth. This was a venture, Sir, that Jacob ferv'd for; A thing, not in his power to bring to pass,

But

But fway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heav'n.
Was this inferted to make int'reft good?
Or is your gold, and filver, ewes and rams?
Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as faft;
But note me, Signior.

Anth. Mark you this, Bassanio?
The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.
An evil foul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
SO, what a goodly outfide's falfhood hath!

5

Shy. Three thousand ducats! 'tis a good round fum. Three months from twelve, then let me fee the rate. Anth. Well, Shylock, fhall we be beholden to you? Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft In the Ryalto you have rated me, About my monies and my ufances. Still have I born it with a patient shrug; (For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe.) You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine; And all for ufe of that, which is my own. Well then, it now appears, you need my help: Go to then; you come to me, and you fay, Shylock, we would have monies; you fay fo; You, that did yoid your rheume upon my beard, And foot me, as you fpurn a ftranger cur Over your threshold: mony is your fuit; What should I fay to you? fhould I not fay, Hath a dog mony? is it poffible, A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or

5 0, what a goodly outfide falfhood bath!] But this is not true, that falfhood hath always a goodly outfide. Nor does this take in the force of the fpeaker's fentiment; who would obferve that that falfhood which quotes fcripture for its purpose has a goodly outfide. We should therefore read,

O, what a goodly outfide's falfhood hath! i. e. his falfhood, Shylock's

Shall

Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With bated breath, and whifp'ring humbleness,
Say this, fair Sir, you fpit on me laft Wednesday,
You fpurn'd me fuch a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for thefe curtefies
I'll lend you thus much monies?

Anth. I am as like to call thee fo again,
To fpit on thee again, to fpurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this mony, lend it not
As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take
A breed of barren metal of his friend?)
But lend it rather to thine enemy;

Who, if he break, thou may'ft with better face
Exact the penalty.

Shy. Why, how you ftorm?

I would be friends with you, and have your love;
Forget the shames that you have ftain'd me with;
Supply your prefent wants, and take no doit
Of ufance for my monies, and you'll not hear me:
This is kind I offer.

Anth. This were kindnefs.

Shy. This kindness will I fhow;

Go with me to a Notary, feal me there
Your fingle bond; and in a merry fport,
If you repay me not on such a day,
In fuch a place, fuch fum, or fums, as are
Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound
Of your fair flefh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body it fhall please me.

Anth. Content, in faith; I'll feal to fuch a bond,

9 A breed of barren metal of his friend?] A breed that is interest money bred from the principal. By the epithet barren the author would inftruct us in the argument on which the advocates against ufury went, which is this, that money is a barren thing, and cannot like corn and cattle multiply it felf. And to fet off the abfurdity of this kind of ufury, he put breed and barren in oppofition.

And

And fay, there is much kindness in the Jew.
Baff. You fhall not feal to fuch a bond for me,
I'll rather dwell in my neceffity.

Anth. 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 chriftians are!
Whofe own hard dealings teach them to fufpect
The thoughts of others! pray you, tell me this,
If he should break his day, what should I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture?

A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not fo eftimable or profitable,

As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I fay,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, fo; if not, adieu;

And for my love, I pray you, wrong me not.
Anth. Yes, Shylock, I will feal unto this bond.
Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the Notary's.
Give him direction for this merry bond,
And I will go and purfe the ducats ftrait;
See to my house, 7 left in the fearless guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and prefently
I will be with you.

[Exit.

7-left in the FEARFUL guard, &c.] But furely fearful was the most trufty guard for a houfe keeper in a populous city; where houses are not carried by ftorm like fortreffes. For fear would keep them on their watch, which was all that was neceffary for the owner's fecurity. I fuppofe therefore Shakespear wrote

FEARLESS guard.

i. e. Careless; and this, indeed, would expofe his house to the only danger he had to apprehend in the day-time, which was clandeftine pilfering. This reading is much confirmed by the character he gives this guard, of an unthrifty knave, and by what he fays of him afterwards, that he was,

a huge feeder:

Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day
More than the wild-cat-

VOL. II.

I

Anth.

Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew.

This Hebrew will turn chriftian; he grows kind.
Baff. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind.
Anth. Come on, in this there can be no difmay;
My fhips come home a month before the day. [Exeunt,

ACT II.

SCENE I.

BELMONT.

Enter Morochius, a Tawny-Moor, all in white; and three or four Followers accordingly; with Portia, Neriffa, and her train. Flourish Cornets.

MOROCHIU S.

MISLIKE me not for my complexion,

The fhadow'd livery of the burnish'd fun, To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred. Bring me the faireft creature northward born, Where Phabus' fire scarce thaws the ificles, And let us make incifion for your love, To prove whose blood is reddeft, his or mine. I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mine Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love, I swear, The best regarded virgins of our clime Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue, Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle Queen. Por. In terms of choice I am not folely led By nice direction of a maiden's eyes: Befides, the lottery of my deftiny Bars me the right of voluntary chufing. But if my father had not fcanted me, And hedg'd me by his wit to yield my felf His wife, who wins me by that means I told you; Your felf, renowned Prince, then stood as fair,

As