That I was worse than nothing. For, indeed,
I have engag'd my felf to a dear friend,
Engag'd my Friend to his meer enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady,
The paper, as the body of my friend;
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Iffuing life-blood. But is it true, Salanio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? what not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, from England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And not one veffel 'fcap'd the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?

Sal. Not one, my lord.

Befides, it fhould appear, that if he had
The present mony to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it. Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man.
He plies the Duke at morning and at night,
And doth impeach the freedom of the ftate,
If they deny him juftice. Twenty merchants,
The Duke himself, and the Magnificoes
Of greateft port, have all perfuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.

Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him swear, To Tubal and to Chus his country-men,

That he would rather have Anthonio's fleth,

Than twenty times the value of the fum
That he did owe him; and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and pow'r deny not,

It will go hard with poor Anthonio.

Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble?
Baff. The dearest friend to me, the kindeft Man,
The beft condition'd: An unweary'd spirit

8 The beft condition'd AND unweary'd fpirit

In doing courtefies; --] To be read and pointed thus,
The beft condition'd; AN unweary'd spirit.

In

In doing courtefies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.

Por. What Sum owes he the Jew?
Ball. For me, three thousand ducats.
Por. What, no more?

Pay him fix thousand and deface the bond;
Double fix thousand, and then treble that,
Before a Friend of this defcription

Shall lofe a hair through my Bassanio's fault.
First, go with me to church, and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend:
For never fhall you lie by Portia's fide
With an unquiet foul. You fhall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over.
When it is paid, bring your true friend along;
My maid Neriffa and my felf, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows: come, away!
For you shall hence upon your wedding-day,
Bid your Friends welcome, fhew a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.
But let me hear the letter of your friend.

Baff. reads. SWEET Baffanio, my ships have all mifcarry'd, my creditors grow cruel, my eftate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impoffible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and me, if I might but fee you at my death; notwithstanding, use your pleasure: if your love do not perfuade you to come, let not my letter.

Por. O love! dispatch all Business, and be gone.
Baff. Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make hafte; but 'till I come again,

No bed fhall e'er be guilty of my stay;
No rest be interpofer 'twixt us twain.

L 4

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Changes to a Street in Venice.

Enter Shylock, Solarino, Anthonio, and the Goaler. Oaler, look to him: tell not me of mercy.

Sky. Goa

This is the fool, that lent out mony gratis. Goaler, look to him.

Ant. Hear me yet, good Shylock.

Shy. I'll have my bond; fpeak not against my
I've fworn an oath, that I will have my bond.
Thou call'dft me dog, before thou hadst a cause;
But fince I am a dog, beware my fangs:
The Duke fhall grant me juftice. I do wonder,
Thou naughty goaler, that thou art so fond
To come abroad with him at his request.
Ant. I pray thee, hear me fpeak.

bond:

Shy. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee fpeak: I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more; I'll not be made a foft and dull-ey'd fool,

To shake the head, relent, and figh and yield
To chriftian interceffors. Follow not;

I'll have no speaking; I will have my bond.

[Exit Shylock. Sola. It is the most impenetrable cur,

That ever kept with men.

Ant. Let him alone,

I'll follow him no more with bootless pray❜rs:
He feeks my life; his reafon well I know;

I oft deliver'd from his forfeitures

Many, that have at times made moan to me;
Therefore he hates me.

Sola. I am fure, the Duke

Will never grant this Forfeiture to hold.

Ant. 9 The Duke cannot deny the course of law;

For

9 The Duke cannot deny, &c-] As the reafon here given feems a little perplexed, it may be proper to explain it. If, fays he,

the

For the commodity that strangers have
With us in Venice, if it be deny'd,

Will much impeach the juftice of the ftate;
Since that the trade and profit of the city
Confifteth of all nations. Therefore go,
These griefs and loffes have fo 'bated me,
That I shall hardly fpare a pound of flesh
To morrow to my bloody creditor.

Well, goaler, on; pray God, Bassanio come

To fee me pay his debt, and then I care not! [Exeunt.

Enter Portia, Neriffa, Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Balthazar.

Lor.MAdam, although I speak it in your prefence,

You have a noble and a true conceit

Of God-like amity; which appears most strongly
In bearing thus the abfence of your lord.
But if you
knew to whom you fhew this honour,
How true a gentleman you send relief to,
How dear a lover of my lord your husband;
I know, you would be prouder of the work,
Than customary bounty can enforce you.

Por. I never did repent of doing good,
And fhall not now; for in companions
That do converfe and waste the time together,
Whose fouls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There must needs be a like proportion

the Duke ftop the course of law it will be attended with this inconvenience, that ftranger merchants, by whom the wealth and power of this city is fupported, will cry out of injuftice. For the known ftated law being their guide and fecurity, they will never bear to have the current of it ftoped on any pretence of equity whatsoever.

Of

• Of lineaments of manners, and of fpirit;
Which makes me think, that this Anthonio,
Being the bofom-lover of my lord,
Muft needs be like my lord. If it be fo,
How little is the cost I have beftowed,
In purchasing the femblance of my foul
From out the ftate of hellish cruelty?
This comes too near the praifing of my
Therefore, no more of it: (a) hear other things.
Lorenzo, I commit into your hands

felf;

The husbandry and manage of my house,
Until my lord's return.

For mine own part,

I have tow'rd heaven breath'd a fecret vow,
To live in prayer and contemplation,
Only attended by Neriffa here,

you,

Untill her husband and my Lord's return.
There is a monaftery two miles off,
And there we will abide. I do defire
Not to deny this Impofition:
The which my love and fome neceffity
Now lays upon you.

Lor. Madam, with all my heart;

I fhall obey you in all fair commands.

Por. My people do already know my mind, And will acknowledge you and Jeffica

In place of lord Baffanio and my felf.

So fare you well, 'till we fhall meet again.

Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!

Jef. I wish your ladyship all heart's content.

1 Of lineaments, of manners, &c.-] The wrong pointing has made this fine fentiment nonfenfe. As implying that friendship could not only make a fimilitude of manners, but of faces. The true fenfe is, lineaments of manners, i. e. form of the manners, which, fays the speaker, muft need be proportionate.

[ (a) Hear. Dr. Thirlby, -Vulg. here. ]