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 Commend me to your honourable wife : BASS. Antonio, I am married to a wife, POR. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, GRA. I have a wife, whom I protest I love; I would she were in heaven, so she could NER. 'Tis well you offer it behind her back; 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 ! POR. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine; We trifle time; I pray thee pursue sentence. The court awards it, and the law doth give it. [Aside. 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: But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate Unto the state of Venice. Thyself shall see the act : POR. 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 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! 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. BASS. I have it ready for thee; here it is. GRA. A Daniel, still say I ; a second Daniel !— SHY. Why, then the devil give him good of it! 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. Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. GRA. Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang thyself: And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Thou hast not left the value of a cord; Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. DUKE. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it: For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's ; POR. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio. SHY. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that : You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life, When you do take the means whereby I live. 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 That lately stole his daughter; Two things provided more,-that for this favour, He presently become a Christian; 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. DUKE. He shall do this; or else I do recant The pardon that I late pronounced here. POR. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say? 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, GRA. In christening, shalt thou have two godfathers; Had I been judge, thou shouldst 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. 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 Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof, POR. He is well paid that is well satisfied: And therein do account myself well paid; My mind was never yet more mercenary. 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 further; Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute, M |