Laun. For the Table, Sir, it fhall be ferved in; for the Meat, Sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to Dinner, Sir, why let it be as Humours and Conceits fhall
Lor. O dear Difcretion, how h's Words are fuited!
The Fool hath planted in his Memory
An Army of good Words; and I do know
A many Fools that stand in better place,
Garnish'd like him, that for a trickfie Word
Defie the Matter: How cheer'ft thou, Jelica?
And now, good Sweet, fay thy Opinion,
How doft thou like the Lord Baffanio's Wife?
Jef. Paft all expreffing: It is very meet
The Lord Baffanio live an upright Life.
For having fuch a B'effing in his Lady,
He finds the Joys of Heav'n here on Earth:
And if on Earth he do not mean it, it
Is reafon he should never come to Heav'r.
Why, if two gods should play fome heav'nly Match
And on the Wager lay two earthly Women,
And Portia one, there must be fomething else
Pawn'd with the other; for the
Hath not her Fellow.
Lor. Even fuch a Husband
Haft thou of me, as he is for a Wife.
Jef. Nay, but ask my Opinion too of that.
Lor. I will anon: Firft let us go to Dinner.
Jef. Nay, let me praise you while I have a Stomach.
Lor. No, pray thee, let it ferve for Table-talk;
Then howfome'er thou fpeak'ft, 'mongst other things,
I fhall digeft it.
Jef. Well, I'll fet you forth.
ACT IV. SCENE Venice.
Enter the Duke, the Senators, Anthonio, Bassanio, and
Gratiano.
Duke. WHAT, is Anthonie here?
Ant, Ready, fo pleafe your Grace. Duke. I am forry for thee, thou art come to anfw.r
A ftony Adverfary, an inhuman Wretch,
Uncapable of Pity, void and empty
From any dram of Mercy.
Your Grace hath ta'en great pains to qualifie
His rigorous Courfe; but fince he ftands obdurate,
And that no lawful Means can carry me
Out of his Envy's reach, I do oppose
My Patience to his Fury, and am arm'd
To fuffer with a quietness of Spirit
The very Tyranny and Rage of his.
Duke. Go one and call the Jew into the Court.
Sal. He is ready at the Door: He comes, my Lord.
Enter Shylock.
Duke. Make room, and let him ftand before our Face.
Shylock, the World thinks, and I think fo too,
That thou but lead❜ft this Fashion of thy Malice
To the laft Hour of a&, and then 'tis thought
Thou'lt fhew thy Merey and Remorfe more ftrange
Than is thy ftrange apparent Cruelty,
Which is a Pound of this poor Merchant's Flesh..
Thou wilt not only lose the Forfeiture,
But touch'd with human Gentleness and Love,
Forgive a moiety of the Principal,
Glancing an Eye of Pity on his Loffes
That have of late fo hudled on his back,
Enough to prefs a Royal Merchant dowr,
And pluck Commiferation of his State
From brafly Bofoms, and rough Hearts of Flint,
From ftubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd
To Offices of tender Courtefie.
We all expect a gentle Anfwer, Jew.
Shy. I have poffefs'd your Grace of what I purpose,
And by our holy Sabbath have I fworn
To have the Due and Forfeit of my Bond.
If you deny it, let the Danger light
Upon your Charter, and your City's Freedom.
You'll ask me why I rather chufe to have
A weight of Carrion Flesh, than to receive
Three thousand Ducats? I'll not anfwer that.
But fay it is my Humour, is it anfwered?
What if my House be troubled with a Rat,
And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand Ducats
To have it brain'd? What, are you answer'd yet?
Some Men there are love not a gaping Pig,
Some that are mad, if they behold a Cat,
And others, when the Bag-pipe fings i' th' Nofe,
Cannot contain their Urine for affection.
Mafterlefs Paffion fways it to the mood
Of what it likes or loaths. Now for your
As there is no firm reafon to be rendred
Why he cannot abide a gaping Pig,
Why he a harmless neceffary Cat,
Why he a woollen Bag-pipe, but of force
Muft yield to fuch inevitable Shame,
As to offend himself, being offended;
So can I give no Reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate, and a certain loathing
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus
A lofing Suit against him. Are
you anfwered? Baff. This is no Anfwer, thou unfeeling Man, To excuse the current of thy Cruelty.
Shy. I am not bound to please thee with
Answer.
Baff. Do all Men kill the thing they do not love?
Shy. Hates any Man the thing he would not kill?
Baff. Every Offence is not a Hate at first.
Shy. What, would't thou have a Serpent fting thee
twice?
Ant. I pray you think you queftion with a Jew.
You may as well go ftand upon the Beach,
And bid the main Flood bate his usual height,
Or even as well ufe Queftion with the Wolf,
The Ewe bleat for the Lamb: When you behold.
You may as well forbid the Mountain Pines
To wag their high Tops, and to make no noise
When they are fretted with the gufts of Heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,
As feek to foften that, than which what harder,
His Jewish Heart. Therefore I do beseech you
Make no more offers, ufe no farther means,
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have Judgment, and the Jew his Will.
Ball. For thy three thousand Ducats here is Six. Shy. If every Ducat in Six thousand Ducats Were in fix parts, and every part a Ducat,
I would not draw them, I would have my Bond.
Duke. How shalt thou hope for Mercy, rendring none?
Shy. What Judgment fhall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchas'd Slave,
Which, like your Affes, and your Dogs and Mules,
You ufe in abject and in flavish part,
Because you bought them. Shall I fay to you,
Let them be free, Marry them to your Heirs?
Why fweat they under Burthens? Let their Beds
Be made as foft as yours, and let their Pallats
Be feafon'd with fuch Viands: You will answer,
The Slaves are ours. So do I anfwer you.
The Pound of Flesh which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought, 'tis mine, and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie upon your Law,
There is no force in the Decrees of Venice:
I ftand for Judgment; anfwer; fhall I have it?
Duke. Upon my Power I may difmifs this Court,
Unlefs Bellario, a Learned Do&or,
Whom I have fent for to determine this,
Come here to day.
Sal. My Lord, here ftays without
A Meffenger with Letters from the Doctor,
New come from Padua.
Duke. Bring us the Letters, call the Meffengers.
Baff. Good cheer, Anthonio; What Man, Courage yet s The Jew fhall have my Flesh, Blood, Bones, and all, E'er thou shalt lofe for me one drop of Blood. Ant. I am a tainted Weather of the Flock, Meeteft for Death: The weakest kind of Fruit Drops earliest to the Ground, o let me, You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio, Than to live ftill, and write mine Epitaph.
Enter Neriffa dress'd like a Lawyer's Clerk. Duke. Came you from Padua, from Cellario? Ner. From both,
My Lord, Cellario greets your Grace.
Balf. Why doft thou whet thy Knife fo earnestly?
Shy. To cut the Forfeiture from that Bankrupt there.
Gra. Not on thy foa', but on thy Soul, harsh Jew,
Thou mak'ft thy Knife keen; but no Metal can,
No, not the Hangman's Ax, bear half the keennefs
Of thy fharp Enuy. Can no Prayers pierce thee?
Shy. No, none that thou haft wit enough to make.
Gra. O be thou Damn'd, inexorable Dog,
And for thy Life let Juftice be accus'd.
Thou almoft mak'ft me waver in my Faith,
To hold Opinion with Pythagoras,
That Souls of Animals infufe themfelves
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 whil'ft thou layeft in thy unhallowed Dam,
Infus'd it felf in thee: for thy Defires
Are Wolfish, Bloody, Starv'd, and Ravenous.
Shy. Till thou canft rail the Seal from off my Bond,
Thou but offend'ft thy Lungs to speak fo loud.
Repair thy Wit, good Youth, or it will fall
To end'efs Ruin. I ftand here for Law.
Duke. This Letter from Bellario doth commend
A Yong and Learned Doctor in our Court.
Where is he?
Ner. He attendeth here hard by
To know your Anfwer, whether you'll admit him?
Duke. With all my Heart. Some three or Four of you
Go give him courteous Conduct to this place,
Mean time the Court fhall hear Bellario's Letter.
OUR Grace fall understand, that at the receit of your Letter I am very Sick: But at the Inftant that your Mesfenger came, in loving Vifitation was with me a young DoEtor of Rome, his Name is Balthafar: I acquainted him with the Cafe in Controverfie, between the Jew and Anthonio the Merchant. We turn'd o'er many Books together: He is furnished with my Opinion, which bettered 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 Fftimation: For I never
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