That indirectly, and directly too,

Thou hast contrived against the

very life

Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd
The danger formally by me rehearsed.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.

Grati. 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 ;
The other half comes to the general State,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.49

Portia. Ay, for the State; not for Antonio.50
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.

Portia. What mercy can you render him, Antonio?
Grati. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake.
Anto. So please my lord the Duke and all the court
To quit the fine 51 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

49" Submission on your part may move me to reduce it to a fine." 50 Meaning, apparently, that the reduction of the forfeiture to a fine should apply only to that half of his goods which was to come to the coffer of the State, not that which fell to Antonio.

51 If the court will remit the fine, or acquit Shylock of the forfeiture so far as the claim of the State is concerned. The Poet repeatedly uses quit thus for acquit or release.

That lately stole his daughter : 52

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.

Portia. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say? Shy. I am content.

Portia.

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.

53

Grati. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers: Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more,5 To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit SHYLOCK. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Portia. I humbly do desire your Grace of pardon : 54

52"That is, in trust for Shylock during his life, for the purpose of securing it at his death to Lorenzo. In conveyances of land, where it is intended to give the estate to any person after the death of another, it is necessary that a third person should be possessed of the estate, and the use be declared to the one after the death of the other, or the estate would be rendered insecure to the future possessor. This is called a conveyance to uses." The anonymous author of the foregoing adds, that Shakespeare has rendered the old Latin law phrase pertaining to the case, "with all the strictness of a technical conveyancer, and has made Antonio desire to have one half of Shylock's goods in use, — to render it upon his death to Lorenzo."

--

53 Meaning a jury of twelve men to condemn him. This appears to have been an old joke. So in The Devil is an Ass, by Ben Jonson: "I will leave you to your godfathers in law. Let twelve men work."

54 An old English idiom now obsolete. So in A Midsummer-Night's Dream, iii. 1: “I shall desire you of more acquaintance."

I must away this night toward Padua,

And it is meet I presently set forth.

Duke. I'm 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,55 Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew, We freely cope 56 your courteous pains withal. Anto. And stand indebted, over and above, In love and service to you evermore.

Portia. He is well paid that is well satisfied;
And I, delivering you, am 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,

Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,

Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Portia. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. — [To ANTO.] Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake ;

55 In return for which, or in consideration of which. So the phrase is, I think, always used in Shakespeare. Now it means instead of.

56 The only instance I have met with of cope being used in the sense of requite. A like use of the word in composition, however, occurs in Ben Jonson's Fox, iii. 5:—

He would have sold his part of Paradise

For ready money, had he met a cope-man.

[To BASS.] And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you. Do not draw back your hand: I'll take no more; And you in love shall 57 not deny me this.

Bass. This ring, good sir, — alas, it is a trifle!

I will not shame myself to give you this.

Portia. I will have nothing else but only this; And now methinks I have a mind to it.

Bass. There's more depends on this than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,

And find it out by proclamation:

Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Portia. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers :
You taught me first to beg; and now methinks
You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd.
Bass. Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife;
And, when she put it on, she made me vow

That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it.

Portia. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. An if 58 your wife be not a mad-woman,

And know how well I have deserved this ring,

She would not hold out enemy for ever

For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

[Exeunt PORTIA and NERISSA.

Anto. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring:

Let his deservings, and my love withal,

Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment.59

57 Shall, again, where we should use will. See page 147, note 33. 58 An if is an old reduplication, with the sense merely of if. So the old writers use an, or if, or an if, indifferently.

59 Commandment is properly four syllables here, as if written commandement. And so, in fact, it is spelt in the old copies. Perhaps the old spelling should in such cases be retained.

Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him ; Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canst, Unto Antonio's house. Away! make haste.

Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both

Fly toward Belmont: come, Antonio.

[Exit GRATIANO.

SCENE II. The Same. A Street.

[Exeunt.

Enter PORTIA and NERISSA, disguised as before.

Portia. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this,deed, And let him sign it: we'll away to-night,

And be a day before our husbands home.

This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter GRATIANO.

Grati. Fair sir, you are well overta'en :

My lord Bassanio, upon more advice,1

Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat
Your company at dinner.

Portia.

That cannot be :

His ring I do accept most thankfully;

And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore,

I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house.
Grati. That will I do.

Neris.

Sir, I would speak with you.

[TO PORTIA.] I'll see if I can get my husband's ring, Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

1 Upon further consideration. See page 87, note 33. the Fifth, ii. 2: "It was excess of wine that set him on; advice, we pardon him."

And so in Henry and, on our more