The words exprefly are, a pound of flesh.
Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou doft shed

One drop of chriftian blood; thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate
Unto the ftate of Venice.

[judge!

Gra. O upright judge-mark, Jew, -O learned
Shy. Is that the law?

Por. Thy felf fhalt see the Act:

For as thou urgeft juftice, be affur'd,
Thou shalt have juftice, more than thou defir'ft.
Gra. O learned judge-mark, Jew-a learned judge!
Shy. I take this offer then-pay the bond thrice,
And let the chriftian go.

Baff. Here is the mony.

Por. The few fhall have all juftice-foft! no hafteHe shall have nothing but the penalty.

Gra. O few! an upright judge, a learned judge! Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh; Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou lefs, nor more, But just a pound of flesh if thou tak'st more Or lefs than just a pound, be't but so much As makes it light or heavy in the fubstance, On the divifion of the twentieth part Of one poor fcruple; nay, if the scale turn But in the estimation of a hair,

Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate.
Gra. A fecond Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!

Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip.
Por. Why doth the Jew paufe ;-take the forfeiture.
Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go.
Baff. I have it ready for thee; here it is.
Por. He hath refus'd it in the open Court;
He shall have merely juftice, and his bond.

Gra. A Daniel, ftill fay 1; a fecond Daniel!
I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.
Shy. Shall I not barely have my principal?
Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture.

To

To be fo taken at thy peril, Jew.

Shy. Why, then the devil give him good of it! I'll stay no longer question.

Por. Tarry, Jew.

The law hath yet another hold on you.
It is enacted in the laws of Venice,
If it be prov'd against an alien,
That by direct or indirect attempts
He feeks the life of any citizen,
The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive,
Shall feize on half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy Coffer of the ftate;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice:
In which predicament, I fay, thou ftand'st.
For it appears by manifeft proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,
Thou haft contriv'd against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou haft incurr'd
The danger formerly by me rehears❜d.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.
Gra. Beg, that thou may'ft have leave to hang
thyfelf;

And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the ftate,
Thou haft not left the value of a cord;
Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the ftate's charge.
Duke. That thou may'ft fee the diff'rence of our
fpirit,

I pardon thee thy life before thou afk it.
For half thy wealth, it is Authonio's :
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humblenefs may drive unto a fine.

Por. Ay, for the ftate; not for Anthonio.
Shy. Nay, take my life and all: pardon not that.
You take my house, when you do take the prop
That doth fuftain my houfe: you take my life,
When you do take the means whereby I live.

Por. What mercy can you render him, Anthonio?

Gra

Gra. A halter gratis; nothing elfe, for God's fake. Anth. So please my lord the Duke, and all the Court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods; I am content,* fo he will let me have

The other half in ufe, to render it
Upon his death unto the gentleman,
That lately stole his daughter.

Two things provided more, that for this favour
He prefently become a christian;

The other, that he do record a Gift
Here in the Court, of all he dies poffefs'd,
Unto his fon Lorenzo and his daughter.

Duke. He fhall do this, or else I do recant
The pardon that I late pronounced here.

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

Por. Clerk, draw a Deed of gift.

Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence; I am not well; fend the Deed after me, And I will fign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In christ'ning thou fhalt have two godfathers. Had I been judge, thou fhould't have had ten more, To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

[Exit Shylock. Duke. Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do defire your Grace's pardon; I muft away this night to Padua, And it is meet, I prefently fet forth.

Duke. I'm forry, that your leisure serves you not.

I am content, &c.] The terms propofed have been mifunderstood. Antonio declares, that as the Duke quits one half of the forfeiture, he is likewife content to abate his claim, and defires not the property but the ufe or produce only of the half, and that

VOL. I.

only for the Jew's life, unless we read, as perhaps is right, upon my death.

I ―

thou foult have had ten more.] i. e. a Jury of Twelve Men, to condemn thee to be hang'd. THEOBALD.

Anthonio,

H h

-Anthonio, gratify this gentleman; For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. [Exit Duke and his train.

III.

Baff. Moft worthy gentleman, I and my friend
Have by your wifdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.

Anth. And ftand indebted, over and above,
In love and fervice to you evermore.

Por. He is well paid, that is well fatisfy'd;
And I, delivering you, am fatisfy'd,
And therein do account myfelf well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;
I wish you well, and fo I take my leave.

Baff. Dear Sir, of force I must attempt you
Take fome remembrance of us, for a tribute,
Not as a fee. Grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield. Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your fake; 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 fhall not deny me this.

Bell. This ring, good Sir, alas, it is a trifle; I will not fhame myself to give you this.

Por. I will have nothing elfe but only this. And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

SCENE

further.

Beff. 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.

Por. I fee, Sir, you are liberal in offers;
You taught me firft to beg, and now, methinks,

You teach me how a beggar fhould be anfwer'd.
Baff. Good Sir, this ring was giv'n me by my wife,
And, when the put it on, the made me vow,
That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lose it.

Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts;
And if your wife be not a mad woman,
And know how well I have deferv'd the ring,
She would not hold out enmity for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you.
[Exit with Neriffa.
Anth. My lord Baffanio, let him have the ring.
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainft your wife's commandement.
Baff. Go, Gratians, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'st,
Unto Anthonio's houfe.-Away, make hafte.
-Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont. Come, Anthonio.

[Exeunt.

Re-enter Portia and Neriffa.

Por. Enquire the Jew's houfe out, give him this Deed, And let him fign it. We'll away to night, And be a day before our hufbands home. This Deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Fair Sir, you are well o'erta’en :
My lord Baffanio, upon more advice,
Hath fent you here this ring, and doth intreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be.

This ring I do accept moft thankfully.
And fo, I pray you, tell him. Furthermore,
I pray you, fhew my Youth old Shylock's houfe.
Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would speak with you.

I'll fee if I can get my hufuand's ring:

Hh 2

[To Por.

Which