I mean pirates; and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks. The man is notwithstanding sufficient; three thousand ducats? I think, I may take his bond.
Bass. Be assur'd, you may.
Shy. I will be affur'd, I may; and, that I may be affur'd, I will bethink me: may I fpeak with Anthonio?
Baff. If it please you to dine with us.
Shy. Yes, to fmell pork; to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjur'd the devil into? I will buy with you, fell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and fo following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Ryalto? who is he comes here?
Enter Anthonio.
Baff. This is fignior Anthonio.
Shy. [afide.] How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him, for he is a chriftian:
But more, for that in low fimplicity
He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of ufance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our facred nation; and he rails
Ev'n there where merchants moft do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls intereft. Curfed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!
Baff. Shylock, do you hear?
Shy. I am debating of my present store;
And, by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot inftantly raise up the grofs
Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
Will furnish me: but, foft; how many months
Do
you defire? Reft you fair, good fignior,
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.
Anth. Shylock, although I neither lend, nor borrow,
By taking, nor by giving of excess,
Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a custom. Is he yet poffefs'd
How much you would?
Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
Anth. And for three months.
Shy. I had forgot, three months, he told me fo;
Well then, your bond: and, let me fee, but hear you ;
Methought, you faid, you neither lend, nor borrow,
Upon advantage.
Anth. I do never use it.
Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep, -
This Jacob from our holy Abraham was
(As his wife mother wrought in his behalf)
The third poffeffor; ay, he was the third.
Anth. And what of him? did he take intereft?
Shy. No, not take intereft; not, as you would say,
Directly intereft: mark what Jacob did.
When Laban and himself were compromis'd
That all the yeanlings, which were ftreak'd, and pied,
Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes, being rank,
In th' end of autumn turned to the rams;
Then when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The skilful fhepherd peel'd me certain wands,
And in the doing of the deed of kind,
He stuck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in yeaning time
Fall party-colour'd lambs, and thofe were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was bleft;
And thrift is bleffing, if men fteal it not.
Anth. This was a venture, fir, that Jacob fervid for;
A thing not in his pow'r to bring to pass,
But fway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heav'n.
Was this inferted to make int'reft good?
Or is your gold and filver ewes and rams?
Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as faft:
But note me, fignior.
Anth. Mark you this, Bassanio?
The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.
An evil foul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a godly outfide falfhood hath!
Shy. Three thousand ducats! 'tis a good round fum.
Three months from twelve, then let me fee the rate.
Anth. Well, Shylock, fhall we be beholden to you?
Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft
In the Ryalto you have rated me
About my monies and my ufances.
Still have I born it with a patient shrug,
For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe.
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gabardine,
And all for ufe of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help:
Go to then, you come to me, and you say,
Shylock, we would have monies; you say so,
You that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me, as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold:
threshold: money is your
fuit;
What should I say to you? should I not fay,
Hath a dog money? is it poffible
A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and, in a bondman's key,
With bated breath, and whifp'ring humbleness,
Say this: fair fir, you fpit on me last wednesday;
You fpurn'd me fuch a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for thefe courtefies
Ill' lend you thus much monies.
Anth. I am as like to call thee fo again,
VOL. II.
с
To fpit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take
A breed of barren metal of his friend?)
But lend it rather to thine enemy,
Who if he break, thou may'ft with better face
Exact the penalty.
Shy. Why, how you ftorm?
I would be friends with you, and have your love,
Forget the shames that you have stain’d me with,
Supply your present wants, and take no doit
Of ufance for my monies, and you'll not hear me:
This, fure, is kind I offer.
Anth. This were kindness.
Shy. This kindness will I fhow;
Go with me to a notary, seal me there
Your fingle bond; and, in a merry sport,
If you repay me not on fuch a day,
In fuch a place, fuch fum or fums as are
Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body it shall please me.
Anth. Content, in faith; I'll feal to fuch a bond,
And say, there is much kindness in the Jew.
Bass. You fhall not seal to such a bond for me, I'll rather dwell in my necessity.
Anth. Why, fear not, man, I will not forfeit it;
Within these two months (that's a month before
This bond expires) I do expect return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.
Shy. O father Abraham, what these chriftians are!
Whose own hard dealings teach them to fufpect
The thoughts of others! pray you, tell me this,
• Breed of metal, meaning money at ufury, money that breeds more ----- The old editions (two of them) have it, a bribe of barren metal
If he should break his day, what fhould I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture?
A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not so estimable, or profitable,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I fay,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship :
If he will take it, fo; if not, adieu;
And, for my love, I pray you, wrong me not.
Anth. Yes, Shylock, I will feal unto this bond.
Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the notary's:
Give him direction for this merry bond,
And I will go and purfe the ducats straight,
See to my house, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
I will be with you.
Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew.
The Hebrew will turn chriftian, he grows kind.
Baff. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind.
Anth. Come on, in this there can be no dismay,
My ships come home a month before the day.
******************
MOROCHI U S.
M
ISLIKE me not for my complexion,
The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the faireft creature northward born,
Where Phoebus' fire fcarce thaws the ificles,
C 2
Belmont.
Enter Morochius a tawny-moor all in white, and three or four followers accordingly, with Portia, Neriffa, and her train. Flourish cornets.
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