or. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thize; court awards it, and the law doth give it.

y. Most rightful judge!

or. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; law allows it, and the court awards it.

hy. Most learned judge!—A sentence! come, prepare.

Por. Tarry a little :-there is something else.

s bond doth give thee here no jot of blood:

e words expressly are, a pound of flesh;

ke then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh : t, in the cutting of it, if thou dost shed

e drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods

e, by the laws of Venice, confiscate

to the State of Venice.

Gra. (R.) Oh, upright judge !-Mark, Jew:-a learned judge!

Shy. Is that the law?

Por. Thyself shall see the act:

or, as thou urgest justice, be assured

hou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st. Gra. Oh, learned judge !—Mark, Jew ;-a learnúd judge!

Shy. I take this offer, then ;-pay the bond thrice, nd let the Christian go.

Bass. Here is the money.

Por. Soft:

The Jew shall have all justice !-soft !—no haste;-
He shall have nothing but the penalty.

Gra. Oh, Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge!
Por. Therefore, prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less nor more,
But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more
Or less than a just pound,-be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part

Of one poor scruple! nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,-

Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate.

Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!

Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip.

Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture.

Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go.
Bass. I have it ready for thee: here it is.
Por. He hath refused it in the open court;
He shal have merely justice, and his bond.

Gra. A Daniel, still say I! a second Dauie !
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 be so 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 proved against an alien,
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive,
Shall seize on half his goods: the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st:
For it appears by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,

Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurred
The danger formerly by me rehearsed.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.

[Going, R.

Gra. Beg that thou may'st 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 hanged 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.
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
When you do take the means whereby I live.

take my life,

Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio?
Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else, for Heaven's sake.
Ant. So please my lord the Duke, and all the court,
quit the fine for one half of his goods,

m content, so he will let me have he other half in use,-to render it, pon his death, unto the gentleman hat lately stole his daughter:

wo things provided more-that, for this favour, Le presently become a Christian;

he other, that he do record a gift,

ere in the court, of all he dies possessed,
nto 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?
Shy. I am content.

Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift.

What dost thou say?

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.

[Shylock crosses, R.

Gra. (L.) In christening thou shalt have two godfathers;

Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more,
To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit Shy., R
Duke. [To Por.] Sir, I entreat you home with me to
dinner.

Por. 1 humbly do desire your grace of pardon ;
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, L. U. E. Bass. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof, Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew, We freely cope your courteous pains withal. Ant. And stand indebted, over and above, In love and service to you evermore.

Por. 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.

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

Bass. This ring, good sir,—alas, it is a trifle;
I will not shame myself to give you this.

Por. 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.

Por. 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 answered.

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.

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

And know how well I have deserved this ring,
She would not hold out enemy forever,

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

[Exeunt Portia and Nerissa, R. Ant. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring; Let his deservings, and my love withal, Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment.

Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him, Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'st, Unto Antonio's house :-away, make haste.

[Exit Gratiano, R.

me, you and I will thither presently; d in the morning early will we both toward Belmont: come, Antonio.

SCENE II-A Street in Venice.

Enter PORTIA and NERISSa, r.

[Exeunt, L.

Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, nd let him sign it; we'll away to-night, nd be a day before our husbands home: his deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter GRATIAno, r.

Gra. Fair sir, you are well overtaken :

My lord Bassanio, upon more advice,

[Crosses to Portia.

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

Por. That cannot be :

This ring I do accept most thankfully,

And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore

I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house.

Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would speak with you :

Crosses, R.

[Aside to Portia.] I'll see if I can get my husband's ring, Which I did make him swear to keep forever.

Por. [Aside to Ner.] Thou may'st, I warrant: we shall have old swearing,

That they did give the rings away to men;

But we'll outface them, and outswear them, too.
Away, make haste; thou know'st where I will tarry.

[Exit, L.

Ner. Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?

[Exeunt, L.

END OF ACT IV.