Por. Ay, for the ftate; not for Anthonio.

Shy. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that, You take my houfe, 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. A halter gratis; nothing else, 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, 9 fo he will let me have

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

Two things provided more,-That for this favour
He prefently become a Chriftian;

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.

Luke. He fhall do this; or elfe I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what doft thou fay? 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 chriftening thou fhalt have two godfathers: Had I been judge, thou fhould'st have had ten more,'

8 I am content, &c.] The terms propofed have been mifun derstood. 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 fe or produce only of the half, and that only for the Jew's life, unlefs we read, as perhaps is right, upon my death. JOHNSON.

9 -thou should't have had ten more,] i. e. a jury of twelve men, to condemn thee to be hanged. THEOBALD.

Το

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 of pardon ; * I must away this night to Padua,

And it is meet, I presently set forth.

Duke. I'm forry, that your leifure ferves you not. -Anthonio, gratify this gentleman;

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. [Exit Duke and his train.

Baff Most worthy gentleman, I, and my friend
Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thoufand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Anıb. 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 fir, of force I must attempt you further.
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.

Ball. This ring, good fir, alas, it is a trifle;

-grace of pardon ;] Thus the old copies: the modern editors read, lefs harshly, but without authority. your grace's pardon. The fame kind of expreffion occurs in Othello.-I humbly do befeech you of your pardon. STEEVENS.

I will not fhame myself to give you this.

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

Baff. 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, fir, you are liberal in offers:
You taught me first to beg, and now, methinks
You teach me how a beggar fhould be answer❜d.
Bal. Good fir, this ring was given me by my
wife;

And, when the put it on, the made me vow,
That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lofe it.
Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their
gifts.

An if your wife be not a mad woman,
And know how well I have deferv'd this ring,
She would not hold out enmity for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you.
[Exit with Nerija.·
Anth. My lord Baffanio, let him have the ring.
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandement.
Ba Go, Gratiano, 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.

Re-enter Portia and Neriffa.

[Exeunt.

Per. Enquire the Jew's houfe out, give him this

deed,

And let him fign it. We'll away to-night,

And

And be a day before our husbands home.
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Fair fir, 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.

Per. 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 house.
Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would fpeak with you.

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

[To Por. Which I did make him fwear to keep for ever. Por. Thou may'ft, I warrant. We shall have old fwearing,

That they did give the rings away to men;
But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too.
Away, make hafte; thou know'ft where I will

tarry.

Ner. Come, good fir, will you fhew me to this houfe?

[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE

I.

Belmont. A grove, or green place, before Portia's boufe.

Enter Lorenzo and Jessica.

LORENZ o.

HE moon fhines bright :-in fuch a night as

THE this,

When the fweet wind did gently kifs the trees,

And

And they did make no noife; in fuch a night,
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall,
And figh'd his foul towards the Grecian tents,
Where Creffid lay that night.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew;
And faw the lion's fhadow ere himself,
And ran difmay'd away.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
Upon the wild fea-banks, and wav'd her love
To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs,
That did renew old fon.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Did Jeffica steal from the wealthy Jew,

And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,
As far as Belmont.

Jef. And in fuch a night,

Did young Lorenzo swear, he lov'd her well;
Stealing her foul with many vows of faith,
And ne'er a true one.

Lor. And in fuch a night,

Did pretty Jeffica, like a little fhrew,
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

Jef. I would out-night you, did no body come : But hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter a Servant.

Lor. Who comes fo faft, in filence of the night? Serv. A friend.

Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I pray you, friend?

Serv. Stephano is my name; and I bring word, My mistress will before the break of day Be here at Belmont. She doth stray about

By