I'll break a custom.

How much you would?

Is he yet poffeft,

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

Ant. And for three months.

Shy. I had forgot, three months, you told me fo but Well then, your bond; and let me fee,

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 sheep,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 int'reft; not, as you would fay,
Directly, int'reft; mark, what Jacob did.

When Laban and himfelf 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;
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The fkilful fhepherd peel'd me certain wands;
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He ftuck 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, Sir, that Jacob ferv'd for A thing not in his pow'r to bring to pafs,

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, Signior.

Antb. Mark you this, Ballanio?

The

The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose. (2)-
An evil foul, producing holy witnefs,
Is like a villain with a finiling cheek ;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.

O, what a goodly outfide falfhood hath?

Shy. Three thousand ducats!-'tis a good round fum.
Three months fiom 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 Rialto you have rated me,
About my monies and my ufances.
Still have I born it with a patient fhrug;
(For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe.)
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And fpit upon my Jeu ifb gaberdine;
And all for use of that, which is my own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help:
Go to then you come to me, and

you fay,
Shylock, we would have monies - You fay fo-
You, that did void your rheume upon my beard,
And foot me, as you fpurn a ftranger cur
Over your threshold Mony is your fuit :
What fhould I fay to you? fhould I not fay,
Hath a dog mony? is it poffible,

A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,

(21 rancite fcripture for bis purpife.

0, what a goodly outfide falfhood barb !] But this is not true that falfhood hath always a goodly outfide. Nor does this take in the force of the fpeaker's fentiment; who would obferve that that falfhood which quotes fcripture for its purpose has a goodly outfide. We should therefore read,

O, what a goodly outfide's falfboid bath!

i. e. bis falfhood, Shylock's.

WARBURTON.

I wish any copy would give me authority to range and read the

lines thus:

O! what a godly outfide falfhood bath !
An evil foul producing bely witness,
Is like a villain with a fmiling cheek.
Or goodly apple rotten at the beart.

With

With bated breath, and whifp'ring humbleness,
Say this, fair Sir, you fpit on me last Wednesday,
You fpurn'd me fuch a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for these curtefies
I'll lend you thus much monies ?

Anth. I am as like to call thee fo again,
To fpit on thee again, to fpurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this mony, lend it not
As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take
A breed of barren metal of his friend) ? (3)
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 fhames that you have ftain'd me with
Supply your prefent wants, and take no doit

Of ufance for my monies, and you'll not hear me ;
This is kind I offer:

Anth. This were kindness.

Shy. This kindness will I show:

Go with me to a Notary, feal me there
Your fingle bond; and in a merry fport,
If you repay me not on fuch a day,
In fuch a place, fuch fum, or fums, as are
Exprefs'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 fhall please me.

Anth. Content, in faith. I'll seal to fuch a bond,

And fay, there is much kindness in the Jew.
Bal. You fhall not feal to fuch a bond for me,
I'll rather dwell in my neceffity.

*

(3) A breed of barren metal of his friend?] A breed that is interelt money bred from the principal. By the epithet barren the author would inftruct us in the argument on which the advocates against ufury went, which is this, that money is a barren thing, and cannot like corn and cattle multiply itfelf. And to fet off the abfur-. dity of this kind of ufury, he put breed and borren in opposition. WARBURTON. * To dwell seems in this place to mean the fame as to continue. To abide has both the fenfes of babitation and continuance..

Anth.

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,
If he should break his day, what should I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture ?

A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not fo eftimable 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 ftrait;
See to my house, left in the fearful guard (4)

(4) left in the FEARFUL guard, &c.] But iurely fearful was the most trufty guard for a house-keeper in a populous city; where houses are not carried by ftorm like fortreffes. For fear would keep them on their watch, which was all that was neceffary for the owner's fecurity. I fuppose therefore Stokespeare wrote

FEARLESS guard.

i. e. Carelofs; and this indeed, would expofe his houfe to the only danger he had to apprehend in the day-time, which was clandeftine pilfering. This reading is much confirmed by the character he gives thi guard, of an unthrifty knave, and by what he fays of him afterwards, that he was,

a buge feeder

Snail-flow in profit, but he fleeps by day
More than the wild-cat-

WARBURTON.

Dr. Warburton has forgotten that fearful is not only that which fears, but that which is feared or caules fear. Fearful guard, is a guard that is not to be trufted, but gives caufe of fear. To fear was anciently to give as well as feel terrours. I tell thee, Lady, this af pect of mine hath fear'd the valiant.

Of

Of an unthrifty knave, and presently

I will be with you.

Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew.

This Hebrew will turn chriftian; he grows

kind.

Bal. I like not fair terms, (5) and a villain's mind. Anth. Come on, in this there can be no difmay; My fhips come home a month before the day. [Exeunt.

Enter Morochius, a Tarney-Moor, all in white; and three or four Followers accordingly; with Portia, Neriffa, and her train. Flourish Cornets.

MOROCHIP s.

ISLIKE me not for my complexion,
The fhadow'd livery of the burnifh'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phabus' fire fcarce thaws the ificles,
And let us make incifion for

Το

your love,

prove whofe blood is reddeft, his or mine. (6) I tell thee, lady, this afpect of mine

Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love, I fwear,
The best regarded virgins of our clime

Have lov'd it too. I would not change this hue,
Except to fteal your thoughts, my gentle Queen.
Por. In terms of choice I am not folely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes:

(5) I like not fair terms,] Kind words, good language.

(6) To prove whose blood is reddeft, his or mine] To understand how the tawney Prince, whofe favage dignity is very well fupported, means to recommend himself by this challenge, it must be remembered that red blood is a traditionary fign of courage: Thus Macbeth calls one of his frighted foldiers, a lilly liver'd Lown; again in this play, Cowards are faid to have livers white as milk; and an effeminate and timorous man is termed a milk sop.

Befides,