Sky.Tis very true:O wife and vpright ludge,
How much more elder art thou then thy lookes.
Por.Therefore lay bare your bofome.
Shy.I,his breaft,
So fayes the bond, doth it not noble ludge?
Neereft his heart,those are the very words.
Par.It is fo,are there ballance here to weigh the flesh?
Shy. I haue them ready.
For.Haue by fome Surgeon Shylocke on your charge,
To ftop his wounds,least he do bleed to death.
Shy. Is it fo nominated in the bond?
Por.It is not fo expreft,but what of that?
Twere good you do fo much for charity.
Shy.I cannot finde it,tis not in the bond.
Por.You Merchant, haue you any thing to say?
Ant. But little; am arm'd and well prepar'd,
Giue me your hand Bassanio, far you well,
Greeue not that I am falne to this for you:
For heerein Fortune fhewes her felfe more kinde
Then is her cuftome: it is ftill her vfe
To let the wretched man out-liue his wealth,
To view with hollow eye and wrinckled brow,
Anage of pouerty: from which lingring pennance
Of fuch mifery doth fhe cut me off.
Commend me to your honourable wife,
Tell her the proceffe of Anthonios ende,
Say how Ilou'd you, fpeake me faire in death's
And when the tale is told,bid her be iudge,
Whether Baffanio had not once a loue:
Repent but you that you shall lose your friend,
And he repents not that he payes your debt.
For if the lew do cut but deepe enough,
Ile pay it presently with all my heart.
Ba. Anthonio, I am married to a wife,
Which is as deare to me as life it felfe,
Burlife it felfe,my wife,and all the world;
Are not with me efteem'd aboue thy life.
`I would lose all, I facrifize them all
Heere to this diuell,to deliver you.
Por Your wife would giue you little thanks for that
If she were by to heare you make the offer.
Gra.I haue a wife, who I proteft Ilque,
I would the were in heauen,fo fhe could
Entreate fome power to change this currifh Zew,
Ner.Tis well you offer it behinde her backe,
The wish would make else an vnquiet house.
Lew.Thefe be the chriftian husbands,I haue a daughter,
Would any of the ftocke of Barrabas
Had bene her husband,rather then a Chriftian.
We trifle time, I pray thee purdue fentence.
Por. A pound of that fame Merchants flesh is thine, The Court awards it,and the law doth giue it, Iew.Moft rightfull Iudge.
Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breaft,
The Law allowes it,and the Court awards it.
Iew.Moft learned Iudge,a fentence,come prepare.
Por.Tarry a little,there is fomething else,
This bond doth giue thee here no iote of blood,
The words exprefly are a pound of flesh:
Take then thy bond,take thou thy pound of Alesh,
But in the cutting it,if thou doft shed
One drop of Chriftian blood,thy lands and goods
Are by the lawes of Venice, confifcate
Vnto the State of Venice.
Gra.Ovpright Iudge,
Marke few. O learned Iudge.
Shy.Is that the Law?
Por.Thy felfe fhalt see the A&t:
For as tho vrgeft iuftice,be affur'd
Thou falt haue iuftice, more then thou defireft.
Gra. O learned Iudge,marke lew,a learned ludge.
Iew.I take this offer then,pay the bond thrice,
And let the Chriftian go.
Baff.Heere is the money.
Por. Soft, the Iew fhall haue all iuftice,soft no haft
He shall have nothing but the penalty.
Gra. O lew,an vpright iudge, a learned iudge.
Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh,
Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou leffe nor more,
But iuft a pound of flesh : if thou cutft more
Or leffe then a iuft pound, be it but fo much
As makes it light or heauy in the substance,
Or the diuifion of the twentith part
Of one poore fcruple; nay,if the scale do turne
But in the estimation of a haire,
Thou dyeft,and all thy goods are confiscate.
Gra.A fecond Daniel,a Daniel lew,
Now infidell I haue you on the hip.
Por. Why doth the Iew paufe,take thy forfeyture.
Shy. Giue me my principall, and let me go.
Baff. I haue it ready for thee,heere it is.
Por. He hath refufd it in the open Court,
And fhall haue meerely iuftice and his bond.
Gra. A Daniel ftill fay I, a fecond Daniel,
I thanke thee Iew for teaching me that word.
Shy. Shall I not haue barely my principall?
Por.Thou shalt haue nothing but the forfey ture,
To be fo taken at thy perill Iew.
Shy. Why then the deuill giue him good of it:
Ile ftay no longer heere in queftion.
The Law hath yet another hold on you.
It is enacted in the lawes of Venice,
Ifit be proued against any alien,
That by direct, or indirect attempts
He feeke the life of any Citizen,
The party gainst the which he doth contriue,
Shall feize on halfe his goods; the other halfe
Comes to the priuy cofter of the State,
And the offenders life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke onely,gainft all other voyce,
In which predicament I fay,thou ftandft:
For it appeares by manifeft proceeding,
That indirectly,and directly to
Thou haft contriued gainft the very life
Of the defendant: and thou haft incurd
The danger formerly by me rehearst.
Downe therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.
Gra.Beg that thou maift haue leaue to hang thy self,
And yet thy wealth being forfeit to the ftate,
Thou haft not left the value of a cord,
Therefore thou must be hangd at the States charge.
Duke. That thou shalt fee the diffrence of our fpirits,
I pardon thee thy life before thou aske it :
For halfe thy wealth,it is Anthonios,
The other halfe comes to the generall State,
Which humbleneffe may driue vnto a fine.
Por.I for the ftate,not for Anthonio.
Shy Nay,ake my life and all,pardon not that,
You take my houfe,when you do take the prop
That doth fuftaine my houfe: you take my life
When you do take the meanes wherby I liue.
Por.What mercy can you render him, Anthono? Gra.A halter gratis,nothing elfe for Gods fake. An.So please my Lord the Duke,& all the Court, To quit the fine for one halfe of his goods, I am content; fo he will let me haue
The other halfe in vfe,to render it
Vpon his death vnto the Gentleman
That lately ftole his daughter.
Two things prouided more, that for this favour
Heprefently become a Chriftian:
The other,that he do record a gift
Heere in the Court,of all he dies poffeft
Vnto his fonne Lorenzo and his daughter.
Due. He fhall do this,or else I do recant
The pardon that I late pronounced heere.
Por. Art thou contcuted Iew? what doft thou say?
Shy.I am content.
Por.Clearke, draw a deed of gift.
Shy. I pray you giue me leaue to go from hence, I am not well,fend the deed after me,
And I will figne it.
Duke.Get thee gone,but do it.
Gra. In chriftning fhalt thou haue two Godfathers,
Had I bene iudge,thou shouldst have had ten more,
To bring thee to the gallowes,not the Font.
Duke.Sir,I intreate you home with me dinner.
Per.I humbly defire your Grace of pardon,
I must away this night toward Padwa,
And it is meete I prefently fet forth.
Duke, I am forry that your leyfure ferues you not.
Anthonio, gratific this gentleman,
For in my minde you are much bound to him.
Exit Duke and his traine.
Baff. Moft worthy gentleman,I and my friend
Haue by your wifedome bene this day acquited
Of greeuous penalties, in lew whereof,
Three thoufand ducats due vnto the Iew,
We freely cope your courteous paines withall.
Ant. And ftand indebted ouer and aboue
In loue and feruice to you euermore.
Por. He is well paid, that is well satisfied,
And I deliuering you,am satisfied,
And therein do account my felfe well paid,
My minde was neuer yet more mercinary.
I pray you know me when we meete againe,
I wish you well, and fo I take my leaue.
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