thieves; I mean, pirates; and then, there is the peril of water, winds, and rocks: The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient ;-three thousand ducats ;--I think, I may take his bond. Bass. Be assured you may. Shy. I will be assured, I may; and, that I may be assured, I will bethink me: May I speak with Antonio? Bass. If it please you, dine with us. Shy. Yes, to smell pork; I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following: but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto? -Who is he comes here? Enter ANTONIO. Bass. This is signior Antonio. Shy. [Aside.] How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him, for he is a Christian : But more, for that, in low simplicity, He lends out money gratis, and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. Bass. Shylock, do you hear? Shy. I am debating of my present store: Of full three thousand ducats: What of that? Will furnish me: but soft; How many months Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend, Shy. [TO ANTONIO, Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. Ant. And for three months. Shy. I had forgot,-three months, you told me so. Ant. I do never use it. Shy. Three thousand ducats-'tis a good round sum, Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholden to you ? In the Rialto you have rated me About my monies, and my usances: A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last : Ant. I am as like to call thee so again, Who, if he break, thou may'st with better face Shy. Why, look you, how you storm! 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 usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me : Ant. This were kindness. This kindness will I show Go with me to a notary, seal me there In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are Ant. Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond, And say, there is much kindness in the Jew. Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me, I'll rather dwell in my necessity. Ant. 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 Christians are, A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, Hie thee, gentle Jew. Ant. ACT II. Bassanio obtains the loan of three thousand ducats from Shylock, on the merchant's bond, with the penalty of "the pound of flesh," as the forfeit for non-payment. He then prepares for making proposals for Portia's hand, but previous to his departure he invites his friends to an entertainment :-Shylock is also one of the invited guests. Launcelot, a former domestic of the Jew's, has entered into the service of Bassanio, and is made the messenger between Lorenzo and Jessica, who have planned an elope ment, while Shylock is engaged at Bassanio's feast. SCENE V.-The same. Before Shylock's House. Enter SHYLOCK, and LAUNCELOT. Shy. Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge, And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out ;— Why, Jessica! Shy. Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. Laun. Your worship was wont to tell me, I could do nothing without bidding. Enter JESSICA. Jes. Call you? What is your will? Shy. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica; There are my keys :-But wherefore should I But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon The prodigal Christian.-Jessica, my girl, go ? Laun. I beseech you, sir, go on; my young master doth expect your reproach. Shy. So do I his. Laun. And they have conspired together, I will not say, you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a bleeding on Black-Monday last, at six o'clock i' the morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday, was four year in the afternoon. Shy. What are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica : Laun. I will go before, sir.Mistress, look out at window, for all this; There will come a Christian by, Will be worth a Jewess' eye. Shy. What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha? Jes. His words were, Farewell, mistress; nothing else. Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me; [Aside. Exit LAUN. Shut doors after you: Fast bind, fast find; A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. Jes. Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter lost. [Exit. [Exit. Jessica elopes with Lorenzo, carrying with her large sums of money, and valuable jewels belonging to her father. ACT III. Shylock is introduced in the following powerfully wrought scene, smarting under his losses, and the want of duty in his daughter. He has also learned that Antonio the Merchant, has suffered severe losses at sea, and instigated by revenge he determines to enforce the "full penalty" of the Bond. SCENE I.-A street in Venice. Enter SALANIO, and SALARINO. Salar. Why man, I saw Bassanio under sail; With him is Gratiano gone along; And in their ship, I am sure, Lorenzo is not. Salan. The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the duke; Who went with him to search Bassanio's ship. I never heard a passion so confus'd, So strange, outrageous, and so variable, As the dog Jew did utter in the streets: My daughter!-O my ducats!-O my daughter! Fled with a Christian?—O my christian ducats !— Or he shall pay for this. Now, what news on the Rialto ? Salar. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip report be an honest woman of her word. Salan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapp'd ginger, or made her neighbors believe she wept for the death of a third husband: But it is true,-without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of talk,--that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,- -O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company ! Salar. Come, the full stop. Salan. Ha,-what say'st thou ?—Why the end is he hath lost a ship. Salar. I would it might prove the end of his losses! |