And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge, Repent not you that you shall lose your friend, Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love; I would she were in heaven, so she could 'Would any of the stock of Barrabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence. [Aside. Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine; The court awards it, and the law doth give it. Shy. Most rightful judge! Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it. Shy. Most learned judge!-A sentence: come, prepare. Por. Tarry a little :-there is something else.— One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Unto the state of Venice. Gra. O upright judge !-Mark, Jew;-O learned judge! Shy. Is that the law? Por. Thyself shall see the act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd, judge! Shy. I take this offer then ;-pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. Bass. Por. Soft! Here is the money. The Jew shall have all justice :-soft!-no haste;He shall have nothing but the penalty. Gra. O 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 Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. 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 refus'd it in the open court; He shall have merely justice, and his bond. Gra. A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel !— I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shy. Shall I not have barely 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! Por. That by direct, or indirect attempts, He seek the life of any citizen, The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, Thou hast contriv'd against the very life. Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. Gra. Beg, that thou mayst have leave to hang thy self: And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Thou hast not left the value of a cord; Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's; 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 take my life, When you do take the means whereby I live. Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake! Ant. So please my lord the duke and all the court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods; I am content, so he will let me have The other half in use,-to render it, Upon his death, unto the gentleman Two things provided more.-That, for this favour, The other, that he do record a gift, Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd, Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou say? 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; send the deed after me, And I will sign it. Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. Gra. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers; Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more; To bring thee to the gallows, not to the font. [Exit Shylock. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I 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. Por. He is well paid that is well satisfied; 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, E Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you, Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. Bass. This ring, good sir,—alas, it is a trifle Bass. There's more depends on this, than on the 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, That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it. [Exeunt Portia and Nerissa. Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring; [Exit Gratiano. Come, you and I will thither presently; [Exeunt. |