[fpirit,

And yet thy wealth being forfeit to the ftate,
Thou haft not left the value of a cord;
Therefore thou must be hang'd at the ftate's charge.
Duke. That thou may'ft fee the diff'rence of our
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
For half thy wealth, it is Anthonio's;
The other half comes to the general ftate,
Which humblenefs may drive unto a fine.
Por. Ay, for the state; 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.

Per. What mercy can you render him, Anthonio? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing elfe, for God's fake. Ant. So pleafe my Lord the Duke, and all the court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods,

I am content; fo he will let me have
The other half in ufe, to render it
Upon his death unto the gentleman
That lately ftole his daughter.

Two things provided more, that for this favour
He prefently becomes 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.

Duke. He fhall do this, or elfe I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what doft 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; fend the deed after me,

And I will fign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In chrift'ning thou fhalt have two godfathers. Had I been judge, thou fhould't have had ten more, 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 muft away this night to Padua.

And

And it is meet I prefently fet forth.

Duke. I'm forry that your leisure serves you not. Anthonio, gratify this gentleman;

For in my mind you are much bound to him.

S

[Exit Duke and his train.

Baff. Moft worthy Gentleman! I and my friend
Have by your wifdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Ant. 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.

your

fake;

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield, Give me your gloves, I'll wear 'em for 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 shall not deny me this.

Bal. This ring, good Sir, alas, it is a trifle;

I will not fhame myfelf to give you this.

Por. I will have nothing elfe but only this;

And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Ba. 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, Sir, your are liberal in offers ; You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks, You teach me how a beggar fhould be anfwer'd.

Baff. Good Sir, this ring was giv'n me by my

wife.

And

And, when he put it on, fhe made me vow,

That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lofe it.
Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts;
And if your wife be not a mad woman,

And know how well I have deferv'd the ring,
She wou'd not hold out enmity for ever,

For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

[Exit with Neriffa.

Ant. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainft your wife's commandment.'

Bal. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou can'st,
Unto Anthonio's houfe: away, make hafte. [Exit Gra.
Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont; come, Anthonio.

Re-enter Portia with Neriffa.

[Exeunt.

Por. Inquire the Jew's houfe out, give him this deed, And let him fign it; we'll away to-night,

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

Enter Gratiano.

Gra. Fair Sir, 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.

Por. 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 I will do.

Ner. Sir, I would fpeak with

you.

We fhall have old

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.
That they did give the rings away to men; [fwearing,
But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too:
Away, make haste, thou know'st where I will tarry.
Ner. Come, good Sir, will you fhew me to this house?

[Excunt.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Belmont. A grove or green place before Portia's house. Enter Lorenzo and Jeffica.

HE moon fhines bright: in fuch a night as

Lor. This,

When the sweet wind did gently kifs the trees,
And they did make no noife; in fuch a night
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall;
And figh'd his foul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Creffid lay that night.

Jef. In fuch a night

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

Lør. 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 inchanted herbs,
That did renew old Efon.

Lor. In fuch a night

Did Jeffica fteal 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 fwear 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 Stephano.

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

Lor. What friend? Your name, I pray you, friend?

Mef.

Mef. Stephano is my name, and I bring word,
My miftrefs will before the break of day

Be here at Felmont: fhe doth stray about
By holy croffes, where fhe kneels, and prays,
For happy wedlock hours.

Ler. Who comes with her?

Mef. None but a holy hermit and her maid. I pray you, is my mafter yet return'd ?

Lor. He is not, nor have we yet heard from him. But go we in, I pray thee, Jeffica,

And ceremoniously let us prepare

Some welcome for the mistress of the houfe..
Enter Launcelot.

Laun. Sola, fola, wo ha, ho, fola, fola !

Lor. Who calls?

Laun. Sola! did you fee Mafter Lorenzo and Miftrefs Lorenzo? fola, fola !

Lor. Leave hollowing, man: here.

Laun. Sola! where? where?

Lor. Here.

Laun. Tell him, there's a poft come from my mafter with his horn full of good news. My mafter will be here ere morning.

Lor. Sweet love, let's in, and there expect their And yet no matter: Why fhould we go in? [coming. My friend Stephano, fignify, I pray you,

Within the house, your mistress is at hand;

[Exit Stephano. And bring your mufic forth into the air.

'How fweet the moon-light fleeps upon this bank! 'Here will we fit, and let the founds of mufic

Creep in our ears; foft ftillness, and the night
Become the touches of fweet harmony.

Sit, Jeffica: look how the floor of heav'n

Is thick inlay'd with patens of bright gold;

There's not the fmalleft orb which thou behold'st, But in his motion like an angel fings,

Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims;

Such harmony is in immortal founds !
But whilft this muddy vefture of decay

Doth grofsly clofe us in, we cannot hear it.'

Come,