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Anth. This was a venture, Sir, that Jacob serv'd for; A thing not in his power to bring to pass,

But fway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heav'n.
Was this inferted to make int'rest good?
Or is your gold and filver, ewes and rams?
Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast;
But note me, Signior.

Anth. Mark you this, Baffanio?

The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.
An evil foul, producing holy witnefs,
Is like a villain with a fmiling cheek;
A goody apple rotten at the heart.

O, what a goodly outfide's falfehood hath!

Shy. Three thousand ducats! 'tis a good round fum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. Anth. Well, Shylock, fhall we be beholden to you? Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft In the Ryalto you have rated me,

About my monies and my ufances.

Still have I borne it with a patient shrug;
(For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.)
You call me mifbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And fpit upon my Jewish gaberdine;
And all for ufe 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 say fo;
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me, as you fpurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold: money is your fuit;
What fhould I say to you? fhould I not say,
Hath a dog money? Is it poffible

A cur can lend three thousand ducats? Or,
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With bated breath, and whisp'ring humbleness,
Say this,-Fair Sir, you fpit on me laft 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 spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not

A

As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take
A breed of barren metal of his friend?);

*

But lend it rather to thine enemy;

Who, if he break, thou may'st 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 stain'd me with;
Supply your present 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 fhow;

Go with me to a notary, feal me there
Your fingle bond; and, in a merry sport,
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 feal to fuch a bond,
And fay, there is much kindness in the Jew.

Baff. You fhall not feal to fuch a bond for me,
I'll rather dwell in my neceffity.

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 Christians are!
Whofe own hard dealings teach them to suspect
The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this,
If he fhould 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;

Breed of metal, meaning money at ufury, money that breeds more. The old editions (two of them) bave it, A bribe of barren metal,

And

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 purse the ducats ftrait;
See to my houfe, left in the fearless guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and prefently
I will be with you.

Anth. Hie thee gentle Jew.

[Exit.

This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind.
Ba I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind.
Anth. Come on, in this there can be no dismay;
My fhips come home a month before the day. [Exeunt.

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Enter Morochius, a Tarny-Moor, all in white; and three or four followers accordingly; with Portia, Neriffa, and her train. Flourish cornets.

Iflike me not for my complexion,

Mor. M

The fhadow'd livery of the burnish'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phebus' fire fcarce thaws the icicles,
And let us make incifion for your love,
To prove whose blood is reddeft, his or mine.
I tell thee, Lady, this afpect of mine
Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love, I fwear,
The beft-regarded virgins of our clime

Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle Queen.
Por. In terms of choice I am not folely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes:
Befides, the lottery of my destiny
Bars me the right of voluntary chufing.
But if my father had not fcanted me,
And hedg'd me by his wit to yield myself

His wife, who wins me by that means I told you;
Yourself, renowned Prince, then flood as fair,
VOL. II.

H

As

As any comer I have look'd on yet,

For my affection.

Mor. Ev'n for that I thank you;

Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the cafkets
To try my fortune. By this scimitar,
That flew the Sophy and a Persian Prince,
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,
I would outftare the fterneft eyes that look,
Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth,
Pluck the young fucking cubs from the fhe-bear,
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
To win thee, Lady. But, alas the while!
If ercules and Lichas play at dice
Which is the better man, the greater throw
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand:
So is Alcides beaten by his page;

And fo may I, blind fortune leading me,
Mifs that, which one unworthier may attain;
And die with grieving.

Por. You must take your chance,
And either not attempt to chuse at all,
Or fwear, before you chufe, if you chufe
Never to speak to lady afterward

In way of marriage; therefore be advis'd.

wrong,

Mor. Nor will not; therefore bring me to my chance.

Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner Your hazard fhall be made.

Mor Good fortune then,

[Gornets.

To make me blefs'd, or curfed'ft among men! [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Changes to Venice.

Enter Launcelot alone.

Laun. Certainly my confcience will ferve me to run from this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, faying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away. My confcience fays, No; take heed, honeft Launcelot; take heed, honeft Gobbo; or, as aforefaid, honest Latincelet Gobbo, do not run; fcorn running with thy heels.

heels. Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; Via! fays the fiend; Away! fays the fiend; for the heav'ns roufe up a brave mind, fays the fiend, and run. Well, my confcience, hanging about the neck of my heart, fays very wifely to me, My honeft friend Launcelot, being an honeft man's fon, or rather an honest woman's fon (for indeed my father did fomething fmack, fomething grow to; he had a kind of tafte;) well, my conícience fays, Budge not; Budge, fays the fiend; Budge not, fays my confcience; Confcience, fay I, you counsel ill; Fiend, fay I you counfel ill. To be rul'd by my confcience, I fhould stay with the Jew my mafter, who, God blefs the mark, is a kind of devil; and to run away from the Jew, I fhould be ruled by the fiend, who, faving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnal; and in my confcience, my confcience is but a kind of hard confcience, to offer to counfel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counI will run, fiend, my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

fel;

Enter old Gobbo, with a basket.

Gob. Mafter young man, you, I pray you, which is · the way to Mafter Jew's?

Laun. O heav'ns, this is my true-begotten father, who being more than fand-blind, high-gravel-blind, knows me not; I will try confufions with him.

Gob. Master young Gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to Maiter Jew's?

Laun. Turn up, on your right-hand at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's houfe.

Gob. By God's fonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit: can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?

Laun. Talk you of young Mafter Launcelot? (mark me now, now will I raife the waters); talk you of young

Mafter Launcelot?

· Gob. No, Mafter, Sir, but a poor man's fon. His father,

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