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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 fay to you? Should I not fay,
Hath a dog money? Is it poffible,

A cur can lend three thoufand ducats? Or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondfinan's key,
With bated breath, and whifp'ring humbleness,
Say this; Fair fir, you fpit on me, last Wednesday,
You fpurn'd me, fuch a day; another time,
You call'd me dog; and for thefe curtefies
I lend you thus much monies ?*

Anth. I am as like to call thee fo again,
To fpit on thee again, to fpurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take
A breed of barren metal of his friend)
But lend it rather of thine enemy;

Who, if he break, thou may'ft 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 ftain'd me with;
Supply your prefent wants, and take no doit

Of ufance of my monies, and you'll not hear me :
This is kind I offer.

Anth. This were kindness.

Shy. This kindness will I show;

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 shall please me.

Shylock, with great fubtilty and address, enumerates the injuries he hath fuftained, to make a greater merit of lending the money. His fpeech is written in fo mafterly a manner, and with fuch fine variation, that when well spoken the actor must get applause.

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Anth. Content in faith; I'll feal to fuch a bond, And fay, there is much kindness in the Jew.

Ba. 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 chriftians are,
Whole own hard dealings teach them to fufpect
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, so; if not, adieu;
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 purfe the ducats, ftraight;:
See to my houfe, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and prefently

I will be with you.

Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew..

[Exit.

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

ACT II.

SCENE, the Ryálto at Venice.

Enter LAUNCELOT alone.*

Laun. CERTAINLY, my confcience will serve me to run from this Jew my mafter. The fiend is at my elbow,.

*The fecond A&t is, in reprefentation, ufually begun here; yet we think the following fcene of Prince Merochius, preceding it, and the whole of his character, as well as that of the Prince

of

elbow, and tempts me, faying to me, Gobbo, LaunceLat Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good. Launcelot Gobbo, ufe your legs, take the ftart, run My confcience fays, no; take heed, honeft

away.

Launcelot ;

of Arragon, should be retained, not only for the fake of uniformity, but because they are worthy of Shakespeare's pen.

Scene Belmont. Enter Morochius, a tawny moor, all in white, and three or four followers accordingly with Portia; Neriffa, and her train. Flourish cornets.

MOR. Miflike me not for my complexion,

The fhadowy livery of the burnish'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phoebus's fire fcarce thaws the ificles,
And let us make incifion for your love,
To prove whofe 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 fteal your thoughts, my gentle queen.
POR. In terms of choice I am not folely led

By nice direction of a maiden's eyes:
Besides, 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,
Yourfelf, renowned prince, then ftood as fair,
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 fcimitar,
That flew the Sophy and a Perfian prince,
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,
I would out-ftare the fterneft eyes that look,
Out brave the heart moft 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 Hercules and Lichas play at dice,
Which is the better man, the greater throw
May turn my 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.

B3

POR

Launcelot; take heed, honeft Gobbo, or, as aforefaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo, do not run; fcorn running. with thy heels. Well, the moft courageous fiend bids me pack; via! fays the fiend ;. away, fays the fiend ; for the heavens 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 honest 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 taste) well, my confcience fays, budge not; budge, fays the fiend; budge not, fays my confcience; confcience, fay I, you counfel ill; fiend, fay I, you counsel ill. To be rul'd by my confcience, I fhould stay with the Jew my master, who, heav'n bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and to run away from the Jew, I fhould be rul'd by the fiend, who, faving your reverence, is the devil him. felf. Certainly, the Jew is the very devil innal; and in my confcience, my confcience is but a kind of hard confcience, to offer to counfel me to ftay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counfe! :: I will run; fiend, my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

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. Mafter 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, POR. You must take your chance,

And either not attempt to chufe, at all,

Or fwear, before you chufe, if you chufe wrong,
Never to fpeak to lady afterward,

In way of marriage: therefore, be advis'd.

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,

To make me bleft, or curfed'st among men!

[Cornets [Exeunt.

at

at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down directly to the Jew's houfe.

Gob. By heaven'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 raise the waters :) talk. you of young master Launcelot ?

Gab. No matter, fir, but a poor man's fon. His father, though I fay't, is an honest exceeding poor man, and, heav'n be thanked, well to live.

Laun. Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young mafter Launcelot.

Gob. Your worship's friend and Launcelot, fir. Laun. But I pray you, ergo, old man; ergo, I be feech you, talk you, of young malter Launcelot ? Gab. Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership.

Laun. Ergo, mafter Launcelot: talk not of master Launcelot, father, for the young gentleman (according to fates and deftinies, and fuch odd fayings, the filters. three, and fuch branches of learning) is, indeed, deceafed; or, as you would fay, in plain terms, gone to heav'n.

Gob. Marry, heav'n forbid! the boy was the very, ftaff of my age, my very prop.

Laun. Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovel-poft, a. ftaff, or a prop? Do you know me, father?

Gob. Alack the day, I know you not, young gentle man; but I pray you, tell me, is my boy, heav'n reft his foul, alive or dead?

Laun. Do you not know me, father?

Gob. Alack, fir, I am fand-blind, I know you not. Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wife father, that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your fon; give me your bleffing, truth will come to light murder cannot be hid long, a man's fon may; but in the end, truth will out.

:

Gob. Pray you, fir, stand up; I am fure you are not Launcelot, my boy.

Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but give me your bleffing: I am Launcelot, your boy, that was, your fon that is, your chill that shall be.

Gob,

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