That indirecty, and directly too,

Thou haft contriv'd against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou haft incurr'd
The danger formerly by me rehears'd.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke.

Gra. Beg that thou may'ft have leave to hang thy felf;
And yet thy wealth, being forfeit to the state,
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 spirit,
I pardon thee thy life, before thou ask it;
For half thy wealth, it is Anthonio's.
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humblepefs 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.

;

Por. What mercy can you render him, Anthonio? Gra. A halter, gratis; nothing elfe, for heav'n's fake. Anth. So please 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 become a christian;

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 else I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

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; 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 Shy.

Duke.

Duke. Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do defire your grace's pardon; I muft away, this night to Padua,

And it is meet, I prefently fet forth.

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

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

[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.
Anth. 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.

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

Bal. This ring, good fir, 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.

Baff. There's more depends on this, than is 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, fir, you are liberal in offers;

You taught me firft to beg, and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar fhould be answer❜d.
Baff. Good fir, this ring was giv'n me by my wife,
And when the put it on, fhe made me vow,
That I should neither fell, nor give, nor lose it.

Por.

Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts g And if your wife be not a mad woman,

And know how well I have deferv'd the ring,
She would not hold out enmity for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

[Exit with Neriffa.
Anth. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring,
Let his defervings, and my love withal,
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandment.

Baff. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him, Give him the ring and bring him, if thou canst, 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.

SCENE, a Street.

Re-enter PORTIA and NERISSA.

[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 fir, you are well o'er-ta'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 houfe.
Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would fpeak with you.

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. We shall have old fwearThat they did give their rings away to men; [ing, But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them, too. Away, make hafte, thou knoweft where I will tarry. Ner. Come, good fir, will you fhew me to this houfe?

[Exeunt.

ACT

A C T V.

SCENE, Belmont. A Garden belonging to PORTIA'S Houfe. Moon-Light.

Enter LORENZO and JESSICA.

[this

Lor. THE moon fhines bright.-In fuch a night as When the fweet 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 Crefid lay, that night.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Did Thibe fearfully o'er trip the dew
Aud faw the lion's fhadow ere himself,
And ran difmayed away.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Stood Dido with a wiflow in her hand,

Upon the wild fea-banks, and way'd her love:
To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs,
That did renew old fon

Lor. In fuch a night,

Did Jeffica fteal from the wealthy Jew,

A

with an unthrift love did run from Venices

And war mir

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 nobody come;:

But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter BALTHAZAR.

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

Lor. What friend? Your name, I pray you, friend?
Bal, Balthazar is my name, and I bring word,
My mistress will, before the break of day,
Be here at Belmont. She doth ftray about,
By holy croffes, where fhe kneels and prays,
For happy wedlock hours.

Lor. Who comes with her

Bal..

Bal. None but a holy hermit and her maid.
I pray you is my mafter yet returned ?

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

And ceremoniously let us prepare

Some welcome for the mistress of the house.
Enter LAUNCELOT.

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

Lor. Who calls?

Laun. Sola, did you fee mafter Lorenzo and mistress Lorenzo? fola, fola!

Lor. Leave hollowing, man: here.

Laun. Sola! Where! where?

Lor. Here.

Laun. Tell him, there's a poft come from my master,
with his horn full of good news. My mafter will be
here, ere morning.
[coming.
Lor. Sweet love, let's in, and there expect their
And yet no matter. Why should we go in ?
My friend Balthazar, fignify I pray you,

Within the houfe, your mittress is at hand; [Exit Bal.
And bring your mufic forth into the air.

How fweet the moonlight 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 patterns of bright gold.

There's not the fmallest orb, which thou behold'st,
But in his motion like an angel fings,
Still choiring to the young-ey'd cherubims;
Such harmony is in immortal founds!

But whilft this mufty vefture of decay,
Doth grofly clofe us in, we cannot hear it.
Come, hoa, and wake Diana with a`hyon;
With fweeteft touches pierce your mistrefs' car,
And draw her home with mufic.

SONG, by LORENZO.

To keep my gentle Jeffe,

What labour wou'd feem hard,
Each toilfome tofk how easy!
Her love the fweet reward.
The Bee thus, uncomplaining,
Efteems no toil fevere,
The fweet reward obtaining,
Of honey all the year.