Commend me to your honourable wife : Tell her the process of Antonio's end, Say, how I lov'd you, speak me fair in death; Repent not you that you shall lose your friend, Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife, Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If she were by, to hear you make the offer. Gra. I have a wife, whom I protest I love; I would she were in heaven, so she could Ner. 'T is well you offer it behind her back ; Would any of the stock of Barrabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian![Aside. We trifle time; I pray thee pursue sentence. 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. This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are a pound of flesh: Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh; But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate 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 Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest. Gra. O learned judge!-Mark, Jew; a learned judge! Shy. I take this offer then,-pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. Bass. Por. Here is the money. Soft. 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 just a 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. Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! 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! I'll stay no longer question. Por. Tarry, Jew; The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive Thou hast contriv'd against the very life Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd Down therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. Gra. Beg that thou may'st have leave to hang thyself: 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. Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it: 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 Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter, Duke. He shall 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; send the deed after me, And I will sign it. Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. SCENE FROM "KING HENRY VIII.” BY SHAKESPEARE. SUFFOLK. NORFOLK. WOLSEY. CROMWELL. Suffolk. Lord Cardinal, the king's further pleasure is, Because all those things, you have done of late Out of the king's protection :-This is my charge. The king shall know it, and, no doubt, shall thank you. So fare you well, my little good lord cardinal. [Exeunt all but WOLSEY. |