and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with

you, nor pray with you.

Who is he comes here?

What news on the Rialto?

Enter ANTONIO.

Bass. This is signior Antonio.

Shy. [Aside.] How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Christian;

But more, for that, in low simplicity,

He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation; and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe
If I forgive him!

Bass.

Shylock, do you hear?

Shy. I am debating of my present store; And, by the near guess of my memory,

I cannot instantly raise up the gross

Of full three thousand ducats. What of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,

Will furnish me. But soft: How many months

Do you desire? [To ANT.] Rest you fair, good signior:
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.

Ant. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow,

By taking nor by giving of excess,

Yet,. to supply the ripe wants of my friend,

I'll break a custom. [To BASS.] Is he yet possessed
How much you would?

Shy.

Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

Ant. And for three months.
Shy. I had forgot,

Well then, your bond;

three months, you told me so.
and, let me see;
but hear you:

Methought you said, you neither lend nor borrow
Upon advantage.

Ant.

I do never use it.

Shy. When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban's sheep This Jacob from our holy Abram was

(As his wise mother wrought in his behalf)

The third possessor; ay, he was the third

Ant. And what of him? did he take interest?

Shy. No, not take interest; not, as you would say,

Directly interest: mark what Jacob did

When Laban and himself were compromised

That all the eanlings which were streaked and pied,
Should fall as Jacob's hire.

This was a way to thrive, and he was blessed;

And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not.

Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob served for;
A thing not in his power to bring to pass,

But swayed and fashioned by the hand of Heaven.
Was this inserted to make interest good?

Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?

Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast. But note me, signior,

Ant.

Mark you this, Bassanio,

The devil can cite scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart;

O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

Shy. Three thousand ducats, 't is a good round sum. Three months from twelve; then let me see the rate. Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholden to you? Shy. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft

In the Rialto you have rated me

About my moneys, and my usances:

Still have I borne it with a patient shrug;
For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe:
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,
And all for use of that which is mine own.
Well, then, it now appears you need my help:
Go to, then; you come to me, and you say,
Shylock, we would have moneys; You say so;
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me, as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold: moneys is your suit.
What should I say to you? Should I not say,
Hath a dog money? is it possible

A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With 'bated breath, and whispering humbleness,
Say this,

Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurned me such a day; another time
You called me dog; and for these courtesies
I'll lend you thus much moneys?

Ant. I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friends; (for when did friendship take
A breed for barren metal of his friend?)

But lend it rather to thine enemy;

Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face
Exact the penalty.

Shy.
Why, look you, how you storm!
I would be friends with you, and have your love,
Forget the shames that you have stained me with,
Supply your present wants, and take no doit

Of usance for my moneys, and you'll not hear me: This is kind I offer.

Bass.

This were kindness.
Shy. This kindness will I show:
Go with me to a notary; seal me there
Your single bond; and, in a merry sport,
If you repay me not on such a day,

In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are
Expressed 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 pleaseth me.

Ant. Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond,

And say there is much kindness in the Jew.

Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me;

I'll rather dwell in my necessity.

Ant. 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 Abram, what these Christians are!
Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this;
If he should 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 so estimable, profitable neither,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,
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.
Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal 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 straight;
See to my house, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave; and presently

I will be with you.

Ant.
Hie thee, gentle Jew.
This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind.
Bass. I like not fair terms and a villain's mind.
Ant. Come on; in this there can be no dismay,
My ships come home a month before the day.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master: The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away: My conscience says, no; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo; or (as aforesaid) honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run: scorn running with thy heels. Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack. Via! says the fiend; away! says the fiend; for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me, my honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son, or rather an honest woman's son; well, my conscience says, Launcelot, budge not: budge, says the fiend; budge not, says my conscience. Conscience, say I, you counsel well; fiend, say Í, you counsel well. To be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who (God bless the mark!) is a kind of devil; and to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnation; and, in my conscience, my conscience is a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment, I will run.

SCENE III. Venice. A Room in Shylock's House.

Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT.

Fes. I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so;
Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil,
Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness.

But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee.
And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see
Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest:
Give him this letter; do it secretly,

And so farewell: I would not have my father
See me in talk with thee.

Laun. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue. Most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew! If a Christian do not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceived. But, adieu! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu! [Exit. Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot.

Alack, what heinous sin is it in me,

To be ashamed to be my father's child!
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners: O Lorenzo,
If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife;
Become a Christian, and thy loving wife.

[Exit.

Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SOLANIO.

Lor. Nay, we will slink away in supper-time, Disguise us at my lodging, and return,

All in an hour.

Gra. We have not made good preparation.

Salar. We have not spoke us yet of torchbearers. Lor. 'Tis now but four o'clock; we have two hours To furnish us.

Enter LAUNCELOT, with a letter.

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

Laun. An it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem to signify.

Lor. I know the hand: in faith, 'tis a fair hand;

And whiter than the paper it writ on

Is the fair hand that writ.