What if my House be troubled with a Rat,
And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand Ducats
To have it brain'd? What, are you answer'd yet?
Some Men there are love not a gaping Pig,
Some that are mad, if they behold a Cat,
And others, when the Bag-pipe fings i' th' Nofe,
Cannot contain their Urine for affection.
Mafterlefs Paffion fways it to the mood

Of what it likes or loaths. Now for your Answer.
As there is no firm reason to be rendred
Why he cannot abide a gaping Pig,
Why he a harmless necessary Cat,
Why he a woollen Bag-pipe, but of force
Muft yield to fuch inevitable Shame,
As to offend himself, being offended;
So can I give no Reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate, and a certain loathing
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus

A lofing Suit against him. Are

you

answered? Baff. This is no Anfwer, thou unfeeling Man, To excufe the current of thy Cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my Anfwer.
Baff. Do all Men kill the thing they do not love?
Shy. Hates any Man the thing he would not kill?
Baff. Every Offence is not a Hate at firft.

Shy. What, would'st thou have a Serpent fting thee
twice?

Ant. I pray you think you question with a Jew.

You may as well go ftand upon the Beach,
And bid the main Flood bate his ufual height,
Or even as well ufe Queftion with the Wolf,
The Ewe bleat for the Lamb: When you behold.
You may as well forbid the Mountain Pines
To wag their high Tops, and to make no noise
When they are fretted with the gufts of Heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,
As feek to foften that, than which what harder,
His Jewish Heart. Therefore I do beseech you
Make no more offers, ufe no farther means,
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have Judgment, and the Jew his Will.

Ball.

Baff. For thy three thousand Ducats here is Six. Shy. If every Ducat in Six thoufand Ducats Were in fix parts, and every part a Ducat,

I would not draw them, I would have my Bond.

Duke. How fhalt thou hope for Mercy, rendring none?
Shy. What Judgment fhall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchas'd Slave,
Which, like your Affes, and your Dogs and Males,
You use in abject and in flavish part,

Because you bought them. Shall I fay to you,
Let them be free, Marry them to your Heirs?
Why fweat they under Burthens? Let their Beds
Be made as foft as yours, and let their Pallats
Be feafon'd with fuch Viands: You will anfwer,
The Slaves are ours. So do I answer you.
The Pound of Flesh which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought, 'tis mine, and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie upon your Law,

There is no force in the Decrees of Venice:
I ftand for Judgment; anfwer; fhall I have it?
Duke. Upon my Power I may difmifs this Court,
Unless Bellario, a Learned Doctor,

Whom I have fent for to determine this,
Come here to day.

Sal. My Lord, here ftays without

A Messenger with Letters from the Doctor,
New come from Padua.

Duke. Bring us the Letters, call the Meffengers.

Baff. Good cheer, Anthonio; What Man, Courage yet?
The Jew fhall have my Flesh, Blood, Bones, and all,
E'er thou shalt lofe for me one drop of Blood.

Ant. I am a tainted Weather of the Flock,
Meeteft for Death: The weakeft kind of Fruit
Drops earlieft to the Ground, fo let me,
You cannot better be employ'd, Baffanio,
Than to live ftill, and write mine Epitaph.

Enter Neriffa dress'd like a Lawyer's Clerk.
Duke. Came you from Padua, from Cellario?
Ner. From both,

My Lord, Cellario greets your Grace.

Baff. Why doft thou whet thy Knife fo carnefily?

Shy's

Shy. To cut the Forfeiture from that Bankrupt there.
Gra. Not on thy foa', but on thy Soul, harsh Jew,
Thou mak'ft thy Knife keen; but no Metal can,
No, not the Hangman's Ax, bear half the keennefs
Of thy sharp Enuy. Can no Prayers pierce thee?
Shy. No, none that thou haft wit enough to make.
Gra. O be thou Damn'd, inexorable Dog,
And for thy Life let Juftice be accus'd.
Thou almost mak'ft me waver in my Faith,
To hold Opinion with Pythagoras,

That Souls of Animals infufe themselves
Into the Trunks of Men. Thy currish Spirit
Govern'd à Wolf, who hang'd for human Slaughter,
Even from the Gallows did his fell Soul fleet,
And whil'ft thou layeft in thy unhallowed Dam,
Infus'd it felf in thee: for thy Defires

Are Wolfish, Bloody, Starv'd, and Ravenous.
Shy. Till thou canft rail the Seal from off my Bond,
Thou but offend'ft thy Lungs to speak fo loud.
Repair thy Wit, good Youth, or it will fall
To endless Ruin. I ftand here for Law.

Duke. This Letter from Bellario doth commend
A Young and Learned Doctor in our Court.
Where is he?

Ner. He attendeth here hard by

To know your Anfwer, whether you'll admit him?
Duke. With all my Heart. Some three or Four of
Go give him courteous Conduct to this place,
Mean time the Court fhall hear Bellario's Letter.

You

you

OUR Grace fall understand, that at the receit of your Letter I am very Sick: But at the Inftant that your MefSenger came, in loving Vifitation was with me a young Dotor of Rome, his Name is Balthafar: I acquainted him with the Cafe in Controversie, between the Jew and Anthonio the Merchant. We turn'd o'er many Books together: He is furnished with my Opinion, which bettered with his own Learning, the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend, comes with him at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's Request in my ftead. I beseech you, let his lack of Years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend Eftimation: For I never

knew

knew fo young a Body with fo old a Head. I leave him to your gracious Acceptance, whofe trial fhall better publish his Commendation.

Enter Portia, Dress'd like a Doctor of Laws.

Duke. You hear the Learn'd Bellario what he writes,
And here, I take it, is the Doctor come:

Give me your hand. Came you from old Bellario?
Por. I did, my Lord.

Duke. You are welcome: Take your Place.
Are you acquainted with the Difference,
That holds this prefent Question in the Court?
Por. I am informed throughly of the Cafe.
Which is the Merchant here, and which the Jew?
Duke. Anthonio and old Shylock, both ftand forth.
Por. Is your Name Shylock?

Shy. Shylock is my Name.

Por. Of a ftrange Nature is the Suit you

Yet in fuch Rule, that the Venetian Law

Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.

follow,

You ftand within his Danger, do you not? [To Anthonio. Ant. Ay, fo he fays.

Por. Do you confefs the Bond?

Ant. I do.

Por. Then must the Jew be merciful.

Shy. On what Compulfion muft I? tell me that.
Por. The Quality of Mercy is not ftrain'd;
It droppeth as the gentle Rain from Heav'n
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blefs'd,
It bleffeth him that gives, and him that takes.
'Tis Mightieft in the Mightieft, it becomes
The throned Monarch better than his Crown:
His Scepter fhews the force of temporal Power,
The Attribute to Awe and Majefty,
Wherein doth fit the Dread and Fear of Kings;
But Mercy is above this fceptred Sway,
It is enthroned in the Hearts of Kings,
It is an Attribute to God himself;

And earthly Power doth then shew likeft God's,
When Mercy feasons Juftice. Therefore, Jew,
Tho' Juftice be thy Plea, confider this,

VOL. II.

That

That in the courfe of Juftice none of us
Should fee Salvation. We do pray for Mercy,
And that fame Prayer doth teach us all to render
The Deeds of Mercy, I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the Juftice of thy Plea;

Which if thou follow, this ftri& courfe of Venice
Muft needs give Sentence 'gainft the Merchant there.
Shy. My Deeds upon my Head. I crave the Law,
The Penalty and Forfeit of my Bond.

Por. Is he not able to difcharge the Mony?
Baff. Yes, here I tender it for him in the Court,
Yea, twice the Sum; if that will not fuffice,
I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er,
On forfeit of my Hands, my Head, my Heart.
If this will not fuffice, it muft appear

That Malice bears down Truth. And I befcech you
Wreft once the Law to your Authority.

To do a great Right, do a little Wrong,

And curb this cruel Devil of his will.

Por. It must not be, there is no Power in Venice Can alter a Decree eftablished.

'Twill be recorded for a Prefident,

And many an Error by the fame Example
Will rush into the State. It cannot be.

Shy. A Daniel come to Judgment, yea, a Daniel.
O wife young Judge, how do I honour thee!
Por. I pray you let me look upon the Bond.
Shy. Here 'tis, most Reverend Doctor, here it is.
Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy Mony offer'd thee.
Shy. An Oath, an Oath, I have an Oath in Heav'n.
Shall I lay Perjury upon my Soul?

No, not for Venice.

Por. Why, this Bond is forfeit,

And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A Pound of Flesh, to be by him cut off
Neareft the Merchant's Heart. Be merciful,
Take thrice thy Mony, bid me tear the Bond.
Shy. When it is paid according to the Tenure.
It doth appear you are a worthy Judge;
You know the Law, your Expofition

Hath been moft found. I charge you by the Law,

Whereof