Shakespeare's First Folio Part 159

Iew. 'Tis verie true: O wise and vpright Iudge, How much more elder art thou then thy lookes?

Por. Therefore lay bare your bosome

Iew. I, his brest, So sayes the bond, doth it not n.o.ble Iudge?

Neerest his heart, those are the very words

Por. It is so: Are there ballance heere to weigh the flesh?

Iew. I haue them ready

Por. Haue by some Surgeon Shylock on your charge To stop his wounds, least he should bleede to death

Iew. It is not nominated in the bond?

Por. It is not so exprest: but what of that?

'Twere good you do so much for charitie

Iew. I cannot finde it, 'tis not in the bond

Por. Come Merchant, haue you any thing to say?

Ant. But little: I am arm'd and well prepar'd.

Giue me your hand Ba.s.sanio, fare you well.

Greeue not that I am falne to this for you: For heerein fortune shewes her selfe more kinde Then is her custome. It is still her vse To let the wretched man out-liue his wealth, To view with hollow eye, and wrinkled brow An age of pouerty. From which lingring penance Of such miserie, doth she cut me off: Commend me to your honourable Wife, Tell her the processe of Anthonio's end: Say how I lou'd you; speake me faire in death: And when the tale is told, bid her be iudge, Whether Ba.s.sanio had not once a Loue: Repent not you that you shall loose your friend, And he repents not that he payes your debt.

For if the Iew do cut but deepe enough, Ile pay it instantly, with all my heart

Bas. Anthonio, I am married to a wife, Which is as deere to me as life it selfe, But life it selfe, my wife, and all the world, Are not with me esteem'd aboue thy life.

I would loose all, I sacrifice them all Heere to this deuill, to deliuer you

Por. Your wife would giue you little thanks for that If she were by to heare you make the offer

Gra. I haue a wife whom I protest I loue, I would she were in heauen, so she could Intreat some power to change this currish Iew

Ner. 'Tis well you offer it behinde her backe, The wish would make else an vnquiet house

Iew. These be the Christian husbands: I haue a daughter Would any of the stocke of Barrabas Had beene her husband, rather then a Christian.

We trifle time, I pray thee pursue sentence

Por. A pound of that same marchants flesh is thine, The Court awards it, and the law doth giue it

Iew. Most rightfull Iudge

Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast, The Law allowes it, and the Court awards it

Iew. Most learned Iudge, a sentence, come prepare

Por. Tarry a little, there is something else, This bond doth giue thee heere no iot of bloud, The words expresly 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 bloud, thy lands and goods Are by the Lawes of Venice confiscate Vnto the state of Venice

Gra. O vpright Iudge, Marke Iew, o learned Iudge

Shy. Is that the law?

Por. Thy selfe shalt see the Act: For as thou vrgest iustice, be a.s.sur'd Thou shalt haue iustice more then thou desirest

Gra. O learned Iudge, mark Iew, a learned Iudge

Iew. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian goe

Ba.s.s. Heere is the money

Por. Soft, the Iew shall haue all iustice, soft, no haste, He shall haue nothing but the penalty

Gra. O Iew, an vpright Iudge, a learned Iudge

Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh, Shed thou no bloud, nor cut thou lesse nor more But iust a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more Or lesse then a iust pound, be it so much As makes it light or heauy in the substance, Or the deuision of the twentieth part Of one poore scruple, nay if the scale doe turne But in the estimation of a hayre, Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate

Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel Iew, Now infidell I haue thee on the hip

Por. Why doth the Iew pause, take thy forfeiture

Shy. Giue me my princ.i.p.all, and let me goe

Ba.s.s. I haue it ready for thee, heere it is

Por. He hath refus'd it in the open Court, He shall haue meerly iustice and his bond

Gra. A Daniel still say I, a second Daniel, I thanke thee Iew for teaching me that word

Shy. Shall I not haue barely my princ.i.p.all?

Por. Thou shalt haue nothing but the forfeiture, To be taken so at thy perill Iew

Shy. Why then the Deuill giue him good of it: Ile stay no longer question

Por. Tarry Iew, The Law hath yet another hold on you.

It is enacted in the Lawes of Venice, If it be proued against an Alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts He seeke the life of any Citizen, The party gainst the which he doth contriue, Shall seaze one halfe his goods, the other halfe Comes to the priuie coffer of the State, And the offenders life lies in the mercy Of the Duke onely, gainst all other voice.

In which predicament I say thou standst: For it appeares by manifest proceeding, That indirectly, and directly to, Thou hast contriu'd against the very life Of the defendant: and thou hast incur'd The danger formerly by me rehearst.

Downe therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke

Gra. Beg that thou maist haue leaue to hang thy selfe, 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 states charge

Duk. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou aske it: For halfe thy wealth, it is Anthonio's The other halfe comes to the generall state, Which humblenesse may driue vnto a fine

Por. I for the state, not for Anthonio

Shy. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that, You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustaine my house: you take my life When you doe take the meanes whereby I liue

Por. What mercy can you render him Anthonio?

Gra. A halter gratis, nothing else for G.o.ds sake

Ant. So please my Lord the Duke, and all the Court To quit the fine for one halfe of his goods, I am content: so he will let me haue The other halfe in vse, to render it Vpon his death, vnto the Gentleman That lately stole his daughter.

Two things prouided more, that for this fauour He presently become a Christian: The other, that he doe record a gift Heere in the Court of all he dies possest Vnto his sonne Lorenzo, and his daughter

Duk. He shall doe this, or else I doe recant The pardon that I late p.r.o.nounced heere