E To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death. age Shy. I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond. Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife, Here to this devil, to deliver you, Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If she were by, to hear you make the offer. 'Would any of the stock of Barabbas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! [Aside. We trifle time: I pray thee pursue sentence. The court awards it, and the law doth give it. Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it. 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 : Take then 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 shalt see the act : For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd, Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st. 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. Soft; Here is the money. 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 a just pound,-be it but so much : As makes it light, or heavy, in the substance, Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. 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 law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be prov'd against an alien, The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, 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, Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. 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 haltergratis; 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, That lately stole his daughter: Two things provided more,-That, for this favour, He presently become a Christian; 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. Gra. In christening thou shalt have two god fathers; Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten more, To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit Shylock. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon; I must away this night toward Pacua, And it is meet, I presently set forth. Duke. I am sorry, that your leisure serves you not. Antonio, gratify this gentleman; For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. [Exeunt Duke, magnificoes, and train. Por. He is well paid, that is well satisfied; Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you fur ther; Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute, Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake; 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 shall not deny me this. Bass. This ring, good sir,-alas, it is a trifle; I will not shame myself to give you this. Por. I will have nothing else but only this; And now, methinks, I have a mind to it. |