The rate of ufance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip, 9

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our facred nation; and he rails,

Ev'n there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls intereft. Curfed be my tribe
If I forgive him!

Baff. Shylock, do you hear?

Shy. I am debating of my present store,
And by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot inftantly raife up the grofs

Of full three thousand ducats: what of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
Will furnish me; but foft, how many months
Do you defire? Reft you fair, good Signior;

[To Anth Your worship was the laft man in our mouths.

Anth. Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow

By taking, nor by giving of excefs,

Yet, to fupply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a custom.Is he yet possest,

How much you would?

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
Anth. And for three months.

I

Shy. I had forgot, three months, you told me fo;

Well then, your bond; and let me fee,

hear you,

but

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

Anth. I do never use it.

Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep,This Jacob from our holy Abraham was

(As his wife mother wrought in his behalf) The third poffeffor; ay, he was the third.

Anth. And what of him? did he take intereft?
Shy. No, not take int'reft; not, as you would fay,
Directly, int'reft; mark, what Jacob did.

When Laban and himself were compromis'd,
That all the yeanlings, which were streak'd and pied,
Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes, being rank,
In th' end of autumn turned to the rams;
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The skilful fhepherd peel'd me certain wands;
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He stuck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in yeaning time
Fall party-colour'd lambs, and thofe were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was bleft;
And thrift is bleffing, if men fteal it not.

Anth. This was a venture, Sir, that Jacob ferv'd for
A thing not in his pow'r to bring to pafs,
But fway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heav'n.
Was this inferted to make int'reft good?
Or is your gold, and filver, ewes and rams?
Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as faft;
But note me, Signior,

Anth. Mark you this Baffanio?

The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.

can cite feripture for his purpose.O, what a goodly outfide falf

hood bath!] But this is not true, that falfhood hath always a goodly outside. Nor does this take in the force of the fpeaker's fentiment; who would obferve that that falfhood which quotes feripture for its purpose has a goodly outfide. We should therefore read,

An evil foul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a fmiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.

O, what a goodly outfide falfhood hath?

Shy. Three thousand ducats!-'tis a good round fum.

Three months from twelve, then let me fee the rate. Anth. Well, Shylock, fhall we be beholden to you? Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft

In the Rialto you have rated me,

About my monies and my ufances.
Still have I born it with a patient shrug;
(For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe.)
You call me mifbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And fpit upon my Jewish gaberdine;
And all for ufe of that, which is my own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help:
Go to then; you come to me, and you say,
Shylock, we would have monies-You fay fo-
You, that did void your rheume upon my beard,
And foot me, as you fpurn a ftranger cur
Over your threshold-
Mony is your fuit;
What should I fay to you? fhould I not fay,
Hath a dog money? is it poffible,

A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With bated breath, and whifp'ring humblenefs,
Say this,- -fair Sir, you fpit on me laft Wednef-

day,
You spurn'd me fuch a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for these curtefies
I'll lend you thus much monies?

Anth. I am as like to call thee fo again,
To fpit on thee again, to fpurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friend, (for when did friendship take

2

A

A breed of barren metal of his friend) ? 3
But lend it rather to thine enemy;

Who, if he break, thou may'ft with better face
Exact the penalty.

Shy. Why, how you ftorm?

I would be friends with you, and have your love;
Forget the shames that you have ftain'd me with;
Supply your present wants, and take no doit

Of ufance for my monies, and you'll not hear me;
This is kind offer.

Anth. This were kindness.

Shy. This kindness will I fhow?

Go with me to a Notary, feal me there Your fingle bond; and in a merry sport, you repay me not on fuch a day,

If

In fuch a place, fuch fum, or fums, as are
Exprefs'd 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 it fhall pleafe me.

Anth. Content, in faith. I'll feal to fuch a bond, And say, there is much kindness in the few. Baff. You shall not feal to fuch a bond for me, I'll rather dwell in my neceffity.

Anth. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it; Within these two months (that's a month before This bond expires) I do expe& return

Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

Shy. O father Abraham, what these chriftians are ! Whose own hard dealings teach them to fufpect

3

A breed of barren metal of his friend? A breed that is intereft money bred from the principal. By the epithet barren, the author would inftruct us in the argument on which the advocates against ufury went, which is this, that money is a barren thing, and cannot like corn and VOL. I.

cattle multiply itfelf. And to fet off the abfurdity of this kind of ufury, he put breed and barren in oppofition. WARBURTON.

To dwell feems in this place to mean the fame as to continue. To abide has both the fenfes of habitation and continuance.

D d

The

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 fo eftimable or profitable,

As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I fay,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, fo; if not, adieu;

And for my love I pray you, wrong me not.
Anth. Yes, Shylock, I will feal 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 strait;
See to my houfe, left in the fearful guard 4
Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
I will be with you.

Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew.

This Hebrew will turn chriftian; he grows kind.
Baff. I like not fair terms, 5 and a villain's mind.
Anth. Come on, in this there can be no difmay;
My fhips come home a month before the day. [Exeunt.