I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth.
Salanio. Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind; 80
Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there

Will show you his estate.

Gratiano. Nerissa, cheer yon stranger; bid her welcome. [Nerissa moves to Jessica, while Bassanio opens the

letter. Portia notices him start and turn pale at the opening words.

Your hand, Salanio: what's the news from Venice ? How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio ?

I know he will be glad of our success;

We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.

85

Salanio. I would you had won the fleece that he hath lost!

Portia. There are some shrewd contènts in yon same

paper,

That steals the colour from Bassanio's cheek:
Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitutión

90

Of any constant man. What, worse and worse! [She goes to Bassanio.

O sweet Portia,

With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,
And I must freely have the half of anything
That this same paper brings you.
Bassanio [deeply moved].
Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words
That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady,
When I did first impart my love to you,
I freely told you, all the wealth I had
Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;

And then I told you true: and yet, dear lady,
Rating myself at nothing, you shall see

How much I was a braggart. When I told you

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100

My state was nothing, I should then have told you 105
That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,

I have engaged myself to a dear friend,
Engaged my friend to his mere enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady;
The paper as the body of my friend,
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Issuing life-blood. But is it true, Salanio?
Have all his ventures failed? What, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,

From Lisbon, Barbary, and India ?

And not one vessel 'scape the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?

Salanio.

Not one, my lord.

Besides, it should appear, that if he had
The present money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it. Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man:
He plies the Duke at morning and at night;
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,
The Duke himself, and the magnificoes

Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.

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120

125

Jessica. When I was with him, I have heard him swear,

131

To Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen,

That he would rather have Antonio's flesh

Than twenty times the value of the sum

That he did owe him and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and power deny not,
It will go hard with poor Antonio.

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140

Portia. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?
Bassanio. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,
The best-conditioned and unwearied spirit
In doing courtesies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Portia. What sum owes he the Jew?
Bassanio. For me, three thousand ducats.
Portia.
What, no more?

Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond;
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this descriptión
Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault.
First, go with me to church and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend;
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over:
When it is paid, bring your true friend along.
My maid Nerissa and myself, meantime,

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150

155

Will live as maids and widows. Come, away;
For you shall hence upon your wedding-day:
Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer :
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.
But let me hear the letter of your friend.

160

[Bassanio, unable to speak, silently puts the letter in her hand, and she reads it aloud. 'Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since, in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and I, if I might but see you at my death. Notwithstanding, 165 use your pleasure if your love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter.'

O love, dispatch all business and be gone.

Bassanio returns to Venice at once with Salanio. When
he is gone, Portia leaves Lorenzo and Jessica in charge
of her house at Belmont, and then unfolds a new plan to
Nerissa.

Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand
That you yet know not of: we'll see our husbands
Before they think of us.

Nerissa.

Shall they see us?

Portia. They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit,
That they shall think we are accomplished
With that we lack. I'll hold thee any wager,
When we are both accoutrèd like young men,
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace,
And speak between the change of man and boy,
With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride, and speak of frays
Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died,
I could not do withal; then I'll repent,

And wish, for all that, that I had not killed them :
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
That men shall swear I have discontinued school
About a twelvemonth. I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.

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175

180

185

Nerissa.

Why, shall we turn to men? 190 Portia. But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device When I am in my coach, which stays for us At the park gate; and therefore haste away, For we must measure twenty miles to-day. [Exeunt.

SCENE V. FORFEIT.

Enter Shylock, Salarino, Antonio, and Gaoler.

Shylock. Gaoler, look to him; tell not me of mercy; This is the fool that lends out money gratis : Gaoler, look to him.

Antonio.

Hear me yet, good Shylock. Shylock. I'll have my bond; speak not against my bond!

I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond.
Thou call'dst me dog before thou hadst a cause;
But, since I am a dog, beware my fangs :
The Duke shall grant me justice. I do wonder,
Thou naughty gaoler, that thou art so fond
To come abroad with him at his request.
Antonio. I pray thee, hear me speak.

5

IO

Shylock. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak:

I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more.
I'll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool,
To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield
To Christian intercessors. Follow not;

I'll have no speaking: I will have my bond.
Salarino. It is the most impenetrable cur
That ever kept with men.

Let him alone;

Antonio.
I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers.
He seeks my life; his reason well I know:

I oft delivered from his forfeitures

Many that have at times made moan to me;
Therefore he hates me.

Salarino.

I am sure the Duke

Will never grant this forfeiture to hold.

15

[Exit.

20

25

Antonio. The Duke cannot deny the course of law: Well, gaoler, on. Pray God, Bassanio come To see me pay his debt, and then I care not!

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. THE TRIAL.

The Duke of Venice enters in state, attended by the Magnificoes or Noblemen, to preside at the trial in the Court of Venice. Antonio is brought in, guarded; his friends, Bassanio, Gratiano, Salarino, and Salario come with him. The Court is crowded. The Duke and the Magnificoes take their seats.

Duke. What, is Antonio here ?

Antonio.

Ready, so please your grace.

Duke. I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch

Uncapable of pity, void and empty

From any dram of mercy.

Antonio.

I have heard,

Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify

His rigorous course; but since he stands obdúrate, And that no lawful means can carry me

Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose

My patience to his fury; and am armed
To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,

The very tyranny and rage of his.

5

IO

Duke, Go one, and call the Jew into the court. Salanio. He is ready at the door: he comes, my lord. Enter Shylock with a knife and a pair of scales. The crowd hiss him.

16

Duke. Make room, and let him stand before our face. [Shylock steps forward, and bows to the Duke. Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice To the last hour of act; and then, 'tis thought, Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange Than is thy strange apparent cruelty; And where thou now exact'st the penalty (Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh), Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture,

20

But, touched with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal;

25

Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,

That have of late so huddled on his back,

Enow to press a royal merchant down,

And pluck commiseration of his state