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 fuit against him. Are you answer'd?
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 an fwers.

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 first.

Shy. What, would'ft thou have a ferpent fting thee twice?

Anth. I pray you, think, you question with the
Jew.

You may as well go ftand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood 'bate his ufual height.
You may as well ufe queftion with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb,
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops, and to make no noife,
When they are fretted with the gufts of heaven.
You may as well do any thing most hard,
As feek to foften that, (than which what's harder?)
His Jewish heart:-Therefore, I do befeech you,
Make no more offers, use no farther means;
But, with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.
Ball. For thy three thousand ducats here is fix.
Shy. If every ducat in fix thousand 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, rend'ring

none?

Shy. What judgment fhall I dread, doing no wrong?

7

You

You have among you many a purchas'd slave, s
Which, like your affes, and your dogs, and mules,
You use in abject and in flavish parts,

Because you bought them. Shall I fay to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why sweat they under burdens? let their beds
Be made as foft as yours, and let their palates
Be feafon'd with fuch viands? you will answer,
The flaves are ours :-So do I answer you.
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought, is 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 meffenger with letters from the doctor,
New come from Padua.

Duke. Bring us the letters; call the meffenger. Ball. Good cheer, Anthonio! What, man? courage yet!

The Jew fhall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, Ere thou shalt lofe for me one drop of blood.

Anth. I am a tainted weather of the flock,

5 Many a purchas'd flave.] This argument confidered as ufed to the particular perfons, feems conclufive. I fee not how Venetians or Englishmen, while they practife the purchase and fale of flaves, can much enforce or demand the law of doing to others as we would that they should do to us. JOHNSON.

6

Bellario, a learned doctor,

Whom I have fent for}

The doctor and the court are here fomewhat unfkilfully brought together. That the duke would, on fuch an occafion, confult a doctor of great reputation, is not unlikely, but how should this be foreknown by Portia ? JOHNSON.

Meeteft

Meeteft for death: the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground, and fo let me.
You cannot better be employ'd, Baffanio,
Than to live ftill, and write mine epitaph.

Enter Nerifa, drefs'd like a lawyer's clerk. Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? Ner. From both, my lord. Bellario greets your grace.

Baff. Why doft thou whet thy knife fo earnestly? Shy. To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there.

Gra. Not on thy foal, but on thy foul, harsh Jew,
Thou mak'ft thy knife keen: but no metal can,
No, not the hangman's ax, bear half the keenness
Of thy fharp envy. 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 almoft mak'ft me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,

That fouls of animals infufe themselves
Into the trunks of men. Thy currish spirit
Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human flaughter,
Even from the gallows did his fell foul fleet,
And, whilft thou lay'ft in thy unhallow'd dam,
Infus'd itself in thee; for thy defires

Are wolfifh, bloody, ftarv'd, and ravenous.
Shy. 'Till thou can'ft rail the feal from off my bond,
Thou but offend'ft thy lungs to speak fo loud:
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall

Not on thy foal, but on thy foul, harsh Jew.] This loft jingle Mr. Theobald found again; but knew not what to make of it when he had it, as appears by his paraphrafe, Tho' thou thinkeft that thu art whetting thy knife on the foal of thy fhoe, yet it is upon thy foul, thy immortal part. Abfurd! the conceit is, that his foul was fo hard that it had given an edge to his knife.

WARBURTON.

Το

2

To cureless ruin.-I ftand here for law.

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend and learned doctor to our court.

A young
Where is he?

Ner. He attendeth here hard by

To know your answer, whether you'll admit him. Duke. With all my heart. Some three or four of you

Go give him courteous conduct to this place:-
Mean time, the court fhall hear Bellario's letter.

OUR Grace fall understand, that, at the receipt

of your letter, I am very fick: but at the inftant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young doctor of Rome, his name is Balthafar: I acquainted him with the caufe in controversy between the Jew and Anthonio the merchant. We turn'd o'er many books together: he is furnish'd 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 bis lack of years be no impediment, to let him lack a reverend eftimation: for I never knew so young a body with fo old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whofe trial shall better publish his commendation.

Enter Portia, drefs'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 queftion in the court? Por. I am informed throughly of the caufe. Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew? Duke. Anthonio and old Shylock, both ftand forth. Por. Is your name Shylock?

S'y.

Shy. Shylock is my name.

Por. Of a strange nature is the fuit you follow; Yet in fuch rule, that the Venetian law

Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.

-You ftand within his danger, do you not?

Anth. Ay, fo he says.

Por. Do you confefs the bond?

Anth. I do.

Por. Then must the Jew be merciful.

[To Anth

Shy. On what compulfion muft I? tell me that.
Por. The quality of mercy is not strain'd;
It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice bless'd;
It bleffeth him that gives, and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest 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 fcepter'd fway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings:

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then fhew likeft God's,
When mercy feafons juftice. Therefore, Jew,
Tho' juftice be thy plea, confider this,-
That in the course of justice none of us
Should fee falvation. We do pray for mercy;
And that fame prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have fpoke thus much
To mitigate the juftice of thy plea;

Which, if thou follow, this ftrict court of Venice
Muft needs give sentence 'gainst 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 discharge the mony?

Baj