Scene IX. represents the Prince of Arragon, another of Portia's suitors, making his choice amongst the three caskets. He chooses the silver one, and fails, and is dismissed. We return in the next Act to Venice, where Antonio's losses begin to be rumoured abroad, and whet Shylock's appetite for revenge, with the hope that the pledge will be forfeited, and that he will claim his pound of flesh. ACT III. SCENE I.-Venice. -A Street. Enter SOLANIO and SALARINO. Solan. Now, what news on the Rialto ? Salar. Why, yet it lives there unchecked, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrecked on the narrow seas,the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip report be an honest woman of her word. Solan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapped ginger,* or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband: But it is true,— without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of talk,—that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,-O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!— Salar. Come, the full stop. Solan. Ha,-what say'st thou ?-Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship. Salar. I would it might prove the end of his losses ! Solan. Let me say amen betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. Enter SHYLOCK. How now, Shylock? what news among the merchants? * Knapped ginger, i.e, squeezed or crushed ginger; to make the eyes water. † Lest the devil cross my prayer.—Cross here means obstruct. Shy. You knew, none so well, none so well as you daughter's flight. Salar. That's certain. I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal. Solan. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam. Shy. She is damned for it. Salar. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge. Solan. Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years! Salar. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers, than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods, than there is between red wine and Rhenish :-But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no? -- Shy. There I have another bad match; a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a beggar that was used to come so smug* upon the mart.Let him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer; -let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy ;----let him look to his bond. Salar. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh? What's that good for? Shy. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew: Hath not a Jew eyes; hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong * Smug, i.e., neat. Compare German schmuck. 1 us, shall we not revenge ? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? revenge : If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge. The villany you teach me I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Enter a Servant. Serv. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both. Salar. We have been up and down to seek him. Enter TUBAL. Solan. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt SOLANIO, SALARINO, and Servant. Shy. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? hast thou found my daughter? Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her. Shy. Why, there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now : -two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin ! No news of them ?-why, so -and I know not how much is spent in the search: Why, there's loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge; nor no ill luck stirring but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs but o' my breathing; no tears but o' my shedding. Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa Shy. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck? Tub. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God, I thank God Is it true! is it true! Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wrack. Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal ;-Good news, good news; ha ha!-Where ?-in Genoa? Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats! Shy. Thou stick'st a dagger in me :—I shall never see my gold again: Fourscore ducats at a sitting: fourscore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break. Shy. I am very glad of it: I'll plague him; I'll torture him; I am glad of it. Tub. One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone. Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true: Go, Tubal, fee me an officer, bespeak him a fortnight before: I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will: Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal. SCENE II. Belmont.-A Room in PORTIA'S House. [Exeunt. Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, and Attendants. Por. I pray you, tarry | pause a day or two,] 2. In choosing wrong.-A faulty participial construction; the Participle should qualify the Subject of the Sentence, whereas it refers to you, which must be evolved from your. It is equivalent to-If you choose wrong. I lose your company; therefore, forbear a while :] But lest you should not understand me well | but if mine,] then yours] And so all yours:] O! these naughty times I speak too long; but 'tis to peize the time; To stay you from election. Bass. Let me choose; 25 For, as I am, I live upon the rack. Por. Upon the rack, Bassanio? then confess Bass. None, but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear the enjoying of my love : 30 There may as well be amity and life 'Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. 6. Hate counsels not in such a quality.Hatred would not produce such wishes as this. 8. A maiden is not at liberty to speak her mind. 14. See Act II. Scene 6, 53. 15. O'erlooked.-In the sense of enchanted. 20. Let fortune go to hell for it,—not I.— Let fortune suffer the punishment of my perjury, not myself. I is a false grammatical construction with let, though easily to be accounted for by the fact of its being really the logical subject, as though it were, may fortune go to hell for it, not I. 22. Peize. The same as poise, to weigh. To weigh the time is to keep it on the balance, or in suspense. |
