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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,
T'excufe the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my anfwer.
Baff. Do all men kill the thing they do not love?
Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill ?
Baff. Ev'ry offence is not a hate at firft.

Shy. What, would't thou have a ferpent sting thee twice?
Ant. I pray you, think you question with a few.
You may as well go ftand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood bate his ufual height.
You may as well ufe queft on with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb.
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
Το wag their high tops, and to make no noise,
When they are fretted with the gufts of heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,

As feek to foften that, (than which what's harder!)
His Jewish heart. Therefore, I do befeech you,
Make no more offers, ufe no farther means;
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the few his will.
Baff. For thy three thousand ducats here is fix.
Shy. If ev'ry ducat in fix thousand ducats
Were in fix parts, and ev'ry 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?
You have among you many a purchas'd flave,
Which, like your affes, and your dogs, and mules,
You ufe in abject and in flavish part,

Becaufe you bought them. Shall I fay to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why fweat they under burdens? let their beds
Be made as foft as yours, and let their palates

Be

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, 'tis 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 pow'r I may dismiss 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 messenger. Baff. 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.

Ant. I am a tainted weather of the flock, Meeteft for death: the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground, and fo let me. You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio, Than to live ftill, and write mine epitaph.

Enter Neriffa, drefs'd like a Lawyer's Clerk. Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? (25) Ner. From both, my lord: Bellario greets your Grace. Baff. Why doft thou whet thy knife fo earnestly? Shy. To cut the forfeit from that bankrupt there. Gra. Not on thy foale, but on thy foul, harsh Jezu, (26) Thou

(25) From both my lord Bellario greets your Grace.] Thus the two old Folios and Mr. Pope in his 4to, had inaccurately pointed this paffage, by which a doctor of laws was at once rais'd to the dignity of the peerage. I fet it right in my SHAKESPEARE refor'd, as Mr. Pope has fince done from thence in his laft edition.

(26) Not on thy foale, but on thy foul, barfb Jew,] I was obliged, from the authority of the old Folios, to reftore this conceit, and jingle upon two words alike in found, but differing in fenfe. Gratiano thus rates the Jew; Tho' thou thinkest, that thou art whetting thy knife on the foale of thy fhoe, yet it is upon thy foul, thy immortal part, that thou do'ft it, thou inexorable man!' There is no room to doubt

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Thou mak'ft thy knife keen; for 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 justice be accus'd!
Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,

That fouls of animals infufe themselves
Into the trunks of men. Thy currith spirit
Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human flaughter,
Ev'n from the gallows did, his fell foul fleet,
And, whil'it thou lay'ft in thy unhallow'd dam,
Infus'd itself in thee: for thy defires
Are wolfish, bloody, ftarv'd, and ravenous.
Shy. 'Till thou canft rail the feal from off
my bond,
Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak fo loud.
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall
To curelets ruin. I ftand here for law. (27)

but this was our author's antithefis; as it is ufual fo with him to play on words in this manner: and that from the mouth of his moft ferious characters. So in Romeo and Juliet;

-You have dancing fhoes,

With nimble foales; I have a foul of lead,

I hat stakes me to the ground; I cannot move.

And again, immediately after.

I am too fore enpierced with his fhaft,

To feare with his light feathers.

So in King John:

-O, lawful let it be,

That I have room with Rome to curse awhile!

And, in Julius Cæfar;

Now is it Rome, indeed; and room enough,

When there is in it but one only man.

But this fort of jingle is too perpetual with our author to need any farther inftances.

(27) To careless ruin.] This, I am fure, is a fignal inftance of Mr. Pope's careleffness, for both the old 4tos have it curelefs. The players in their edition, for fome particular whim, chang'd the word to endless; which Mr. Rowe has copied, becaufe, I prefume, he had never feen the old Quartos. Our author has used this epithet, curelefs, again in his poem, call'd, Tarquin and Lucrece, St. 111.

O, hateful, vaporous and foggy night!
Since thou art guilty of my cureless crime.

Duke

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend
A young and learned Doctor to our Court.
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.

YOU

OUR Grace shall understand, that, at the receipt of your letter, I am very fick : but at the inftant that your messenger came, in loving vifitation was with me a young Doctor of Rome, his name is Balthazar: I acquainted him with the caufe in controverfy between the Jew and Anthonio the merchant. We turn'd o'er many books together: he is furnished with my opinion, which, bettered with his own learning, (the greatness whereof I cannot enough com mend,) comes with him at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's requeft in my ftead. I beseech you, let his 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, whose 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're 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 cafe.

Which is the merchant here? and which the Jew?
Duke. Anthonio and old Shylock, both ftand forth.
Por. Is your name Shylock?

Shy. Shylock is my name.

Por. Of a ftrange nature is the fuit you

Yet in fuch rule, that the Venetian law

Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.

follow;

You ftand within his danger, do you not? [To Anth.

G4

Ant.

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Por. Then must the Jew be merciful.

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 heav'n
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:
The scepter fhews the force of temporal pow'r,
The attribute to awe and majefty,

Wherein doth fit the dread and fear of Kings;
But mercy is above this scepter'd sway,
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 feasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Tho' juftice be thy plea, confider this,

That in the courfe of juftice none of us

Should fee falvation.

We do pray for mercy;

And that fame pray'r 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 fentence '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 money?
Baff. Yes, here I tender it for him in the Court,
Yea, twice the fum; if that will not suffice,

I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er,
On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart.
If this will not fuffice, it must appear

That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you, (28)

(28) That malice bears down truth.] I propos'd, in my SHAKESPEARE reflor'd, to read ruth here; i. e. Compaffion, mercy. But upon more mature advice, I believe, the text needs no alteration. Truth may mean here, reafon; the reasonable offers of accommodation, which we have made.

Wreft

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