For half thy wealth, it is Anthonio's
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

Por. Ay, for the ftate; not for Anthonio.

Shy. Nay, take my life and all: pardon not that. You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth fuftain my houfe: you take my life, When уси do take the means whereby I live.

Por. What mercy can you render him, Anthonio? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing elfe, for God's fake. Ant. So pleafe my lord the Duke, (29) and all the Court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods,

I am content; fo he will let me have

The other half in ufe, to render it
Upon his death unto the gentleman,
That lately ftole his daughter.

Two things provided more, that for this favour
He prefently become a christian;

The other, that he do record a gift

Here in the Court, of all he dies poffefs'd,
Unto his fon Lorenzo and his daughter.
Duke. He fhall do this, or elfe I do recant
The pardon that I late pronounced here.

Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what doft thou fay? (26) So pleafe my lord the Duke,] The terms, which Anthonio preferibes to be comply'd with by the Feru, have been reckon'd intricate and corrupt; and a different regulation has been advis'd: But, if I am not mistaken, they are to be thus understood. The Jew had forfeited his whole fubftance; one moiety thereof to go to the ftate, and the other to the defendant. Anthonio propofes, that the state should be content with fining him only that moiety, which was confifcated to them; that, as to the other, which Anthonio equally might claim to himself; he only defires to hold the benefit, paying intereft for it to the Fero during his life: and, upon the Jew's demife, to have it immediately vefted in his fon and daughter. Nor does Anthonio propose any thing mean and ungenerous in this; he quits that right and property, which the law gave him, in the Jew's fubftance; and (with regard to his own great loffes,) is content to ftand only as a borrower of it, upon the general foot of paying intereft: nor are the son and daughter robb'd in this; fince, fetting afide Anthonio's claim by the Jew's forfeiture, their pretenfions could not take place, till the Jew's death and he takes care, their reverfionary right in it should be fecur'd by the Jew's recording a deed of gift to that purpose.

Shy.

Shy. I am content.

Por. Clerk, draw a Deed of gift.
Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go
I am not well; fend the Deed after me,
And I will fign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.

from hence;

Gra. In chrift'ning thou fhalt have two godfathers. Had I been judge, thou fhould't have had ten more, (30) To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

[Exit Shylock. Duke. Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do defire your Grace of pardon; I muft away this night to Padua,

And it is meet, I presently set forth.

Duke. I'm forry, that your leifure ferves you not. Anthonio, gratify this gentleman;

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

[Exit Duke and his train.

(30) ———————theu should have bad ten more,] i. e. a jury of twelve men, to condemn thee to be hang'd. So, in Measure for Measure,

I not deny,

The Jury pafing on the pris'ner's life,

May in the fworn twelve have a thief or two
That juftice feizes on.

The fcenes of these two plays are refpectively laid in Venice and Vienna; and yet 'tis obfervable, in both the poet alludes to the custom of fentencing by Juries, as in England This is not to be imputed to him as ignorance: The licence of the ftage has allow'd it, not only at home; but likewife the tragic and comic poets of antiquity indulg'd themselves in transplanting their own customs to other nations. Æfcbylus, for instance, in his Choepbora, makes Electra, who is in Argos, talk of the customs us'd in purifications, and prefcrib'd by law, as the fcholiaft obferves, at Athens. Τᾶτο πρὸς τὸ παρ' Αθηναίοις ἔθΘ. πρὸς Tov 'Abhvor vóμov. Suphocles, in his Laocoon, the scenary of which is laid in Troy, talks of erecting altars, and burning incenfe before their doors, as was practis'd on joyful occafions at Athers: therein tranfplanting the Athenian manners, as Harpocratian' has noted, to Troy, Μετάγων τὰ ̓Αθηναίων ἤθη εἰς Τροίαν. And to Ariftophanes, in his Fregs, when the fcene is in the infernal regions, makes acus talk of an cdict pass'd in hell for granting artists a fubfiftance out of the prytaneum. In this, fays the fcholiaft, a cuflom is transferr'd to the lower regions, which was establish'd in Athens. Ταῦτα μεταφέρει από ταῖς εν Αττικῇ ἐθῶν, εἰς τὰ καθ ̓ ὧδε. A number of infances more, of this fort, might be amass'd from the antient stage-writers.

Bal

Baff. Moft worthy gentleman! I and my friend
Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three Choufand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Ant. And ftand indebted, over and above,
In love and service to you evermore.
Por. He is well paid that is well fatisfy'd;
And I, delivering you, am fatisfy'd;
And therein do account myself well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;
I wish you well, and so I take my leave.

Baff. Dear Sir, of force I must attempt you further.
Take fome remembrance of us for a tribute,
Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

Por. You prefs me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your fake,
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you.
Do not draw back your hand, I'll take no more;
And you in love fhall not deny me this.

Baff. This ring, good Sir, alas, it is a trifle;
I will not fhame myfelf to give you this.
Por. I will have nothing elfe but only this,
And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Baff. There's more depends on this, than is the value.
The deareft ring in Venice will I give you,
And find it out by proclamation;
Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

wife.

Por. I fee, Sir, you are liberal in offers;
You taught me firft to beg, and now, methinks,
You teach me how a beggar fhould be answer❜d.
Baff Good Sir, this ring was giv'n me by my
And, when the put it on, the made me vow,
That I fhould neither fell, nor give, nor lose it.
Por. That 'fcufe ferves many men to fave their gifts ;
And if your wife be not a mad woman,

And know how well I have deferv'd the ring,
She wou'd not hold out enmity for ever,

For

For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

[Exit with Neriffa. Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring. Let his defervings, and my love withal, Be valu'd 'gainft your wife's commandment.

Baff. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him if thou can't,
Unto Anthonio's houfe: away, make hafte. [Exit Gra
Come, you and I will thither presently;

And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont; come, Anthonio.

Re-enter Portia and Neriffa.

[Exeunt.

Por. Enquire the Jew's houfe out, give him this Deed, And let him fign it; we'll away to-night, And be a day before our husbands home; This Deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano.

Gra, Fair Sir, you are well o'erta'en:
My lord Baffanio, upon more advice,
Hath fent you here this ring, and doth intreat
Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be.

This ring I do accept most thankfully,
And fo, I pray you, tell him; furthermore,
I pray you, fhew my youth old Shylock's house.

Gra. That will I do.

Ner. Sir, I would fpeak with you.

[To Por.

I'll fee if I can get my husband's ring:
Which I did make him fwear to keep for ever.
Por.Thou may'ft, I warrant. We fhall have old fwearing,
That they did give the rings away to men;
But we'll out-face them, and out-fwear them too:
Away, make hafte, thou know'ft where I will tarry.
Ner. Come, good Sir, will you fhew me to this houfe?

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT V.

SCENE, Belmont. A Grove, or green place before Portia's Houfe.

T

Enter Lorenzo and Jeffica.

LORENZO.

HE moon fhines bright: in fuch a night as this, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees, And they did make no noife; in fuch a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan wall; And figh'd his foul toward the Grecian tents, Where Crefid lay that night.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Did Thisbe fearfully o'er-trip the dew;
And faw the lion's fhadow ere himself,

And ran difmayed away.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand

Upon the wild fea-banks, and wav'd her love

To come again to Carthage.

Jef. In fuch a night,

Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs,

That did renew old Æfon.

Lor. In fuch a night,

Did Jelica fteal from the wealthy few,

And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,

As far as Belmont.

fel. And in fuch a night,

Did

young

Lorenzo fwear, he lov'd her well;

Stealing her foul with many vows of faith,

And ne'er a true one.

Lor. And in fuch a night,

Did pretty Jefica (like a little fhrew)
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

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