Ner. Madam, it is, fo you stand pleas'd withal.
Bass. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
Gra. Yes, 'faith, my lord.

Baff. Our feast shall be much honour'd in your marriage. Gra. We'll play with them, the first boy, for a thoufand ducats.

Ner. What, and stake down?

Gra. No; we fhall ne'er win at that fport, and ftake

down.

But who comes here? Lorenzo, and his infidel?
What, and my old Venetian friend, Salerio?

Enter Lorenzo, Jeffica, and Salerio.

Baff. Lorenzo, and Salerio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new interest here
Have

power to bid you welcome :-By your leave,

I bid my very friends, and countrymen,

Sweet Portia, welcome.

Por. So do I, my lord;

They are entirely welcome.

Lor. I thank your honour :-For my part, my lord,

My purpose was not to have feen you here;

But meeting with Salerio by the way,

He did intreat me, past all faying nay,

To come with him along.

Sale. I did, my lord,

And I have reafon for it. Signior Anthonio

Commends him to you.

Baff. Ere I ope his letter,

I

[Gives Baffanio a letter.

pray you tell me how my good friend doth.

Sale. Not fick, my lord, unless it be in mind; Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there

Will fhew you his estate.

6

• unless in mind:]-in its compofed frame.

Gra.

Gra. Neriffa, cheer yon'ftranger; bid her welcome.
Your hand, Salerio; What's the news from Venice?
How doth that royal merchant, good Anthonio?
I know, he will be glad of our fuccefs;

We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece.

Sale. Would you had won the fleece that he hath loft! Por. There are fome fhrewd contents in yon' fame paper, That fteals the colour from Baffanio's cheek:

Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world
Could turn fo much the conftitution

Of any conftant man. What, worfe and worfe?—
With leave, Baffanio; I am half yourself,
And I must freely have the half of any thing
That this fame paper brings you.

Baff. O fweet Portia,

Here are a few of the unpleasant'ft 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 fhall fee

How much I was a braggart: When I told you
My state was nothing, I fhould then have told you
That I was worfe than nothing; for, indeed,
I have engag'd myself to a dear friend,
Engag'd my friend to his meer 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,
Iffuing life-blood.-But is it true, Salerio?

Have all his ventures fail'd? What, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And

And not one veffel 'fcape the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?

Sale. Not one, my lord.

Befides, it fhould 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 fhape 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 juftice: twenty merchants,
The duke himself, and the magnificoes

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

Jef. When I was with him, I have heard him fwear, To Tubal, and to Chus, his countrymen,

That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh,

Than twenty times the value of the fum
That he did owe him and I know, my lord,
If law, authority, and power deny not,

It will go hard with poor Anthonio.

Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble?
Baff. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,
The best condition'd and unweary'd fpirit

In doing courtefies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Por. What fum owes he the Jew?
Baff. For me, three thousand ducats.
Por. What, no more?

Pay him fix thousand, and deface the bond;

Double fix thousand, and then treble that,

f

1 confound]-deftroy.

perfuaded-reafoned, argued.

Before

Before a friend of this defcription

Shall lose a hair thorough Baffanio'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 fide
With an unquiet foul. You fhall have gold
Το pay the petty debt twenty times over :
When it is paid, bring your true friend along :
My maid Neriffa, and myself, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows. Come, away;
For you
fhall hence upon your wedding-day:
Bid your friends welcome, fhew a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.-
But let me hear the letter of your friend.

b

Sweet Baffanio, my ships have all mifcarry'd, my creditors grow cruel, my eftate is very low, my bond to the few is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impoffible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and me, if I might but see you at my death: notwithstanding, use your pleasure: if your love do not perfuade you to come, let not my letter.

O love, dispatch all business, and be gone.
Baff Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make hafte: but, 'till I come again,

No bed fhall e'er be guilty of my stay,
No reft be interpofer 'twixt us twain.

[Excunt.

Enter Shylock, Solanio, Anthonio, and the Gaoler.

Shy. Gaoler, look to him ;-Tell not me of mercy ;— This is the fool that lent out money gratis ;—

Portia probably reads the letter herself, in relief of Baffanio's diftress.

Gaoler,

Goaler, look to him.

Anth. Hear me yet, good Shylock.

Shy. I'll have my bond; fpeak not against my bond; I have fworn an oath, that I will have my bond: Thou call'dft me dog, before thou had'st a cause But, fince I am a dog, beware my fangs : The duke fhall grant me juftice.-I do wonder, Thou naughty gaoler, that thou art fo' fond To come abroad with him at his request. Anth. I pray thee, hear me fpeak.

Shy. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak: I'll have my bond; and therefore fpeak no more. I'll not be made a foft and dull-ey'd fool,

k

To shake the head, relent, and figh, and yield
To christian interceffors. Follow not;

I'll have no speaking; I will have my bond.

Sol. It is the moft impenetrable cur,

That ever kept with men.

Anth. Let him alone;

[Exit Shylock,

I'll follow him no more with bootlefs prayers.
He feeks my life; his reafon well I know;

I oft deliver'd from his forfeitures

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

Sol. I am fure, the duke

Will never grant this forfeiture " to hold.

Anth. The duke cannot deny the course of law, For the commodity that strangers have

fond]-indifcreet.

dull-ey'd]-fympathizing, having eyes dim'd with tears of commiferation; moping, melancholy.

forfeitures]-impending penalties.

to hold]-to be enforced.

For the commodity &c.]-on account of the interest of strangers in its due and regular difpenfation.