And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge, Repent not you that you shall lose your friend, Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If she were by, to hear you make the offer. Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love; I would she were in heaven, so she could Shy. These be the Christian husbands: I have a daugh'Would, any of the stock of Barrabas [ter; Had been her husband, rather than a Christian! [Aside. We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence. Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine; The court awards it, and the law doth give it. Shy. Most rightful judge! Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it. Shy. Most learned judge! A sentence; come, prepare. Por. Tarry a little ;-there is something else. This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are, a pound of flesh : Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh ; One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Unto the state of Venice. Barrabas,] This name is so written and pronounced throughout Marlowes' Jew of Malta.-In the New Testament it is spelt Barabbas.— STEEVENS. Gra. O upright judge!-Mark, Jew ;-O learned judge! Shy. Is that the law? Por. Thyself shalt see the act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd, Thou shalt have justice more than thou desir'st. Gra. O learned judge !-Mark, Jew; a learned judge! Shy. I take this offer then ;-pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. Bass. Por. Soft; Here is the money. The Jew shall have all justice;-soft;-no haste;- Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip. Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture. Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go. Bass. I have it ready for thee; here it is. Por. He hath refus'd it in the open court; He shall have merely justice, and his bond Gra. A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel !I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal? Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. Shy. Why then the devil give him good of it! I'll stay no longer question. Por. Tarry Jew; The law hath yet another hold on you. If it be prov'd against an alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts, He seek the life of any citizen, The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, Thou hast contriv'd against the very life Gra. Beg, that thou may'st have leave to hang thyself: And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Thou hast not left the value of a cord; Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it: For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's; Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio. Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio ? I am content, so he will let me have The other half in use,d-to render it, Ay, for the state; &c.] That is, the state's moiety may be commuted for a fine, but not Antonio's.-MALONE. d the other half in use,-] There has been a dispute among the critics on the meaning of Antonio's proposition.-The most natural sense appears to be this; Antonio offers to surrender all right to his moiety of Shylock's confiscated property, on condition that he is allowed to have it in use, [i. e. to pay interest upon it,] during the Jew's life, and on his death render the principal to Lo renzo. Upon his death, unto the gentleman That lately stole his daughter; Two things provided more,―That, for this favour, The other, that he do record a gift, Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd, Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter. Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant The pardon, that I late pronounced here. Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou say? Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift. And I will sign it. Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. Gra. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers; Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten more, To bring the to the gallows, not the font. [Exit. SHYLOCK. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon; I must away this night toward Padua, And it is meet, I presently set forth. Duke. I am sorry, that your Antonio, gratify this gentleman; leisure serves you not. For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. [Exeunt Duke, Magnificoes, and Train. Bass. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend, Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof, Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew, We freely cope your courteous pains withal. Ant. And stand indebted, over and above, In love and service to you evermore. Por. He is well paid that is well satisfied: ethou should'st have had ten more,] i. e. A jury of twelve men, to condemn thee to be hanged.—THEOBALD. My mind was never yet more mercenary. Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further; Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. Bass. This ring, good sir,-alas, it is a trifle; Por. I will have nothing else but only this; And now, methinks, I have a mind to it. Bass. There's more depends on this, than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, And find it out by proclamation; Only for this, I pray you, pardon me. Por. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers: You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks, That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it. Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. And if your wife be not a mad woman, And know how well I have deserv'd this ring, [Exeunt PORTIA, and NERISSA. Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring; Let his deservings, and my love withal, Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment. Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him, Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canʼst, Come, you and I will thither presently; [Exit GRATIANO. |