heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should be glad of his approach: if he have the condition of a faint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should fhrive me than wive me. Come, Neriffa.-Sirrah, go before. Whiles we fhut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door.

SCENE III. Venice. A publick Place.

Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK.

[Exeunt.

SHY. Three thousand ducats,—well.

BASS. Ay, fir, for three months.

SHY. For three months,-well.

[bound.

BASS. For the which, as I told you, Antonio fhall be SHY. Antonio fhall become bound,-well.

BASS. May you ftead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your anfwer?

SHY. Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Antonio bound.

BASS. Your answer to that.

Sør. Antonio is a good man.

BASS. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? SHY, Ho, no, no, no, no;-my meaning, in saying he is a good man, is to have understand me, you that he is fufficient: yet his means are in fuppofition: he hath an argofy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England,-and other ventures he hath, squander'd abroad: But ships are but boards, failors but men: there be land-rats, and water-rats, waterthieves, and land-thieves; I mean, pirates; and then, there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks: The man notwithstanding, fufficient :-three thousand ducats; -I think, I may take his bond.

BASS. Be affured you may.

SHY. I will be affured, I may; and, that I may be af fured, I will bethink me: May I speak with Antonio ? BASS. If it please you to dine with us.

SHr. Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which your prophet, the Nazarite, conjured the devil into: I will buy with you, fell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto ?Who is he comes here?

Enter ANTONIO.

BASS. This is fignior Antonio.

SHY. [Afide.] How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a christian :

But more, for that, in low fimplicity,

He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of ufance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our facred nation; and he rails,
Even there where merchants moft do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls intereft: Curfed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

BASS. Shylock, do you hear?

SHY. I am debating of my present store; And, by the near guess of my memory,

I cannot inftantly raise up the grofs

Of full three thousand ducats: What of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,

Will furnish me: But foft; How many months
you defire?Reft you fair, good fignior;

Do

[TO ANTONIO

Your worship was the last man in our mouths.

ANT. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow,

By taking, nor by giving of excefs,

Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,

I'll break a custom :-Is he yet poffefs'd,

How much you would?

Sнr. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

ANT. And for three months.

Sнr. I had forgot,-three months, you told me fo. Well then, your bond; and, let me fee-But hear

you;

Methought, you faid, you neither lend, nor borrow,
Upon advantage.

ANT. I do never use it.

SHY. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's fheep,
This Jacob from our holy Abraham was
(As his wife mother wrought in his behalf,)
The third poffeffor; ay, he was the third.

ANT. And what of him? did he take intereft?
Sør. No, not take intereft; not, as you would say,
Directly intereft; mark what Jacob did.
When Laban and himself were compromis'd,

That all the eanlings which were streak'd, and pied,
Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank,
In the end of autumn turned to the rams:
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The skilful fhepherd peel'd me certain wands,
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He stuck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time
Fall party-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was bleft;

And thrift is bleffing, if men steal it not.

ANT. This was a venture, fir, that Jacob ferv'd for ; A thing not in his power to bring to pass,

But fway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heaven.
Was this inserted to make interest good?

Or is your gold and filver, ewes and rams?
Sнr. I cannot tell; I make it breed as faft :-
But note me, fignior.

ANT. Mark you this, Baffanio,

The devil can cite scripture for his purpose.
An evil foul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart :

O, what a goodly outfide falfhood hath!

SHг. Three thousand ducats,-'tis a good round sum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. ANT. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholden to you? SHr. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft, In the Rialto you have rated me

About my monies, and my ufances:

Still have I borne it with a patient fhrug;
For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe:
You call me-misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,
And all for ufe of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears, you need my help:
Go to then; you come to me, and you say,
Shylock, we would have monies; You fay fo;
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me, as you fpurn a ftranger cur
Over your threshold; monies is your fuit.
What should I say to you? Should I not say,
Hath a dog money? is it possible,

A cur can lend three thousand ducats? or

Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,

With 'bated breath, and whispering humbleness, Say this,

Fair fir, you fpit on me on Wednesday laft;

You fpurn'd me fuch a day; another time
You call'd me-dog; and for thefe courtefies
I'll lend you thus much monies.

ANT. I am as like to call thee so again,
To fpit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friends; (for when did friendship take
A breed for barren metal of his friend?)
But lend it rather to thine enemy;

Who if he break, thou may'ft with better face
Exact the penalty.

SHr. Why, look you, how you ftorm!

I would be friends with you, and have your love,
Forget the fhames that you have ftain'd me with,
Supply your present wants, and take no doit
Of ufance for my monies, and you'll not hear me:
This is kind I offer.

ANT. This were kindness.

SHY. This kindness will I fhow:

Go with me to a notary, feal me there
Your fingle bond; and, in a merry sport,

If

you repay me not on such a day,

In fuch a place, fuch fum, or fums, as are
Exprefs'd in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound

Of

your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken

In what part of your body pleaseth me.

ANT. Content, in faith; I'll feal to such a bond,