Shy. 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.

Anth. I do never use it.

Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's sheep,This Jacob from our holy Abraham was

(As his wife mother wrought in his behalf)

The third poffeffor; ay, he was the third.

Anth. And what of him? did he take intereft ? Shy. 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 py'd,
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 ftuck them up before the fulfome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time

Fall party-colour'd lambs, and thofe were Jacob's..
This was a way to thrive, and he was bleft;

And thrift is bleffing, if men steal it not.

Anth. This was a venture, fir, that Jacob ferv'd for ;

A thing not in his power to bring to pafs,

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

Or is your gold and filver, ewes and rams?

Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as faft :But note me, fignior.

Anth. Mark you this, Baffanio?

The devil can cite fcripture for his purpose.. [6]An evil foul, producing holy witnefs,

[6] But this is not true, that falfehood hath always a goodly outfide. Nov does this take in the force of the fpeaker's fentiment; who would obferve that that falsehood which quotes fcripture for its purpose, has a goodly outfide. We fhould therefore read, O, what a goodly outfide's falfehood hath !'-i. e. his falfehood, Shylock's. WARB.

I wish any copy would give me authority to range and read the lines thus:
O, what a godly outfide falfehood hath!

An evil foul producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a fmiling cheek;
Or goodly apple rotten at the heart.

Yet there is no difficulty in the prefent reading. Falfehood, which as truth means honefty, is taken here for treachery and knavery, does not ftand for falfehood in general, but for the dishonesty now operating. JOHNS

Is like a villain with a fmiling cheek ;
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.

O, what a goodly outfide falfehood hath !

Shy. Three thousand ducats,-'Tis a good round fum.
Three months from twelve, then let me fee the rate.
Anth. Well, Shylock, fhall we be beholden to you ?
Shy. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me

About my monies, and my usances :
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug;
(For fufferance is the badge of all our tribe :)
You call me, misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And fpit 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 fay to you? Should I not fay,
Hath a dog money? is it poffible

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

Anth. 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 of barren metal of his friend ?)[7]
But lend it rather to thine enemy;

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

Shy. 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;

[7] A Breed, that is, intereft money bred from the principal. By the epithet Barren, the author would instruct us in the argument on which the advocates againft ufury went, which is this, that money is a barren thing, and cannot, like corn and cattle, multiply itself. And to let off the ab furdity of this kind of ufury, he put breed and barren in oppofition. WARB

Supply your present wants, and take no doit

Of ufance for my monies, and you'll not hear me ;
This is kind I offer.

Anth. 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 fuch 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 pleafeth me.

Anth. Content, in faith; I'll feal to fuch a bond,

And fay, there is much kindness in the Jew.

Bal. You fhall not feal to fuch a bond for me, I'll rather dwell in my neceflity.

Anth. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it: Within these two months, that's a month before This bond expires, I do expect return.

Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

Shy. O father Abraham, what these Chriftians are!
Whofe own hard dealings teaches them fufpect
The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this;
If he should break his day, what fhould I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture ?

A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not fo estimable, profitable neither,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I fay,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, fo; if not, adieu;
And, for my love, I pray you, wrong me not.
Anth. Yes, Shylock, I will feal unto this bond.
Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the notary's;
Give him direction for this merry bond,

And I will go and purse the ducats straight;
See to my houfe, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave; and presently

I will be with you.

Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew.

[Exits

This Hebrew will turn Chriftian; he grows kind.
Baff. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind.
Anth. Come on; in this there can be no dismay :
My ships come home a month before the day. [Exeunt

ACT II. SCENE I.

Belmont. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and three or four followers accordingly; with PORTIA, NERISSA, and her train. Flourish cornets.

Morocco.

MISLIKE me not for my complexion,
The fhadow'd livery of the burnish'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phoebus' fire fcarce thaws the icicles,
And let us make incifion for your love,

To prove whose blood is reddeft, his, or mine.(8)
I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mine

Hath fear'd [9] the valiant; by my love, I fwear,
The beft regarded virgins of our clime

Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to fteal your thoughts, my gentle queen..
Por. In terms of choice I am not folely led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes:
Befides, the lottery of my destiny

Bars me the right of voluntary choofing:
But, if my father had not scanted me,

And hedg'd me by his will, to yield myself

His wife, who wins me by that means I told you,
Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair,
As any comer I have look'd on yet,

For my affection.

Mor. Even for that I thank you;
Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets,
To try my fortune. By this fcimitar,-
That flew the Sophy, and a Perfian prince,
That won three fields of fultan Solyman,-
I would out-ftare the fterneft eyes that look,
Out-brave the heart most daring on the earth,

(8) To underftand how the tawny prince, whofe favage dignity is very well fupported, means to recommend himself by this challenge, it must be remembered thet red blood is a traditionary fign of courage: Thus Macbeth calls one of his frighted foldiers, a lify-liver'd lown: again, in this play, cowards are faid to have livers as white as milk; and an effeminate and timorous man is termed a milkfop. JOHNS.

[9] i. e. Terrify'd. To fear is often ufed by our old writers, in this fenfe. STEEV

Pluck the young fucking cubs from the fhe-bear,
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
To win thee, lady. But, alas the while!
If Hercules, and Lichas, play at dice
Which is the better man, the greater throw
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand:
So is Alcides beaten by his page;

And fo may I, blind fortune leading me,
Mifs that which one unworthier may attain ;
And die with grieving,

Por. You must take your chance ;
And either not attempt to choose at all,

Or fwear, before you choofe, if you choose wrong, Never to speak to lady afterward

In way of marriage: Therefore be advis'd.

Mor. Nor will not: Come, bring me unto my chance. Por. Firft, forward to the temple; after dinner

Your hazard fhall be made.

Mor. Good fortune then,

[Cornets,

To make me bleft, or cursed'st among men. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Street in Venice. Enter LAUNCELOT alone.

Laun. Certainly, my confcience will ferve me to run from this Jew my mafter: The fiend is at mine elbow ; and tempts me, faying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, ufe your legs, take the start, run away: My conscience fays,

no; take heed, boneft Launcelot; take heed, honeft Gobbo, or, as aforefaid, honeft Launcelot Gobbo; do not run ; fcorn running with thy heels: Well, the moft courageous fiend bids me pack; via! says the fiend; away! fays the fiend; for the heavens, roufe up a brave mind, fays the fiend, and run. Well, my confcience, hanging about the neck of my heart, fays very wifely to me,-my bonest friend Launcelot, being an boneft man's fon, or rather an honeft woman's fon; (for, indeed, my father did fomething smack, something grow to; he had a kind of taste ;) well, my confcience fays, Launcelot, budge not; budge, fays the fiend; budge not, fays my confcience: Confcience, fay I, you counfel well; fiend, fay I, you counfel well to be rul'd by my confcience, I should stay with the Jew my mafter,