222

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

Shy. On what compulsion must I? tell me that.
Por. The quality of mercy is not strain'd;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath it is twice bless'd;
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God's,
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,—
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much,
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;

Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law,
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

Por. Is he not able to discharge the money?

Bass. Yes, here I tender it for him in the court; Yea, twice the sum: if that will not suffice, I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er, On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart: If this will not suffice, it must appear That malice bears down truth. Wrest once the law to your authority: To do a great right, do a little wrong, And curb this cruel devil of his will.

And I beseech you,

Por. It must not be; there is no power in Venice Can alter a decree established:

"Twill be recorded for a precedent,

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

223

And many an error, by the same example,
Will rush into the state: it cannot be.

Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel !-
O wise young judge, how I do honour thee!
Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond.
Shy. 'Here 'tis, most reverend doctor, here it is.
Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offer'd thee.
Shy. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven:
Shall I lay perjury upon my soul?
No, not for Venice.

Por. Why, this bond is forfeit;

And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off
Nearest the merchant's heart :-Be merciful;
Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond.
Shy. When it is paid according to the tenor.-
It doth appear you are a worthy judge;
You know the law, your exposition

Hath been most sound: I charge you by the law,
Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar,
Proceed to judgment: by my soul, I swear
There is no power in the tongue of man
To alter me: I stay here on my bond.

THE SAME CONTINUED.

Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court

To give the judgment

Por. Why then, thus it is:

You must prepare your bosom for his knife.

Shy. O noble judge! O excellent

young man

Por. For the intent and purpose of the law

Hath full relation to the penalty,

Which here appeareth due upon the bond.

!

Shy. 'Tis very true; O wise and upright judge! How much more elder art thou than thy looks!

224

So

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

Por. Therefore lay bare your bosom.
Shy. Ay, his breast:

says the bond;-Doth it not, noble judge?— "Nearest his heart," those are the very words.

Por. It is so.

The flesh?

Are there balance here to weigh

Shy. I have them ready.

Por. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.

Shy. Is it so nominated in the bond?

Por. It is not so express'd; but what of that? "Twere good you do so much for charity.

Shy. I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond.
Por. Come, merchant, have you any thing to say?
Ant. But little: I am arm'd, and well-prepar'd.-
Give me your hand, Bassanio; fare you well!
Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you;
For herein Fortune shows herself more kind
Than is her custom: it is still her use

To let the wretched man outlive his wealth,
To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow
An
age of poverty; from which lingering penance
Of such a misery doth she cut me off.
Commend me to your honourable wife:
Tell her the process of Antonio's end;
Say, how I lov'd you, speak me fair in death;
And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge,
Whether Bassanio had not once a love.
Repent not you that you shall lose your friend,
And he repents not that he pays your debt;
For, if the Jew do but cut deep enough,

I'll

pay it instantly with all my heart.
Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife,
Which is as dear to me as life itself;
But life itself, my wife, and all the world,
Are not with me esteem'd above thy life:
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all
Here to this devil, to deliver you.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

225

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
Entreat some power to change this currish Jew.

Ner. 'Tis well you offer it behind her back.
The wish would make else an unquiet house.

Shy. These be the Christian husbands: I have a daughter;

'Would, any of the stock of Barabbas

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, pre

pare.

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 then thy pound of flesh.
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed

One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate

Unto the state of Venice.

Gra. O upright judge!-Mark, Jew;-O learned judge!

Shy. Is that the law?

Por. Thyself shall see the act:

For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd,

Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st.

226

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

THE SAME CONTINUED.

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. Here is the money.

Por. Soft!

The Jew shall have all justice;-soft!-no haste;-
He shall have nothing but the penalty.

Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge!
Por. Therefore, prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less, nor more.
But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more,
Or less, than a just pound,-be it but so much
As makes it light, or heavy, in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part

Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,

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 the 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.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice