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bid my very friends and country-men,

weet Portia) welcome.

Por. So do I, my Lord; they are intirely welcome. Lor. I thank your honour; for my part, my lord,

My purpose was not to have seen you here;

But meeting with Salanio by the way,

He did intreat me, past all saying nay,
To come with him along.

Sal. I did, my lord,

And I have reason for't; Signior Anthonio

Commends him to you.

Baf. Ere I ope his letter,

[Gives Bassanio a Letter.

I pray you tell me how my good friend doth.

Sal. Not fick, my lord, unless it be in mind; Nor well, unless in mind; his letter there Will shew you his eftate.

[Bassanio opens the letter.

Gra. Neriffa, cheer yond stranger: Bid her wel

come.

Your hand, Salanio; what's the news from Venice?
How doth that royal merchant, good Anthonio?
I know, he will be glad of our Success:

We are the Jafons, we have won the fleece.

Sal. Would you had won the fleece, that he hath lost!
Por. There are some shrewd Contents in yond same
paper,

That steal the colour from Bassanio's cheek:
Some dear Friend dead; else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution

Of any conftant man. What, worse and worse!
With leave, Bassanio, I am half your self,
And I must have the half of any thing
That this fame Paper brings you.

Baff.

O fweet Portia!

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st 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 my felf at nothing, you shall fee

How

How much I was a braggart: when I told you,
My state was nothing, I should then have told you,
That I was worse than nothing. For, indeed,
I have engag'd my felf 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,
Issuing life-blood. But is it true, Salanio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? what not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, from England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India ?
And not one vessel 'scap'd the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?

Sal. Not one, my lord..
Besides, it should appear, that if he had
The present mony to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it. Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape 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 justice. 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 country-men,
That he would rather have Anthonio's flesh,
Than twenty times the value of the sum.
That he did owe him; and I know, my lord,..
If law, authority, and pow'r 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 spirit
In doing courtefies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears,

Than any that draws breath in Italy.

Por.

Por. What Sum owes he the Jew?
Baf. For me, three thousand ducats.
Por. What, no more ?

Pay him fix thousand and deface the bond;
Double fix thousand, and then treble that,
Before a Friend of this description
Shall lofe a hair through my Baffsanio'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 side
With an unquiet foul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over.
When it is paid, bring your true friend along;
My maid Neriffa and my felf, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows: come, away!
For you shall hence upon your wedding-day.
Bid your Friends welcome, shew a merry cheer;
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.
But let me hear the letter of your friend.

mif

Baff. reads. Weet Baffanio, my hips have all mis

estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and fince, in paying it, it is impossible 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 persuade you to come, let not my letter.

Por. O love! dispatch all Business, and be gone.
Baff. Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make haste; but 'till I come again,

No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay;

No rest be interposer 'twixt us twain.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Street in Venice.

Enter Shylock, Solarino, Anthonio, and the Goaler.

Oaler, look to him: tell not me of mercy.
This is the fool, that lent out mony gratis.

Shy.

G

Goaler, look to him.

Ant.

Ant. Hear me yet, good Shylock.

Shy. I'll have my bond; speak not against my bond : I've sworn an oath, that I will have my bond. Thou call'dit me dog, before thou hadst a cause ; But fince I am a dog, beware my fangs: The Duke shall grant me justice. I do wonder, Thou naughty goaler, that thou art fo fond To come abroad with him at his request. Ant. I pray thee, hear me speak.

Shy. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak: I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more; I'll not be made a soft and dull-ey'd fool, To shake the head, relent, and figh and yield To christian intercessors. Follow not;

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

Sola. It is the most impenetrable cur,

That ever kept with men.

Ant. Let him alone,

Exit Shylock.

I'll follow him no more with bootless pray'rs:
He feeks my life; his reason well I know;
I oft deliver'd from his forfeitures

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

Sola. I am fure, the Duke

Will never grant this Forfeiture to hold.

Ant. The Duke cannot deny the course of law For the commodity that strangers have With us in Venice, if it be deny'd, Will much impeach the justice of the state; Since that the trade and profit of the city Consisteth of all nations. Therefore go, These griefs and losses have so 'bated me, That I shall hardly spare a pound of flesh To morrow to my bloody creditor. Well, goaler, on; pray God, Baffanio come To fee me pay his debt, and then I care not! [Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE changes to BELMONT.

Enter Portia, Nerissa, Lorenzo, Jeffsica, and Balthazar.

Lor.

MAdam, although I speak it in your prefence

Of God-like amity; which appears most strongly
In bearing thus the absence of your lord.
But if you knew to whom you shew this honour,
How true a gentleman you send relief to,
How dear a lover of my lord your husband;
I know, you would be prouder of the work,
Than customary bounty can enforce you.
Por. I never did repent of doing good,
And shall not now; for in companions
That do converse and waste the time together,
Whose fouls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There must needs be a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit;
Which makes me think, that this Anthonio,
Being the bofom-lover of my lord,
Muft needs be like my lord. If it be fo,
How little is the cost I have bestowed,
In purchasing the semblance of my foul
From out the state of hellish cruelty ?
This comes too near the praising of my felf; (13)
Therefore, no more of it: hear other things. -
Lorenzo, I commit into your hands
The husbandry and manage of my house,
Until my lord's return. For mine own part,
I have tow'rd heaven breath'd a secret vow,

(13) This comes too near the praising of my self;
Therefore no more of it: here other things,

Lorenzo, I commit, &c.] Thus has this Passage been writ and pointed, but absurdly, thro' all the Editions. Portia finding the reflections the had made came too near Self-praise, begins to chide herself for it: fays, She'll say no more of that Sort; but call a new Subject. The Regulation I have made in the Text was likewise prescrib'd by Dr. Thirlby.

To

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