before, e'en as many as could well live one by another: this making of christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we fhall not fhortly have a rafher on the coals for mony.

Enter Lorenzo.

Jef. I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you fay: here he comes. Lor. I fhall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners.

out;

Jef. Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are he tells me flatly, there is no mercy for me in heav'n, because I am a Jew's daughter: and he says, you are no good member of the common-wealth; for in converting Jews to christians, you raise the price of pork.

Lor. I fhall anfwer that better to the common-wealth than you can the getting up of the negro's belly: the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot.

Laun. It is much that the Moor fhould be more than reafon: but if fhe be less than an honeft woman, fhe is indeed more than I took her for.

Lor. How every fool can play upon the word! I think the best grace of wit will shortly turn into filence, and discourse grow commendable in none but parrats. Go in, firrah, bid them prepare for dinner.

Laun. That is done, Sir; they have all stomachs.

Lor. Good lord, what a wit-fnapper are you! then bid them prepare dinner.

Laun. That is done too, Sir; only cover is the word.
Lor. Will you cover then, Sir?

Laun. Not fo, Sir, neither; I know my duty.

Lor. Yet more quarrelling with occafion! wilt thou fhew the whole wealth of thy wit in an inftant? I pray thee understand a plain man in his plain meaning: go to thy fellows, bid them cover the table, ferve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner.

Laun.

Laun. For the table, Sir, it fhall be ferv'd in; for the meat, Sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, Sir, why let it be as humours and conceits fhall govern.

Lor. O dear discretion, how his words are fuited!
The fool hath planted in his memory

'An army of good words; and I do know

A many fools that stand in better place,
Garnifh'd like him, that for a trickfie word
< Defie the matter: how far'ft thou, Jesica?
And now, good sweet, say thy opinion,
How doft thou like the lord Bafanio's wife?
Jef. Paft all expreffing; it is very meet
The lord Bassanio live an upright life.
For having fuch a Bleffing in his lady,
He finds the joys of heaven here on earth:
And if on earth he do not merit it,

a

In reason he should never come to heav'n.
Why, if two Gods fhould play fome heav'nly match,
And on the wager lay two earthly women,

And Portia one, there must be fomething else
Pawn'd with the other; for the poor rude world
Hath not her fellow.

Lor. Even fuch a husband

Haft thou of me, as fhe is for a wife.

Jef. Nay, but ask my opinion too of that.

Lor. I will anon: first let us go to dinner.

[Exit Laun.

Jef. Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomach.
Lor. No, pray thee, let it ferve for table-talk;

Then howfoe'er thou fpeak'ft, 'mong other things,

I shall digest it.

Jef. Well, I'll fet you forth.

[Exeunt.

ACT

Enter the Duke, the Senators, Anthonio, Baffanio, and Gratiano.

W

DUKE.

HAT, is Anthonio here?

Ant. Ready, fo please your Grace.

Duke. I'm forry for thee, thou art come to
answer

A ftony adversary, an inhuman wretch
Uncapable of pity, void and empty

From any dram of mercy.

Ant. I have heard

Your Grace hath ta'en great pains to qualifie

His rig'rous courfe; but fince he stands obdurate,
And that no lawful means can carry me
Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose
My patience to his fury, and am arm'd
To fuffer with a quietness of spirit

The very tyranny and rage of his.

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court.
Sal. He's ready at the door: he comes, my lord.

Enter Shylock.

Duke. Make room, and let him ftand before our face.
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act, and then 'tis thought
Thou'lt fhew thy mercy and remorfe more strange

Than is thy strange apparent cruelty.
And where thou now exact'ft the penalty,
Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,
Thou wilt not only lose the forfeiture,
But touch'd with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal;
Glancing an eye of pity on his loffes
That have of late fo hudled on his back;
Enough to press a royal merchant down,
And pluck commiferation of his state
From brassy bosoms, and rough hearts of flint,
From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd
To offices of tender courtefie.

We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.

Shy. I have poffefs'd your Grace of what I purpose,
And by our holy Sabbath have I fworn

To have the due and forfeit of my bond.
If you deny it, let the danger light
Upon your charter, and your city's freedom.
You'll ask me why I rather chuse to have
A weight of carrion flesh, than to receive
Three thousand ducats? I'll not answer that.
But say it is my humour, is it answered?
What if my house be troubled with a rat,
And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand ducats
To have it bane'd? what, are you answer'd yet?
Some men there are, love not a gaping pig,
Some that are mad if they behold a cat,
And others, when the bag-pipe fings i' th' nose,
Cannot contain their urine for affection.
Masterless paffion sways it to the mood

Of what it likes or loaths. Now for your answer:
As there is no firm reason to be render'd

Why he cannot abide a gaping pig,

Why

Why he a harmless neceffary cat,

Why he a woollen bag-pipe, but of force
Muft yield to fuch inevitable fhame,
As to offend, himself being offended?
So can I give no reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate and a certain loathing
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus

A losing suit against him. Are you answered?
Baff. This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,
T'excuse the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my answer.
Baff. Do all men kill the thing they do not love?.
Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
Baff. Ev'ry offence is not a hate at first.

Shy. What, would'st thou have a serpent fting thee twice?
Ant. I pray you think you question with a Jew.
You may as well
go ftand upon the beach,

And bid the main flood bate his usual height.
You may as well use question with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb?
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops, and to make no noise
When they are fretted with the gufts of heav'n.
You may as well do any thing most hard,
As feek to soften that (than which what's harder?)
His Jewish heart. Therefore I do beseech you,
Make no more offers, use no farther means,
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.
Baff. For thy three thousand ducats here is fix.
Shy. If ev'ry ducat in fix thousand ducats
Were in fix parts, and ev'ry part a ducat,

You may as well ufe queftion with the wolf,
The ewe bleat for the lamb, you may as well, &c.

I