The other, that he do record a gift,
Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd,
Unto his son Lorenzo, and his daughter.
Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant
The pardon, that I late pronounced here.
Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost
Shy. I am content.
[thou say?
Por.
Clerk, draw a deed of gift.
Shy. I
pray you, give me leave to go from
I am not well; send the deed after me, [hence;
And I will sign it.

Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. Gra. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers; [more, Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit SHYLOCK. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. [pardon; Por. I humbly do desire your grace of I must away this night toward Padua, And it is meet, I presently set forth.

Duke. I am sorry, that your leisure serves Antonio, gratify this gentleman; [you not. For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

[Exeunt Duke, Magnificoes, and Train. Bass. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend,

Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted
Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,
Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Ant. And stand indebted, over and above,
In love and service to you evermore.
Por. He is well paid, that is well satisfied;
And I, delivering you, am satisfied,
And therein do account myself well paid;
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me, when we meet again;
I wish you well, and so I take my leave.

Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further;

Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute,
Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,
Not to deny me, and to pardon me. [yield.
Por. You press me far, and therefore I will
Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your
sake;
[you :-
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from
Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more;
And you in love shall not deny me this.

Bass. This ring, good sir,-alas, it is a trifle; I will not shame myself to give you this. Por. I will have nothing else but only this; And now, methinks, I have a mind to it.

Bass. There's more depends on this, than on the value.

The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,
And find it out by proclamation:
Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Por. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers: You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks, You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd. Bass. Good sir, this ring was given me by

my wife;

And, when she put it on, she made me vow,
That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.
Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save
their gifts.

An if your wife he not a mad woman,
And know how well I have deserved this ring,
She would not hold out enemy for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!
[Exeunt PORTIA and NERISSA.
Ant. My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring;
Let his deservings, and my love withal,
Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandement.
Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him,
Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canst,
Unto Antonio's house:-away, make haste.
[Exit GRATIANO.

Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont: Come,Antonio. [Exeunt.
SCENE II. The same. A Street.
Enter PORTIA and NERISSA.
Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give
him this deed,

And let him sign it; we'll away to-night,
And be a day before our husbands home:
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.
Enter GRATIANO.

Gra. Fair sir, you are well overtaken: My lord Bassanio, upon more advice *, Hath sent you here this ring; and doth entreat Your company at dinner.

Por. That cannot be : This ring I do accept most thankfully And so, I pray you, tell him: Furthermore, I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house. Gra. That will I do.

Ner.

Sir, I would speak with you:I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,

[TO PORTIA. Which I did make him swear to keep for ever. Por. Thou mayst, I warrant: We shall have

old swearing,

That they did give the rings away to men; But we'll outface them, and outswear them too. Away, make haste; thou know'st where I will tarry.

Ner. Come, good sir, will you show me to this house? [Exeunt.

House.

Enter LORENZO and JESSICA. Lor. The moon shines bright :-In such a night as this,

And they did make no noise; in such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents Where Cressid lay that night.

Jes. In such a night, Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself, And ran dismay'd away.

Lor.

In such a night,
Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
Upon the wild sea-banks, and wav'd her love
To come again to Carthage.

Jes.
In such a night,
Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs

That did renew old son.

Lor. In such a night, Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew: And with an unthrift love did run from Venice, As far as Belmont.

Jes. And in such a night, Did young Lorenzo swear he lov'd her well; Stealing her soul with many vows of faith, And ne'er a true one.

Lor.

And in such a night, Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew, Slander her love, and he forgave it her. Jes. I would out-night you, did no body come: But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter STEPHANO.

Lor. Who comes so fast in silence of the Steph. A friend. [night? Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I pray you, friend? [word, Steph. Stephano is my name; and I bring My mistress will before the break of day Be here at Belmont: she doth stray about By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays For happy wedlock hours.

Lor.

Who comes with her?

Steph. None, but a holy hermit, and her maid.

I pray you, is my master yet return'd ?
Lor. He is not, nor we have not heard
from him.-

But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,
And ceremoniously let us prepare
Some welcome for the mistress of the house.
Enter LAUNCELOT.

Laun. Sola, sola, wo ha, ho, sola, sola!
Lor. Who calls?

Laun. Sola! did you see master Lorenzo, and mistress Lorenzo! sola, sola!

Lor. Leave hollaing, man; here.
Laun. Sola! where? where?
Lor. Here.

Laun. Tell him, there's a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news; my master will be here ere morning. [Exit. Lor. Sweet soul, let's in, and there expect

their coming.

And yet no matter;-Why should we go in? My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you, Within the house, your mistress is at hand; And bring your music forth into the air.[Exit STEPHANO. How sweet the moon-light sleeps upon this bank! [sic Here will we sit, and let the sounds of muCreep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night,

|

Become the touches of sweet harmony.
Sit, Jessica: Look, how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold;
There's not the smallest orb, which thou be
hold'st,

But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims:
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.-
Enter Musicians.

Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress,
And draw her home with music.
[ear,

Jes. I am never merry, when I hear swee
music.
[Music

Lor. The reason is, your spirits are atten tive :

For do but note a wild and wanton herd,
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neigh
ing loud,

Which is the hot condition of their blood;
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
Or any air of music touch their ears,
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze,
By the sweet power of music: Therefore,
the poet

Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones,
and floods;
[rage,
Since nought so stockish, hard, and full of
But music for the time doth change his

nature:

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet
sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted.-Mark the music.
Enter PORTIA and NERISSA, at a distance.
Por. That light we see, is burning in my

hall.

How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
Ner. When the moon shone, we did not
see the candle.
[less;
Por. So doth the greater glory dim the
A substitute shines brightly as a king,
Until a king be by; and then his state
Empties itself, as doth an inland brook
Into the main of waters. Music! hark!
Ner. It is your music, madam, of the
house.

Por. Nothing is good, I see, without re

spect; [day. Methinks, it sounds much sweeter than by Ner. Silence bestows that virtue on it, ma

How many things by season season'd are
To their right praise, and true perfection!-
Peace, hoa! the moon sleeps with Endymion,
And would not be awak'd! [Music ceases.
That is the voice,
Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia.

Lor.

Ner. What talk you of the posy, or the value?

Madam, they are not yet; But there is come a messenger before, To signify their coming.

Go in, Nerissa,

Por. Give order to my servants, that they take No note at all of our being absent hence ;Nor you, Lorenzo;-Jessica, nor you. [A tucket

sounds. Lor. Your husband is at hand, I hear his trumpet:

We are no tell-tales, madam; fear you not. Por. This night, methinks, is but the day. light sick,

It looks a little paler; 'tis a day,
Such as the day is when the sun is hid.
Enter BASSANIO, ANTONIO, GRATIANO, and
their Followers.

Bass. We should hold day with the Anti-
podes,

If you would walk in absence of the sun. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light;

For a light wife doth make a heavy husband, And never be Bassanio sq for me;

But God sort all!-You are welcome home, my lord.

Bass. I thank you, madam: give welcome to my friend.

This is the man, this is Antonio,
To whom I am so infinitely bound.

Por. You should in all sense be much bound to him,

For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. Ant. No more than I am well acquitted of. Por. Sir, you are very welcome to our house :

It must appear in other ways than words, Therefore, I scant this breathing courtesy t. [GRATIANO and NERISSA seem to talk apart.

Gra. By yonder moon, I swear, you do me wrong;

In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk: Would he were gelt that had it, for my part, [heart. Since you do take it, love, so much at Por. A quarrel, ho, already? what's the

matter?

Gra. About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring That she did give me; whose posy was For all the world, like cutler's poetry Upon a knife, Love me, and leave me not.

A flourish on a trumpet.

oaths, [kept it. You should have been respective‡, and have Gave it a judge's clerk !-but well I know, The clerk will ne'er wear hair on his face, that had it.

Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man,,
Ner. Ay, if a woman live to be a man.
Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a
youth,-

A kind of boy; little scrubbed boy,
No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk;
A prating boy, that begg'd it as a fee;
I could not for my heart deny it him.
Por. You were to blame, I must be plain
with you,

To part so slightly with your wife's first gift;
A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger,
And rivetted so with faith unto your flesh.
I gave my love a ring, and made him swear
Never to part with it; and here he stands ;
I dare be sworn for him, he would not leave it,
Nor pluck it from his finger, for the wealth
That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gra-
tiano,
[grief;
You give your wife too unkind a cause of
An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it.
Bass. Why, I were best to cut my left
hand off,
[Aside.

And swear, I lost the ring defending it.
Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away
Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed,
Deserv'd it too; and then the boy, his clerk,
That took some pains in writing, he begg'd
mine:

[aught And neither man, nor master, would take But the two rings.

Por. What ring gave you, my lord? Not that, I hope, which you received of me. Bass. If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it; but you see, my finger Hath not the ring upon it, it is gone.

Por. Even so void is your false heart of
truth,

By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed
Until I see the ring.
Ner.
Till I again see mine.
Bass.

Nor I in yours,

Sweet Portia,

+ Regardful.

What man is there so much unreasonable,
If you had pleas'd to have defended it
With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty
To urge the thing held as a ceremony?
Nerissa teaches me what to believe;
I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring.
Bass. No, by mine honour, madam, by my
No woman had it, but a civil doctor, [soul,
Which did refuse three thousand ducats of
me,
[him,
And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny
And sutter'd him to go displeas'd away;
Even he that had held up the very life
Of my dear friend.

sweet lady?

What should I say,

I was enforc'd to send it after him;
I was beset with shame and courtesy;
My honour would not let ingratitude

So much besinear it: Pardon me, good lady;
For, by these blessed candles of the night,
Had you been there, I think, you would have
begg'd

The ring of me to give the worthy doctor. Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house:

Since he hath got the jewel that I lov❜d,
And that which you did swear to keep for me,
I will become as liberal as you:
f'il not deny him any thing I have,
No, not my body, nor my husband's bed:
Know him I shall, I am well sure of it:
Lie not a night from home; watch me, like
If
you do not, if I be left alone, [Argus:
Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own,
I'll have that doctor for my bedfellow.

Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis❜d,

How you do leave me to mine own protection. Gra. Well, do you so: let not me take him

then ;

For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Ant. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels.

Por. Sir, grieve not you; You are welcome notwithstanding. [wrong;

Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced And, in the hearing of these many friends,

Ant. Here, lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. [the doctor! Bass. By heaven, it is the same I gave Por. I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio; For by this ring the doctor lay with me.

Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk,

In lieu of this, last night did lie with me.
Gre. Why, this is like the mending of
highways

In summer, where the ways are fair enough:
What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deserv'd
it?
[amazed:
Por. Speak not so grossly. You are all
Here is a letter, read it at your leisure;
It comes from Padua, from Bellario: [tor;
There you shall find, that Portia was the doc-
Nerissa there, her clerk: Lorenzo here
Shall witness, I set forth as soon as you,
And but even now return'd; I have not yet
Enter'd my house.-Antonio, you are wel-

and living;

Por.

Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: In each eye one :-swear by your double self, And there's an oath of credit.

Bass. Nay, but hear me: Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear, I never more will break an oath with thee. Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth*;

Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, [To PORTIA. Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again, My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord Will never more break faith advisedly.

Por. Then you shall be his surety: Give him this;

And bid him keep it better than the other.

From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift,
After his death, of all he dies possess'd of.
Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way
Of starved people.

Por.
It is almost morning,
And yet, I am sure, you are not satisfied
Of these events at full: Let us go in ;
And charge us there upon inter❜gatories,
And we will answer all things faithfully.

Gra. Let it be so: The first inter'gatory,
That my Nerissa shall be sworn on, is,
Whether till the next night she had rather stay;
Or go to bed now, being two hours to day:
But were the day come, I should wish it dark,
That I were couching with the doctor's clerk.
Well, while I live, I'll fear no other thing
So sore, as keeping safe Nerissa's ring.

[Exeunt.

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me: By will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept: For call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dung-hills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance seems to take from me he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adain, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.

Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up.

Oli. Now, sir! what make you here? Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing,

Oli. What mar you then, sir?

Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

Oli. Marry, sir, be better employ'd, and be naught awhile.

Orl. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have 1 spent, that I should come to such penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, sir?
Orl. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, sir?

Orl. Ay, better than he I am before knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me: The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the firstborn; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence.

Oli. What, boy!

Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.

Enter OLIVER.

• What do you here?