Thou hast not left the value of a cord;

Therefore, thou must be hanged at the state's charge. Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our

spirit,

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's ;
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio.

Shy. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that. You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life, When you do take the means whereby I live.

Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake Ant. So please my lord the duke and all the court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods;

I am content, so he will let me have

The other half in use,'-to render it,
Upon his death, unto the gentleman
That lately stole his daughter.

Two things provided more.-That, for this favor,
He presently become a Christian ;

The other, that he do record a gift,

Here in the court, of all he dies possessed,

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 thou say? Shy. I am content.

Por.

Clerk, draw a deed of gift. Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence; I am not well: send the deed after me,

And I will sign it.

Duke.

Get thee gone; but do it

Gra. In christening thou shalt have two god

fathers;

1 Antonio's offer has been variously explained. It appears to be “that he will quit his share of the fine, as the duke has already done that portion due to the state, if Shylock will let him have it in use (i. e. at interest during his life, to render it at his death to Lorenzo "

Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more;1 To bring thee to the gallows, not to the font.

[Exit SHYLOCK. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon; I must away this night toward Padua,

And it is meet I presently set forth.

Duke. I am sorry that your leisure serves you not. Antonio, gratify this gentleman;

For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

[Excunt 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 fur

ther;

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.

Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves; I'll wear them for your sake;
And for your love, I'll take this ring from you.-
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.

1 i. e. a jury of twelve men to condemn him.

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 answered.
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 be not a mad woman,

And know how well I have deserved this ring,
She would not hold out enemy forever,
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 commandment.

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.

SCENE II. The same. A Street.

Enter PORTIA and NERISSA.

[Exeunt.

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,1

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 forever.
Por. Thou mayst, I warrant.

swearing,

We shall have old 2

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 lome, to [Exeunt

ACT V.

SCENE 1. Belmont. Avenue to Portia's House.

Enter LORENZO and JESSICA.

Lor. The moon shines bright.-In such a night as

this,

When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
And they did make no noise; in such a night,
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls,
And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.

1 i. e. more reflection.

2 of this once common augmentative in colloquial language there are various instances in the plays of Shakspeare, in the sense of abundant, frequent.

Jes.

In such a night.

Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew;
And saw the lion's shadow ere himself,
And ran dismayed away.

Lor.

In such a night,

Stood Dido, with a willow in her hand,

Upon the wild sea-banks, and waved her love
To come again to Carthage.

Jes.

Medea gathered the enchanted herbs

That did renew old Æson.

Lor.

In such a night,

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.

In such a night,

Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well;
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith,
And ne'er a true one.

Lor.

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 nobody come.
But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter STEPHANO.

Lor. Who comes so fast in silence of the night?
Steph. A friend.

Lor. A friend? What friend? Your name, I pray
you, friend?

Steph. Stephano is my name; and I bring word,
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.'

1 So in the Merry Devil of Edmonton:

"But there are crosses, wife: here's one in Waltham,
Another at the abbey, and the third

At Ceston; and 'tis ominous to pass
Any of these without a Paternoster."

And this is a reason assigned for the delay of a wedding.