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.
For. Why doth the Jew pause ? take thy for-
feiture.
Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go.
Bass. I have it ready for thee ; here it is.
Par. 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 que that word.
Shy. .Siiall I not have barely my principal?
Par. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture
To be so taken at thy jieril, Jew.
Shy. Why then tiie devil give him good of itj
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, —
If it be prov'd against aji alien.
That by direct, or indirect attempts,
He seek the lile of any citizen.
m MERCHANT OF VENICE.
The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive^
Shall seize one half his goods ; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state ;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st ;
For it appears by manifest proceeding.
That, indirectly, and directly too.
Thou hast contriv'd against the very life
Of the defendant ; and thou hast incurr'd
The danger formerly by me rehears'd.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. •
Gra. Beg, that thou may'st have leave to hang'
thyself: v^',:
And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state.
Thou hast not left the value of a cord ; '
Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state'-s charge.
Uuke. That tliou shalt see the difference of oun
spirit,
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it :
For half tliy 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.
JPor. What mercy can you render him, Antonio f
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,
* yly, Jor the state ; Ac] That is, the state's moiety may be
commuted for a fine, but not Antonio's. Malone.
MERCHANT OF VENICE. S3
Upon liis death, unto the gentleman
That hitely stole his daut^htcr ;
Two things provided more,- — That, for this favour,
He presently become a Christian ;
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
Tlie j)ardon, that I late pronounced here.
Pur. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou
say?
Shy, I am content.
Par. Clerk, draw a deed of gift.
Shy. I priay you, give me leave to go from hence ;
I am not well ; send the deed after me.
And 1 will sign it.
Duke. Get thee gone, but do it.
Gra. In christening thou shalt have two god-
fathers ;
Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten morc,^
To bring thee to the gallows, not tlie font.
[^Edit Shylock.
Duke. Sir, I enti'cat 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 soiry that your leisure serves you not.
Antonio, gratify this gentleman;
For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.
\^E.veunt Duke, Magnijicoes, and Train.
Pitas. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend,
Have by your wisdom been tliis day acquitted
Of grievous penalties ; in lieu whereof,
Three tliousaud ducats, due unto the Jew,
We freely cope )'our courteous pains withal,
' thou s/ifju/(l's' have had inn morc,'\ i. e, o jury oi twelve-
lucn, to cyudfum thcc to be hanged.
12
84 MERCHANT OF VENICE.
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.
1 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.
Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield.
Give me your gloves, 111 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.
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 w_a3 given me by my
wife ;
And, will 11 she put it on, she made me vow.
That I should neither sell, nor give, nor lose it.
Por. That 'scusc serves many men to save their
gifts.
An if your wife be not a mad woman.
MERCHANT OF VENICE. 83
*
And know how well I have deserv'd this ring.
She would not hold out enemy for ever.
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you !
{^Eu'eunt Portia and Nerissa.
ylnt. 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 can'st.
Unto Antonio's house : — away, make haste.
\_E.Tit Gratiano.
Come, you and I will thither presently ;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont : Come, Antonio. l^Ed^eunt,
SCENE III.
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 nighty
And be a dav before our husbands home :
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.
Enter Gratiano.
Gra. Fair sir, you are well overtaken:
Mv lord Bassanio, upon more advice,^
Hath sent you here this ring ; and doth entreat
Your conjpany at dinner.
Por. That cannot be :
This ring I do accept most thankfully,
And so, 1 pray you, tell him : Furthermore,
' â– â– 'â– upon more advffce,] i- C' more n^cction.
n
56 MERCHANT OF VENICE.
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 PoRTiAi
Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.
Por. Thou may'st, 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 »
ACT V.
SCENE I. 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 nighty
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
Uj3on the wild sea-banks, and wav'd her love
To come again to Carthage.
Jcs. In such a night.
MERCHANT OF VENICE. 87.
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 loy'd her well ;
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith^
And ne'er a trae one.
Lor. And in such a night.?
Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,
Jblander her love, and he forgjive 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 night ?
Stcph. A friend.
Ler. A friend ? what friend ? your name, I pray
you, friend ?
Steph. Stephano is my "name ; and I bring word.
My mistregs 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 come5 with her ?
St I ph. None, \)\ii a holy hermit, and her njuid.
1 pray you, is my master yet return'd ?
Lor. He is not, nor vye have not heard from
him. —
But •^o we in, I j)ray tiiee, Jessica,
And ceremoniously let us prepare
ik>iuii welcome: for the mistress of the house.
VOL. iir.
88 MERCHANT OF VENICE.
Ejiter Launcelot.
Lautu 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 musick forth into the air. —
\_E.vit Stephano.
How sweet the moon-light sleeps upon this bank !
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of musick
Creep 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 behold'st.
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubins :
Such harmony is in immortal souls ;
,3
* wth patines of bright gold ;'\ A patine, from patina,
Lat. A patine is the small flat dish or plate used with the cha-
lice, in the administration of the eucharist. In the time of po-
pery, and probably in the following age, it was commonly made
of gold. Ma LONE.
^ Such harmonij is in immortal souls ; &c.] This passage hav-
ing been much misunderstood, it may be proper to add a short
explanation of it.
Siich harmony^ &c. is not an explanation arisinij- from the fore-
9
MERCHANT OF VENICE. 89
But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay-
Doth grosslv close it in, we cannot hear it.—
Enter Musicians.
Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn ;^
^Vith sweetest touches pierce your mistress* ear.
And draw her home with musick.
Jes. I am never merry, when I hear sweet musick.
[^Musick»
Lor. The reason is your spirits are attentive :
For do but note a wild and wanton herd.
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
Fetching- mad bounds, bellowing, and neighing loud,
AVhich is the hot condition of their blood ;
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound.
Or any air of musick touch their ears,
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand.
Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze,
]^y the sweet power of musick : Therefore, the poet
Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and
Hoods ;
Since nought so stock ish, hard, and full of rage.
But musick for the time doth change his nature:
The man that hath no musick in himself.
Nor is not mov'd vvitli concord of sweet sounds.
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils ;
j^oinj; line — "So great is the harmony!" ])ut an illustration:
-.-"Of the same kind is the harmony." — Tlie whole runs thus:
There h not one of the hcavciilij orbs Init sings as it moves, still
quiring to the cheruoin. Similar to the harmony they inafre, is that
f)f iinmortal souls ; or, (in otlier words,) each of us have as perfect
hannony in our souls as the harmoni/ o/ the spheres, inasmuch as icc
hare the (juality of being moved by sxvect sounds (as he expresses
h uhLrwiirda;) but our gross terrestrial part, which environs us,
(leadens the sound, and preivnts our hearing. — //, [Doth grossly
tlohe it, in,] I a[)prchfn(l, riji'itm to harmoni/. Mai^onk.
6 — — tuake Diana xvith a hymn ;] Diana is thu moon, who i.s
in the next scene ripresented aji sleeping.
I 'I
go MERCHAiNT OF VENICE.
The motions of his spirit arc dull as night.
And his aft'cctions dark as Erebus :
Let no such man be trusted. — Mai-k the musick.
Enter Portia and Nerissa, at a distance.
For. That light we sec, is burning in my halL
How far that little candle throws his beams !
80 shines a good deed in a naughty world.
Ner. When the moon shone, we did not see the
candle.
Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less :
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. Musick ! hark !
JSfer. It is your musick, madam, of the house.
For. Nothing is good, I see, without respect;''
Methinks, it sounds much sweeter than by day.
JSfer. Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.
For. The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark.
When neither is attended ; and, I think,
The nightingale, if she should sing by day,
When every goose is cackling, would be thought
No better a musician than the wren.
How many things by season season'd are
To their right praise, and true j)erfection ! —
Peace, boa! the moon sleeps with Endymion,
And would not be awak'd ! \_Musick ceases.
Lor. That is the voice.
Or I am much dccciv'd, of Portia.
For. He knows me, as the blind man knows the
cuckoo,
By the bad voice.
Lor. Dear lady, welcome home.
7 tvithout respect s"} Not absolutely good^ but relatively
good as it is modified by circumstances.
MERCHANT OF VENICE. 91
Por. We have been praying for our husbands'
welfare,
"V^^hich speed, we hope, tlie better for our words.
Are they returned ?
Lor. Madam, they arc not yet ;
But there is come a messenger before,
To signify their coming.
Por. Go in, Nerissa,
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^ aounds-.
Lor. Your husband is at hand, I hear his trumpet:
We are no tell-tales, madam ; fear you not.
Por. 'lliis night, methinks, is but the daylight
sick,
It looks a httie paler ; 'tis a day,
ISucfi as the day is when the sun is hid.
Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their
Followers.
Bass. Wf should liold dav with the Antipodes,
If you would walk in absence of the sun.
Por. Let me give light,' but let inenot be light;
For a liglit wife doth make a heavy husband,
And never be Bassanio so for me ;
But God sort all ! — You are welcome home, mv lord.
Bass. 1 thank you, madam : give welcome to my
friend. —
This is the man, this is Antonio,
To whom I am so inhnitcly bound.
J* or. You should in all sense be much bound to
liim,
2 // tucket — ] Tdcccila, Ital. a Hourisli on a trunipt-t.
f Lot me /rive li}i^lit, ivc] 'I'licre is Kcarci Iv any \v<ml with
which Shaksptare so much ddiL'hts to irille as with H^ltt, in its
various MgiiiHcatiou.'«. Jojinjjun.
92 MERCHANT OF VENICE.
For, as I hear, he was much bound for you.
> Ant. No more than I am well acquitted of.
Poi\ Sir, you are very welcome to our house :
It must appear in other ways than words.
Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy.'
[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,
Since you do take it, love, so much at heart.
For. 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, Lo've ine^ and leave me not.
Ner. What talk you of the posy, or the value ?
You swore to me, when I did give it you.
That you would wear it till your hour of death ;
And that it should lie with you in your grave :
Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths, ^
You should have been respective, and have kept it.
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.
JVer. Ay, if a woman live to be a man.
Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, —
A kind of boy ; a 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.
For. You were to blame, I must be plain with
you,
' this breathing courtesy.'] This verbal complimentary
form, made up only oi breath, i. e. words.
^ like cutler* s poetry — ] Knives, as Sir J.Hawkins ob-
serves, were formerly inscribed, by means of aquafortis, with
.short sentences in distich.
AS YOU LIKE IT.*
VOL. Ill
* As YOU LIKE IT,] Was certainltf borrotved. If we believe
Dr. Grey and Mr. Upton, from the Coke's Tale of Gameltjn .•
which by the ^^ay was nol printed till a century afterward : when
in truth the old bard, who was no hunter of MSS. contented hiiiw
self 8olely with Lodge's Rosalyndy or Euphue's Golden Legacye^
Mo. 1590. Farmer.
Shijsspeare has followed Lodge's novel more exactly than is
his general custom when he is indebted to such worthless originalsi
and has sketched some of his principal characters, and borrowed a
lew expri'ssions from it. His imitations, &c. however, are in ge-
neral too insignificant to merit transcription.
It should be observed, that the characters o^ Jaques, the Cloxvriy
and Andrei^, are entirely of the poet's own formation.
Although I have never met with any edition of this comedy be-
fore the year 1623, it is evident, that such a publication was at
least designed. At the beginning of the second volume of the
entries at Stationers* Hall, are placed two leaves of irregular pro-
hibitions, notes, &.C. Among these are the following :
Aug. 4'.
*' An you like it, a book. ~|
*' Henry the Fiji, a book \ to be staid."
** The Comedy of Much Ado, a book. J
TIvc dates scatter'd over thpse plays are from 1596 to 1615.
Steevens.
This comedy^ I licjieve, was written in 1600. Malon&
PERSONS REPRESENTED*
Duke, living in Eiile.
Frederick, B7^otker to the Duke, and Usurper of his
Dominions.
Pim\Qn^,\ Lords attending upon the Duke in his
Jaques, y Banishment.
Le Beau, a Courtier attending upon Frederick.
Charles, his Wrestler.
Oliver, "J
Jaques, > Sons of Sir Rowland de Bois.
Orlando, }
Adam, > Servants to Oliver.
Dennis, )
Touchstone, a Clown.
Sir Oliver Mar-text, a Vicar.
c, 1 • ^ > Shepherds.
•Sylvius, y ^
William, a Country Fellow, in love with Audrey.
A Person representing Hymen.
Rosalind, Daughter to the banished Duke.
Celia, Daughter to Frederick.
Phebe, a Shepherdess.
Audrey, a Country JVench,
Lords belonging to the two Dukes ; Pages, Fores-
ters, and other Attendants,
The SCENE lies, first, near Oliver's House ; af-
terwards, partly in the Usurpers Court, and
partly in the Foi^est of Arden.
* The list of the persons being omitted in the old editions, was
added by Mr. Rowe. Johnsou.
MERCHANT OF \T:NICE. qs
To part so slightly with your wife's first gift ;
A thing stuck on with oaths upon your iinger.
And riveted so with faith unto your Hesh.
I gave my love a ring, and made liim swear
Never to part with it ; and liere 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, Gratiano,
You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief;
An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it.
Bas.s. A\^hy, I were best to cut my left hand off,
And swear, I lost the ring defending it. [y/ii^e.
Grcf. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away
Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed,
Deserved it too ; and then the boy, his clerk,
Tiiat took some pains in writing, he begg'd mine ;
And neither man, nor master, would take aught
But the two rings.
For. What ring gave you, my lord ?
Not that, I hope, which you reeeiv'd of me,
Ba.ss. If I could add a lie unto a fault,
I would deny it; but you see, my finger
I lath not the ring upon it, it is gone.
P(fr. Even so void is your false heart of truth.
By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed
Lntil I see the ring.
Ne?\ Nor I in yours.
Till I again see mine.
Ba.'i.s. Sweet Portia,
If you did know to whom I gave the ring,
If you did know for whom I gave the ring,
And would conceive for what I gave the ring,
And how unwillingly I left the ring,
When nou;i;ht would be accepted but the ring,
"^ ou uould abate the strength uf vour disj)U;asure.
J^or. If you had known the virtue of the ring,
Or half her worthiness that gave the rin^,
^4 MERCHANT OF VENICE.
Or your own honour to contain the rii>f^,
You would not then have parted with the ring.
What man is there so much unreasonable.
If you had pleas'd to have defended it
With any terms of zeal, wanted the oiodosty
To ursre the thinor lield as a ceremonv ?
1 11'*'
Ncrissa teaches me what to believe ;
I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring.
Bass. No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul,
No woman had it, but a civil doctor.
Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me,
And begg d the ring ; the which I did deny him,,
And suffer d him to go displeas'd away ;
Even he that had held ; p tise very life
Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?
I was enforced to send it after him ;
I was beset with shame and courtesy :
My honour would not let ingratitude
So much besmear it : Pardon me, good lady ;
For by these blessed candles of the night.
Had you been there^ I think, you would have begg'd
llie ring of me to give the worthy doctor.
Po7\ Let not that doctor e'er come near my house t
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 ;
I'll 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 Argus ;
If you do not, if I be left alone.
Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own,
I'll have tiiat doctor for my bedfellow.
AVr. And I his clerk ; therefore be well advis'd.
How you do leave me to mine own protection,
Crra. Well, do you so : let not me take him then ;
For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen.
10
MERCHANT OF VENICE. 95
jiut. I am the unhappy subjoct of those quanvis.
Pur. Sii*, grieve not you ; You arc welcome not-
withstandin*^:-
Mass. Portia, forgive nie tliis enforced wrong ;
And, in the hearing of these many friends,
I swear to tliee, even by thine own ilxir eyes.
Wherein I see myself,
For. Marlv you but that!
In both my eyes he douV)lv sees himself:
In each eve one : — suear bv your double self»'
And there's an oath of credit.
Bass. Nay, but hear me :
Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear,
1 never more will break an oath with thee.
^hit. I once did lend my body for his wealth ;*
Which, but for him that had your husband's ring,
[To Portia.
Had quite miscan'ied : I dare be boimd again.
My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord
\"\ ill never more break faith advisedly.
Par. Then you shall be his surety : Ciive him this;
And bid hiin keep it better than the other.
Ant. Here, lord liassanio; swear to keep this ring.
JUass. By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor!
Par. I had it of hiiii : pardon me, Bassanio ;
For by this ring the doctor lay with me.
\cr. And pardon me, my gentle (iratiano ;
For that same sorubbed boy, the doctor's clerk,
In lieu of this, last night did lie with me.
(ira. Why, this is like the mending of high-ways
If\ summer, wlure the ways are fair enough :
What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deserv'd it?
' i>nrar bij your double «//i] Duiiblc is licTO used in Q bad
Bcnsi; i'or—^/iill <>/ dujiiiciti/.
* J'or fits wciilth ;] For liis advuiitiigc ; to obtain liis liap-
pine«B. H'tallh wau, ut that liiiiu, the term oj)j)osite to adit r::ilt/,
«r Lalamiti/.