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Venice. A public Place. | |
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Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK. | |
| Shy. Three thousand ducats; well? | |
| Bass. Ay, sir, for three months. | |
| Shy. For three months; well? | 5 |
| Bass. For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound. | |
| Shy. Antonio shall become bound; well? | |
| Bass. May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer? | |
| Shy. Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Antonio bound. | |
| Bass. Your answer to that. | 10 |
| Shy. Antonio is a good man. | |
| Bass. Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? | |
| Shy. Ho, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a good man is to have you understand me that he is sufficient. Yet his means are in supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath, squandered abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats and water-rats, land-thieves, and water-thieves,—I mean pirates,—and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient. Three thousand ducats; I think, I may take his bond. | |
| Bass. Be assured you may. | |
| Shy. I will be assured I may; and, that I may be assured, I will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio? | 15 |
| Bass. If it please you to dine with us. | |
| Shy. Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into. I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto? Who is he comes here? | |
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Enter ANTONIO. | |
| Bass. This is Signior Antonio. | |
| Shy. [Aside.] How like a fawning publican he looks! | 20 |
| I hate him for he is a Christian; | |
| But more for that in low simplicity | |
| He lends out money gratis, and brings down | |
| The rate of usance here with us in Venice. | |
| If I can catch him once upon the hip, | 25 |
| I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. | |
| He hates our sacred nation, and he rails, | |
| Even there where merchants most do congregate, | |
| On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift, | |
| Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe, | 30 |
| If I forgive him! | |
| Bass. Shylock, do you hear? | |
| Shy. I am debating of my present store, | |
| And, by the near guess of my memory, | |
| I cannot instantly raise up the gross | 35 |
| Of full three thousand ducats. What of that? | |
| Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, | |
| Will furnish me. But soft! how many months | |
| Do you desire? [To ANTONIO.] Rest you fair, good signior; | |
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.
Ant. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow | 40 |
| By taking nor by giving of excess, | |
| Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend, | |
| I’ll break a custom. [To BASSANIO.] Is he yet possess’d | |
| How much ye would? | |
| Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. | 45 |
| Ant. And for three months. | |
| Shy. I had forgot; three months; you told me so. | |
| Well then, your bond; and let me see. But hear you; | |
| Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow | |
| Upon advantage. | 50 |
| Ant. I do never use it. | |
| Shy. When Jacob graz’d his uncle Laban’s sheep,— | |
| This Jacob from our holy Abram was, | |
| As his wise mother wrought in his behalf, | |
| The third possessor: ay, he was the third,— | 55 |
| Ant. And what of him? did he take interest? | |
| Shy. No; not take interest; not, as you would say, | |
| Directly interest: mark what Jacob did. | |
| When Laban and himself were compromis’d, | |
| That all the eanlings that were streak’d and pied | 60 |
| Should fall as Jacob’s hire, the ewes, being rank, | |
| In end of autumn turned to the rams; | |
| And, when the work of generation was | |
| Between these woolly breeders in the act, | |
| The skilful shepherd peel’d me certain wands, | 65 |
| And, in the doing of the deed of kind, | |
| He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes, | |
| Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time | |
| Fall parti-colour’d lambs, and those were Jacob’s. | |
| This was a way to thrive, and he was blest: | 70 |
| And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not. | |
| Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv’d for; | |
| A thing not in his power to bring to pass, | |
| But sway’d and fashion’d by the hand of heaven. | |
| Was this inserted to make interest good? | 75 |
| Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams? | |
| Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast: | |
| But note me, signior. | |
| Ant. Mark you this, Bassanio, | |
| The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. | 80 |
| An evil soul, producing holy witness, | |
| Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, | |
| A goodly apple rotten at the heart. | |
| O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath! | |
| Shy. Three thousand ducats; ’tis a good round sum. | 85 |
| Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. | |
| Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you? | |
| Shy. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft | |
| In the Rialto you have rated me | |
| About my moneys and my usances: | 90 |
| Still have I borne it with a patient shrug, | |
| For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe. | |
| You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, | |
| And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine, | |
| And all for use of that which is mine own. | 95 |
| Well then, it now appears you need my help: | |
| Go to then; you come to me, and you say, | |
| ‘Shylock, we would have moneys:’ you say so; | |
| You, that did void your rheum upon my beard, | |
| And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur | 100 |
| Over your threshold: moneys is your suit. | |
| What should I say to you? Should I not say, | |
| ‘Hath a dog money? Is it possible | |
| A cur can lend three thousand ducats?’ or | |
| Shall I bend low, and in a bondman’s key, | 105 |
| With bated breath, and whispering humbleness, | |
| Say this:— | |
| ‘Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday last; | |
| You spurn’d me such a day; another time | |
| You call’d me dog; and for these courtesies | 110 |
| I’ll lend you thus much moneys?’ | |
| Ant. I am as like to call thee so again, | |
| To spet on thee again, to spurn thee too. | |
| If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not | |
| As to thy friends,—for when did friendship take | 115 |
| A breed for barren metal of his friend?— | |
| But lend it rather to thine enemy: | |
| Who if he break, thou mayst with better face | |
| Exact the penalty. | |
| Shy. Why, look you, how you storm! | 120 |
| I would be friends with you, and have your love, | |
| Forget the shames that you have stain’d me with, | |
| Supply your present wants, and take no doit | |
| Of usance for my moneys, and you’ll not hear me: | |
| This is kind I offer. | 125 |
| Ant. This were kindness. | |
| Shy. This kindness will I show. | |
| Go with me to a notary, seal me there | |
| Your single bond; and, in a merry sport, | |
| If you repay me not on such a day, | 130 |
| In such a place, such sum or sums as are | |
| Express’d in the condition, let the forfeit | |
| Be nominated for an equal pound | |
| Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken | |
| In what part of your body pleaseth me. | 135 |
| Ant. Content, i’ faith: I’ll seal to such a bond, | |
| And say there is much kindness in the Jew. | |
| Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me: | |
| I’ll rather dwell in my necessity. | |
| Ant. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it: | 140 |
| Within these two months, that’s a month before | |
| This bond expires, I do expect return | |
| Of thrice three times the value of this bond. | |
| Shy. O father Abram! what these Christians are, | |
| Whose own hard dealing teaches them suspect | 145 |
| The thoughts of others. Pray you, tell me this; | |
| If he should break his day, what should I gain | |
| By the exaction of the forfeiture? | |
| A pound of man’s flesh, taken from a man, | |
| Is not so estimable, profitable neither, | 150 |
| As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say, | |
| To buy his favour, I extend this friendship: | |
| If he will take it, so; if not, adieu; | |
| And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not. | |
| Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. | 155 |
| Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the notary’s; | |
| Give him direction for this merry bond, | |
| And I will go and purse the ducats straight, | |
| See to my house, left in the fearful guard | |
| Of an unthrifty knave, and presently | 160 |
| I will be with you. | |
| Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. [Exit SHYLOCK. | |
| This Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind. | |
| Bass. I like not fair terms and a villain’s mind. | |
| Ant. Come on: in this there can be no dismay; | 165 |
| My ships come home a month before the day. [Exeunt. | |
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