Have power to bid you welcome:

-

By your

leave,

I bid my very friends and countrymen,
Sweet Portia, welcome.

Por. So do I, my Lord;

They are entirely welcome,

Lor. I thank your Honour:

my Lord,

For my part,

My purpose was not to have seen you here;
But meeting with Salerio by the way,

He did entreat me, past all saying nay,

To come with him along.

Sale. I did, my Lord,

And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio
Commends him to you.

[Gives BASSANIO a letter.

Bass. Ere I ope his letter,

I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth. Sale. Not sick, my Lord, unless it be in mind; Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there

Will show you his estate.

Gra. Nerissa, cheer yon' stranger; bid her

welcome.

Your hand, Salerio; What's the news from Venice ?
How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?
I know, he will be glad of our success;
We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.

Sale. Would you had won the fleece that he hath lost!

Por. There are some shrewd contents in yon" same paper,

That steal the colour from Bassanio's cheek:

Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution

Of any constant man. What worse and worse?
With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,

And I must freely have the half of any thing
That this same paper brings you.

Bass. O sweet Portia.

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words,
That ever blotted paper! Gentle Lady,
When I did first impart my love to you,
I freely told you, all the wealth I had
Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;
And then I told you true: and yet, dear Lady,
Rating myself at nothing, you shall see

How much I was a braggart: When I told you My state was nothing, I should then have told you

That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,
I have engag'd myself to a dear friend,
Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy,

To feed my means.

The paper as the body of my friend,

Here is a letter, Lady;

And every word in it a. gaping wound,

Issuing life blood.

Have all his ventures fail'd? What, not one hit ? From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,

From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?

And not one vessel 'scape the dreadful touch
Of merchant marring rocks?

Sale. Not one, my Lord.

Besides, it should appear, that if he had
The present money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it: Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man:
He plies the Duke at morning, and at night;
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,
The Duke himself, and the magnificoes

Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him;

But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.

.

Jes. When I was with him, I have heard him swear,

To Tubal, and to Chus, his country men,
That he would rather have Antonio's flesh,
Than twenty times the value of the sum
That he did owe him; and I know, my Lord,
If law, authority, and power deny not,
It will go hard with poor Antonio.

Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble?

Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,

The best condition'd and unwearied spirit

In doing courtesies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more apppears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Por. What sum owes he the Jew?
Bass. For me, three thousand ducats.
Por. What, no more?

Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond;
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description

Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault.
First, go with me to church, and call me wife;
And then away to Venice to your friend;
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over;
When it is paid, bring your true friend along:
My maid Nerissa, and myself, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows. Come, away;
For you shall hence upon your wedding day.
Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer;

Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.

But let me hear the letter of your friend.

Bass. [reads.] Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is for feit; and since, in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and I, if I might but see you at my death: notwithstanding, use your pleasure: if your love do not persuade you to come, let not my

letter.

Por. O love, despatch all business, and be

gone.

Bass. Since I have your good leave to go

1

away,

I will make haste: but, till I come again,

No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay,

No rest be interposer 'twixt us twain.

[Exeunt,

This is the fool that lent out money gratis;

Gaoler, look to him.

Ant. Hear me yet, good Shylock.

Shy. I'll have my bond; speak not against my

bond;

I have sworn an oath, that I will have my bond;

VOL. IV.

11

But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.

Jes. When I was with him, I have heard him

swear,

To Tubal, and to Chus, his country men,
That he would rather have Antonio's flesh,
Than twenty times the value of the sum
That he did owe him; and I know, my Lord,
If law, authority, and power deny not,
It will go hard with poor Antonio.
Por. Is it your dear friend,

trouble?

that is thus in

Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest

man,

The best condition'd and unwearied spirit

In doing courtesies; and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more apppears,
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
Por. What sum owes he the Jew?
Bass. For me, three thousand ducats.
Por. What, no more?

Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond;
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description

Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault.
First, go with me to church, and call me wife;
And then away to Venice to your friend;
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over;
When it is paid, bring your true friend along:
My maid Nerissa, and myself, mean time,
Will live as maids and widows. Come, away;
For you shall hence upon your wedding day:
Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer;