Bass. For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.

well.

1

Shy. Antonio shall become bound, Bass. May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? 1 Shall I know your answer?

Shy. Three thousand ducats for three months, and Antonio bound.

Bass. Your answer to that.

Shy. Antonio is a good man. 2

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, 3 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, water-thieves, and land-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. 5 May I speak with Antonio? 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

1. Can you help me? Will you | Venice, supposed to be derived from do me the favour? Riva Alta, a high bank-shore.

2. A good man, meant a man of substance and responsibility.

3. The Rialto is the Exchange of

4. To squander, to disperse, to scatter. This word now signifies to waste, to dissipate.

5. I will reflect.

you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto?

is he comes here.

Enter ANTONIO.

Bassanio. This is signior Antonio.

Shylock. [Aside.] How like a fawning publican he looks:1 I hate him for he is a Christian;

But more, for that, in low simplicity,

2

He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance 3 here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,*

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. 5
He hates our sacred nation; and he rails, 6
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

Bass.

Shylock, do you hear?

up the gross

10

8

Shy. I am debating of my present store,
And, by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot instantly raise
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? Rest you fair, 11 good signior;

[TO ANTONIO.
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.
Antonio. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow,
By taking, nor by giving of excess,

1. How like a cringing tax-collector he looks.

2. And more, because, with mean plainness.

3. Usance, usury.'

4. To catch, or have, upon the hip, means, to have at an entire disadvantage. The phrase is taken from hunting or from wrestling, and in its metaphorical sense is frequently to be found in the old authors: if derived from hunting it is an allusion to the pursued animal being seized upon the hip, and thus disabled from further flight.

5. I will satisfy to the utmost the old ill-will I have towards him.

6. To rail on, abuse. We should now say, to rail at.

7. My honestly acquired riches. 8. I am reflecting upon what ready money I have.

9. And as near as I can guess by memory.

10. Gross, whole.

11. One of the many modes of greeting of those days.

1

Yet, to supply the ripe wants 1 of my friend,
I'll break a custom. Is he yet possess'd,
How much you would? 2

Shylock.

Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
Antonio. 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.

Ant.

I do never use it. 3

Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's sheep, This Jacob from our holy Abraham was

(As his wise mother wrought in his behalf,)
The third possessor; ay, he was the third,

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, 4
That all the eanlings which were streak'd and pied,
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,
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,

1. i. e. wants which have come to a height, which admit of no further delay.

2. Is he yet informed how much you desire.

3. I am not used to do so.

4. i. e. agreed.

5. Eanling, now written yeanling,

a young lamb.

6. Rank, strong scented.

7

Petruchio. Villain, I say knock me here soundly.

Grumio. Knock you here, sir? why, sir, what am

I, sir, that I should knock you here, sir?

Petruchio. Villain, I say knock me at this gate.

And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.

Grumio. My master is grow quarrelsome: I should knock

you first,

the worst.

Petruchio. Will it not be? 'Faith, sirrah, an you 'll not knock, I'll wring it;

7. This superfluous me is often And then I know after who comes by to be met with in old English writers, and is not unfrequently used to give a ludicrous expression, although that is not the case in this instance. The best commentary is to be found in Shakespeare himself, Taming of the Shrew, Act I, Sc. 2:

I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

[He wrings Grumio by the ears.

He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes,
Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time

Fall party-colour'd1 lambs, and those were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was blest:

And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not.

Antonio. 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 2 by the hand of heaven.

Was this inserted to make interest good?

Or is your gold and silver, ewes and rams?

Shylock. 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. 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; 't is a good round sum.
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 monies, and my usances:
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 spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, 6
And all for use of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears you need my help:
Go to then; you come to me, and you say,
"Shylock, we would have monies:" you say so;
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold: monies is your suit.
What should I say to you? Should I not say,
"Hath a dog money? Is it possible,

1. Party-colour'd, many coloured. 2. Fashion'd, formed, caused. 3. i. e. knavery, treachery. 4. A corruption of beholden, obliged, bound in gratitude.

5. To rate, to chide, to reproach.

8

6. Gaberdine, a large, loose cloak, worn by Jews.

7. A scornful exhortation.
8. You that did spit.

9. And kick me with your foot, as you would kick a strange dog.

1

A cur can lend three thousand ducats ?" or
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key,
With 'bated breath, 2 and whispering humbleness,
Say this:

"Fair Sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurn'd me such a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for these courtesies
I'll lend you thus much monies ?"

Antonio. I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit 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
A breed for barren metal of his friend?
But lend it rather to thine enemy;

Who if he break, thou may'st with better face 5
Exact the penalty.

Shylock.

Why, look you, how you storm!
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 6
Of usance for my monies,
'll not hear me.

And

you

This is kind I offer. 7

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, 8
If you repay me not on such a day,
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.

Ant. Content, in faith: I'll seal to such a bond,
And say there is much kindness in the Jew.

1. Key, tone of voice.

2. With abated breath, i. e. almost holding one's breath, as with awe. 3. i. e. fruit, or interest. Meres says, "Usurie and encrease by gold and silver is unlawful, because against nature; nature hath made them sterile and barren, usurie makes them procreative."

4. To break, to become bankrupt. 5. i. e. with more boldness, without bashfulness.

6. Doit, a small coin.

7. This is a kind offer which I make.

8. Merely for a joke.
9. Equal, just, exact.