Had been her husband rather than a Christian! [To POR.] We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence. Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine: The Court awards it, and the law doth give it. Shy. Most rightful judge! Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast: The law allows it, and the Court awards it. Shy. Most learned Judge! A sentence ! — Come, pre pare. Por. Tarry a little; there is something else. This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Unto the State of Venice. Gra. O upright judge!- Mark, Jew:-O learned judge! Shy. Is that the law? Por. Thyself shalt see the Act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd a learned judge! Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirʼst. Por. Soft! Here is the money. soft! no haste: The Jew shall have all justice:- Gra. O Jew, an upright judge, a learned judge! Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate.25 Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip. Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture. Bass. I have it ready for thee; here it is. 25 This form of the participle was used in a good many words. And so it is still, as in the words situate, consecrate, and others. Twice in this scene we have forfeit for forfeited. Por. He hath refus'd it in the open Court: Gra. A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel! Shy. Why, then the Devil give him good of it! 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 an alien, The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke. Gra. Beg that thou may'st have leave to hang thyself: 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. I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it: Por Ay, for the State; not for Antonio.28 26 The old copies have formerly instead of formally. The change is Hanmer's. 27 That is, submission on your part may move me to reduce it to a fine. 28 Meaning, apparently, that the reduction of the forfeiture to a fine should apply only to that half of his goods which was to come to the coffer of the State, not that which fell to Antonio. Portia is not yet supposed to know that the report of Antonio's losses was bogus, and so she looks out for his interest. That doth sustain my house; you take my life, Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? I am content; so he will let me have The other half in use, to render it, Two things provided more: That, for this favour, ; 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 The pardon that I late pronounced here. Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say? 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. 29 Gra. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers: Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten more, To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. [Exit SHYLOCK. Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. Por. I humbly do desire your Grace of pardon : 30 I must away this night toward Padua, And it is meet I presently set forth. Duke. I'm that sorry leisure serves you not. your Antonio, gratify this gentleman; For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. [Exeunt DUKE, Magnificoes, and Train. Bass. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew, 29 That is, a jury of twelve men to condemn him. This appears to have been an old joke. So, in The Devil is an Ass, by Ben Jonson: "I will leave you to your godfathers in law. Let twelve men work." 30 An old English idiom now obsolete. See page 92, note 8. 81 In consideration whereof, or in return for which. For this use of lieu, see page 43, note 6. 82 The only instance that I remember to have met with, of the word cope Ant. And stand indebted, over and above, Por. He is well paid that is well satisfied; I I wish you well, and so I take my leave. Bass. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further: Not to deny me, and to pardon me. Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. [TO ANT.] Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake;To BASS.] 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.33 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 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. And know how well I have deserv'd this ring, 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 valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandment. being used in the sense of pay, or reward. A like use of the word in composition, however, occurs in Ben Jonson's Fox, Act iii. scene 5: "He would have sold his part of Paradise For ready money, had he met a cope-man." 88 Shall and will are among the words which had not become fully differentiated in the Poet's time. He has many instances of either being used for the other. Bass. Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him; Give him the ring; and bring him, if thou canst, Unto Antonio's house. Away! make haste. Come, you and I will thither presently; Fly toward Belmont: Come, Antonio. [Exit GRATIANO. SCENE II. The Same. A Street. [Exeunt. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA, disguised as before. Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, And be a day before our husbands home. Gra. Fair sir, you are well overta'en: Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat Por. That cannot be. His ring I do accept most thankfully; And So, I pray you, tell him: furthermore, I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house. Ner. you. Por. Thou may'st, I warrant. We shall have old swearing' That they did give away the rings to men; But we'll outface them, and outswear them too. Away! make haste: thou know'st where I will tarry. [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, 1 Upon further consideration. See page 103, note 25. 2 Old was a frequent intensive in colloquial speech; very much as huge is used now. So, in Much Ado about Nothing, v. 2: "Yonder's old coil at home " And in The Merry Wives of Windsor, i 4: "Here will be an old abusing of God's patience and the king's English." |