ANTONIO

I N sooth I know not why I am so sad, It wearies me, you say it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn: and such a wantwit sadness makes of me, That I have much ado to know my self. Far you well, I'll grow a talker for this gear. It is that any thing now. Well, tell me now what Lady is the same To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage That you to day promised to tell me of. I pray you good Bassanio let me know it, And if it stand as you your self still do, within the eye of honour, be assured My purse, my person, my extremest means Lie all unlocked to your occasions. You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance, And out of doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Then if you had made wast of all I have: Then do but say to me what I should do That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am pressed unto it: therefore speak. Shylocke, albeit I neither lend nor borrow By taking nor by giving of excess, Yet to supply the ripe wants of my friend, I'll break a custom: is he yet possessed How much you would? This was a venture sir that Jacob served for, A thing not in his power to bring to pass, But swayed and fashioned by the hand of heaven. Was this inserted to make interest good? Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams? Why fear not man, I will not forfeit it, within these two months, thats a month before this bound expires, I do expect return of thrice three times the value of this bound. Yes Shylocke, I will seal unto this bound. High thee gentle Jew. The Hebrew will turn Christian, he grows kind. Come on, in this there can be no dismay, My ships come home a month before the day. I pray thee hear me speak. Let him alone, I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers. he seeks my life, his reason well I know; I oft delivered from his forfeitures many that have at times made moan to me, therefore he hates me. The Duke cannot deny the course of law: for the commodity that strangers have with us in Venice, if it be denied, will much impeach the justice of the state, since that the trade and profit of the city consisteth of all Nations. Therefore go, these griefs and losses have so bated me that I shall hardly spare a pound of flesh to morrow, to my bloody Creditor. Well Jailer on, pray God Bassanio come to see me pay his debt, and then I care not. I, so he says. I do. Most heartily I do beseech the Court to give the judgement. And stand indebted over and above in love and service to you evermore. (Sweet Lady) you have given me life and living; for here I read for certain that my ships are safely come to Road. Thou knowest that all my Fortune's are at sea, Neither have I money, nor commodity To raise a present sum, therefore go forth Try what my credit can in Venice do, That shall be racked even to the uttermost To furnish thee to Belmont to fair Portia. Go presently inquire and so will I where money is, and I no question make To have it of my trust, or for my sake. Mark you this Bassanio, The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, And evil soul producing holy witness Is Like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart. Oh what a goodly outside falsehood hath. I pray you think you question with the Jew, you may as well go stand upon the Beach and bid the main flood bore his usual height, well use question with the Wolf, the Ewe bleak for the Lamb: You may as well forbid the mountain of Pines to wag their high tops, and to make no noise when they are fretted with the gusts of heaven: You may as well do any thing most hard as seek to soften that then which what's harder: his Jewish heart? therefore I do beseech you make no more offers, use no farther means, but will all brief and plain conveniency let me have judgement, and the Jew his will? So please my Lord the Duke, & 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 upon his death unto the Gentleman that lately stole his daughter. 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 die possessed unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter. My L. Bassanio, let him have the ring, let his deservings and my love withal be valued gainst your wives commandment. No more then I am well acquitted of. I am unhappy subject of these quarrels. I once did lend my body for his wealth, which but for him that had your husbands ring had quite miscarried. I dare be bound again, my soul upon the forfeit, that your Lord will never more break faith advisedly. And for three months. I do never use it. And what of him, did he take interest? Well Shylocke, shall we be beholding to you? I am as Like to call thee so again, To spet on thee again, to spurn thee to. If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends, for when did friendship take A breed for barren mettaile of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy, Who if he break, thou mayest with better face Exact the penalty. Content infaith, isle seal to such a bound, and say there is much kindness in the Jew. Hear me yet good Shylock. But little; I am armed and well prepared, give me your hand Bassanio, far you well, grieve not that I am fallen to this for you: for herein Fortune shows her self more kind then is her custom: it is still her use to let the wretched man outlive his wealth, to view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow and age of poverty: from which lingering penance of such misery does she cut me of. Commend me to your honourable wife, tell her the process of Anthonios end, say how I loved you, speak me fair in death: and when the tale is told, bid her be judge whither Bassanio had not once a love: Repent but you that you shall lose your friend and he repents not that he pays your debt. For if the Jew do cut but deep enough, I'll pay it instantly with all my heart. I am a tainted weather of the flock, meetest for death, the weakest kind of fruit drops earliest to the ground, and so let me; You cannot better be employed Bassanio, then to live still and write mine Epitaph? Here Lord Bassanio, swear to keep this ring. I am dumb?