SHYLOCK

Three thousand ducats, well. For three months, well. Anthonio shall become bound, well. Three thousand ducats for three months, and Anthonio bound. Anthonio is a good man. I, I, three thousand ducats. When Jacob grazd his Uncle Labans Sheep, This Jacob from our holy Abram was (As his wise mother wrought in his behalf) The third possesser; I, he was the third. Three thousand ducats, 'tis a good round sum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. Why look you how you storm, I would be friends with you, and have your love, Forget the shames that you have stained me with, Supply your present wants, and take no doit Of usance for my moneys, and yowl not hear me, this is kind I offer. Oh father Abram, what these Christians are, Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect 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 men flesh taken from a man, is not so estimable, profitable neither 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. Then meet me forthwith at the Noteries, Give him direction for this merry bound And I will go and purse the ducats strait, See to my house left in the fearful guard Of and unthrifty knave: and presently I'll be with you. Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call. I am bid forth to supper Iessica, There are my keys: but wherefore should I go? I am not bid for love, they flatter me, But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon The prodigal Christian. Iessica my girl, look to my house, I am right loath to go, There is some ill a bruing towards my rest, For I did dream of money bags to night. So do I his. What are there masks? hear you me Iessica, lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum and the vile squealing of the wry-neckt Fiffe clamber not you up to the casements then Nor thrust your head into the public street To gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces: But stop my houses ears, I mean my casements, let not the found of shallow fopprie enter my sober house. By Jacob's staff I swear I have no mind of feasting forth to night: but I will go: go you before me sirrah, say I will come. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder, Snail slow in profit, and he sleeps by day more then the wildcat: drones hive not with me, therefore I partly with him and partly with him to one that I would have him help to wast his borrowed purse. Well Iessica go in, perhaps I will return immediathe, do as I bid you, shut doors after you, fast bind, fast find. a proverb never stale in thrifty mind. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daugh ters flight. She is damned for it. My own flesh and blood to rebel. I say my daughter is my flesh and my blood. There I have another bade match, a bankrout, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Ryalto, a beggar that was used to come so smug upon the Mars: let him look to his bound, he was wont to call me usurer, let him look to his bound, he was wont to lend money for a Christian curtsy, let him look to his bound. How now Tuball, what news from Genowa, hast thou found my daughter? What, what, what, ill luck, ill luck. I thank God, I thank God, is it true, is it true. I thank thee good Tuball, good news, good news: would would, here in Genowa. Thou stickest a dagger in me, I shall never see my gold a gain, four score ducats at a sitting, four score ducats I am very glad of it, isle plague him, isle torture him, I am glad of it. Out upon her, thou torturest me Tuball, it was my Tur kies, I had it of Leah when I was a Bachelor: I would not have given it for a Wilderness of Monkeys. Nay, that's true, that's very true, go Tuball fee me and Offi cer, bespeak him a fortnight before, I will have the heart of him if he forfeit, for were he out of Venice I can make what merchan dize I will: go Tuball, and meet me at our Smagogue, go good Tuball, at our Synagogue Tuball. On what compulsion must I, tell me that. My deeds upon my head, I crave the law, the penalty and forfeit of my bound. A Daniel come to judgement: yea a Daniel. Oh wise young Judge how I do honour thee. Here 'tis most reverend doctor, here it is. And oath, and oath, I have and oath in heaven, shall I lay perjury upon my soul? Not not for Venice. When it is paid, according to the tenure. It does appear you are a worthy judge, you know the law, your exposition hath been most found: I charge you by the law, whereof you are a well deserving pillar, proceed to judgement: by my soul I swear, there is no power in the tongue of man to altar me, I stay here on my Bound, Oh noble Judge, o excellent young man. Is that the law? Give me my principal, and let me go. Shall I not have barely my principal? Why then the devil give him good of it: I'll stay no longer question. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that, you take my house, when you do take the prop that does sustain my house: you take my life when you do take the means whereby I live. I am content. I pray you give me leave to go from hence, I am not well, send the deed after me, and I will sign it. In christening shalt thou have two Godfathers, had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more, to bring thee to the gallows, not to the font. 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 and Argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies, I understand moreover up on the Ryalta, ee 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 pe rill of waters; winds, and rocks: the man is notwithstanding sufficient, three thousand ducats, I think I may take his bound. Why there, there, there, there, a diamond gone cost me two thousand ducats in Franckford, the curse never fell upon our Nation till now, I never felt it till now, two thousand ducats in that, & other precious precious jewels; I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear: would she were hearst at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin: no news of them, why so? and I know not whats spent in the search: why thou lose up on lose, the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief, and no satisfaction, no revenge, nor no ill luck stirring but what lights a my shoulders, no sighs but a my breathing, no tears but a my shedding. I will be assured I may: and that I may be assured, I will bethink me, may I speak with Anthonio? Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your Prophet the Nazarit conjured the devil into: I will buy with you, fell 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 Ryalto, who is he comes here? Jailer, look to him, tell not me of mercy, this is the fool that lent out money gratis. Jailer, look to him. I'll have my bound, speak not against my bound, I have sworn and oath, that I will have my bound: thou calledst me dog before thou hadst a cause, but since I am a dog, beware my phanges, the Duke shall grant me justice, I do wonder thou naughty Jailer that thou art so found to come abroad with him at his request. I'll have my bound. I will not hear thee speak, I'll have my bound, and therefore speak no more. I'll not be made a soft and dull eyed fool, to shake the head, relent, and sighs, and yield to christian intercessers: follow not, I'll have no speaking, I will have my bound. Shylocke is my name. 'Tis very true: oh wise and upright Judge, how much more elder art thou then thy looks. I have them ready. Is it so nominated in the bound? I cannot find it, 'tis not in the bound. These be the christian husbands, I have a daughter would any of the stock of Barrabas had been her husband, rather then a Christian. We trifle time, I pray thee pursue sentence. I take this offer then, pay the bound thrice and let the Christian go. How Like a fawning publican he looks. 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, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. He hates our sacred Nation, and he rails Even there where Merchant's most do congregate On me, my bargains, and my well-wone thrift, which he calls interest: Cursed be my Tribe if I forgive him. I, his breast, so says the bound, does it not noble Judge? Nearest his heart, those are the very words. Most rightful Judge. Most learned Judge, a sentence, come prepare. I am debating of my present store, And by the near guess of my memory I cannot instantly raise up the gross Of full three thousand ducats: what of that, Tuball a wealthy Hebrew of my Tribe Will furnish me; but soft, how many months Do you desire? Rest you fair good signior, Your worship was the last man in our mouths. I had forgotten, three months, you told me so. Well then, your bound: and let me see, but hear you, Me thoughts you said, you neither lend nor borrow Upon advantage. No, not take interest, not as you would say Directly interest, mark what Jacob did, When Laban and himself were compremyzd That all the canelings which were streaked and pied Should fallen as Jacob's hire, the Ewes being rank In end of Autume turned to the Rams, And when the work of generation was Between these wolly breeders in the act, The skilful shepherd pyld me certain wands, And in the doing of the deed of kind He stuck them up before the fulsome Ewes, Who then conceiving, did in eaning time Fallen party-coloured lambs, and those were Jacob's. This was a way to thrive, and he was blessed: And thrift is blessing if men steal it not. I cannot tell, I make it breed at fast, but note me signior. Signior Anthonio, many a time and oft In the Ryalto you have rated me About my moneys and my usances: Still have I born it with a patient shrug, (For sufferance is the badge of all our Tribe) You call me misbeleeuer, cutthroat dog, And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine, 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, Shylocke, we would have moneys you say so: You that did void your ruin upon my beard, And soot me as you spurn a stranger cur 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 bondmans key With bated breath, and whispering humbleness Say this: Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday last, You spurned me such a day another time, You called me dog: and for these courtesies I'll lend you thus much moneys. This kindness will I show, Go with me to a Notary, seal me there Your single bound, and in a merry sport if you repay me not on such a day in such a place, such sum or sums as are expressed in the condition, let the forfeit be nominated for and equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what partly of your body pleases me. What says that fool of Hagars offspring? would. To bait fish with all, if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge; he hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my Nam cion, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine ene mies, and whats his reason, I am a Jew: Hath not a Jew eyes, hath not a Jew hands, organs, dementions, senses, affections, pass zions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, sub iect to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same Winter and Summer as a Christian is: if you prick us do we not bleed, if you tickle us do we not laugh, if you poison us do we not die, and if you wrong us shall we not revenge, if we are Like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility, revenge? If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christi and example, why revenge? The villainy you teach me I will exe cute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge, The difference of old Shylocke and Bassanio; What Iessica, thou shalt not gourmandise As thou hast done with me: what Iessica, and sleep, and snore, and rend apparraile out. Why Iessica I say. I have possessed your grace of what I purpose, and by our holy Sabaoth have I sworn to have the endue and forfeit of my bound, if you deny it, let the danger light upon your charter and your Cities freedom? Yowl ask me why I rather choose to have a weight of carrion flesh, then to receive three thousand ducats: I'll not answer that? But say it is my humour, is it answered? What if my house be troubled with a Rat, and I be pleased to give ten thousand ducats to have it bained? what, are you answered yet? Some men there are love not a gaping pig? Some that are mad if they behold a Cat? And others when the bagpipe sings ith nose, cannot contain their urine for affection. Masters of passion sways it to the mood of what it likes or loathes, now for your answer: As there is no firm reason to be rendered why he cannot abide a gaping pig? why he a harmless necessary Cat? why he a woollen bagpipe: but of force must yield to such in evitable shame, as to offend himself being offended: So can I give no reason, nor I will not, more then a lodged hate, and a certain loathing I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus a losing suit against him? are you answered? I am not bound to please thee with my answers? Hates any man the thing he would not kill? What wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice? If every ducat in six thousand ducats were in six parts, and every partly a ducat, I would not draw them, I would have my bound? To cut the forfeiture from that bankrout there? No, none that thou hast wit enough to make Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bound, Thou but offendest thy lungs to speak so loud: Repair thy wit good youth, or it will fallen to cureless ruin. I stand here for law. What judgement shall I dread doing no wrong? you have among you many a purchased slave, which Like your Asses, and your Dogs and Mules you use in abject and in slavish parts, because you bought them, shall I say to you, let them be free, marry them to your heirs? why sweat they under burdens, let their beds be made as soft as yours, and let their palates be seasond with such viands, you will answer the slaves are ours, so do I answer you: The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought, as mine and I will have it: if you deny me, fie upon your Law, there is no force in the decrees of Venice: I stand for judgement, answer, shall I have it?