By taking, nor by giving of excess,

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

Shy.

Ay, ay, three thousand ducats

Ant. And for three months.

Shy. I had forgot:-three months; you told

me so.

Well, then, your bond; and, let me see,

you:

Methought, you said you neither lend nor borrow Upon advantage.

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,

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 pill'd me certain wands,
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,'

5 Informed.

6 We here restore the original spelling, because it is the same as in the passage of Scripture referred to; Genesis xxx. 37 H 7 Kind in Shakespeare's time was often used for nature. Thus in Fairfax's Tasso, B. xiv. stan. 42 and 48:

"But of all herbs, of every spring and well,
The hidden power I know and virtue great,
And all that kind hath hid from mortal sight."
"And fair adorn'd was every part
With riches grown by kind, not fram'd by art."

H

8

He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes ;
Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time
Fall party-colour'd 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.

Ant. 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 by the hand of Heaven.
Was this inserted to make interest good?

Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?
Shy. 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; —'tis 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 10 you have rated me

Fulsome is here apparently used in the sense of rank, lusty. ruttish. The word often occurs in the sense of filthy, nauseous; -a sense which might very well come from full, though some derive it from fou!. - Fall, in the second line below, is for let full, a common usage of the word in the Poet's time.

H.

9 Falsehood here means knavery, treachery, as truth is someumes used for honesty.

10 In this scene we have already had "on the Rialto," and upon the Rialto." Concerning the place meant Rogers thus speaks in one of the notes to his poem on Italy: Rialto is the uame, not of the bridge, but of the island from which it is called

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,

11

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,

66

Shylock, we would have monies: " You say se
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,

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

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

Ant. I am as like to call thee so again,

and the Venetians say il ponte di Rialto, as we say Westminsterbridge. In that island is the exchange; and I have often walked there as on classic ground. In the days of Antonio and Bassanio it was second to none. It was there that the Christian held dis course with the Jew; and Shylock refers to it when he says,Signior Antonio, many a time and oft

In the Rialto you have rated me.'"

Mr. Knight says the "name is derived from riva alta, high shore, and its being larger, and somewhat more elevated than the others, accounts for its being first inhabited. The most ancient church of the city is there, and there were erected the buildings for the magistracy and commerce of the infant settlement."

H.

We concur with Knight and Verplanck in restoring this word as it is in all the old copies. It is the form which the Poet seems in this case to have chosen

H.

To spet 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 12 of barren metal of his friend?)

But lend it rather to thine enemy;

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

Shy. 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 Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me · This is kind I offer.

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,
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.

Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me I'll rather dwell 13 in my necessity.

Ant. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it: Within these two months, that's a month before This bond expires, I do expect return

Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

Shy. O, father Abraham! what these Christians

are,

12 That is, interest, mouey bred from the principal

13 That is, continue, or abide.

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 man's 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.

Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the notary's: Give him direction for this merry bond,

14

And I will go and purse the ducats straight;
See to my house, left in the fearful" guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and presently

I will be with you.

[Exit.

Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. The Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. Bass. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind. Ant. Come on in this there can be no dismay, My ships come home a month before the day.

:

[Exeunt.

14 Fearful guard is a guard that is not to be trusted, but gives cause of fear.

To fear was anciently to give as well as feel

terrors.