The arden shakespeare co.., p.364
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works, page 364
better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine,
he is every man in no man, if a throstle sing, he falls
straight a-cap’ring, he will fence with his own shadow.
If I should marry him, I should marry twenty
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husbands: if he would despise me, I would forgive
him, for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite
him.
NERISSA What say you then to Falconbridge, the young
baron of England?
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PORTIA You know I say nothing to him, for he
understands not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latin,
French, nor Italian, and you will come into the court
and swear that I have a poor pennyworth in the
English: he is a proper man’s picture, but alas! who
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can converse with a dumb-show? How oddly he is
suited! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round
hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his
behaviour everywhere.
NERISSA What think you of the Scottish lord his
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neighbour?
PORTIA That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for
he borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman, and
swore he would pay him again when he was able: I
think the Frenchman became his surety, and seal’d
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under for another.
NERISSA How like you the young German, the Duke of
Saxony’s nephew?
PORTIA Very vildly in the morning when he is sober,
and most vildly in the afternoon when he is drunk:
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when he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and
when he is worst he is little better than a beast, – and
the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to
go without him.
NERISSA If he should offer to choose, and choose the
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right casket, you should refuse to perform your
father’s will, if you should refuse to accept him.
PORTIA Therefore for fear of the worst, I pray thee set a
deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary casket, for
if the devil be within, and that temptation without, I
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know he will choose it. I will do anything Nerissa ere
I will be married to a sponge.
NERISSA You need not fear lady the having any of these
lords, they have acquainted me with their
determinations, which is indeed to return to their
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home, and to trouble you with no more suit, unless
you may be won by some other sort than your father’s
imposition, depending on the caskets.
PORTIA If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste
as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner of my
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father’s will: I am glad this parcel of wooers are so
reasonable, for there is not one among them but I dote
on his very absence: and I pray God grant them a fair
departure.
NERISSA Do you not remember lady in your father’s
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time, a Venetian (a scholar and a soldier) that came
hither in company of the Marquis of Montferrat?
PORTIA Yes, yes, it was Bassanio, as I think so was he call’d.
NERISSA True madam, he of all the men that ever my
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foolish eyes look’d upon, was the best deserving a fair
lady.
PORTIA I remember him well, and I remember him
worthy of thy praise.
Enter a Servingman.
How now, what news?
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SERVINGMAN The four strangers seek for you madam to
take their leave: and there is a forerunner come from a
fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the
prince his master will be here to-night.
PORTIA If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good
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heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should be
glad of his approach: if he have the condition of a
saint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he
should shrive me than wive me.
Come Nerissa, sirrah go before:
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Whiles we shut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. Exeunt.
1.3 Enter BASSANIO with SHYLOCK the Jew.
SHYLOCK Three thousand ducats, well.
BASSANIO Ay sir, for three months.
SHYLOCK For three months, well.
BASSANIO For the which as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.
5
SHYLOCK Antonio shall become bound, well.
BASSANIO May you stead me? Will you pleasure me?
Shall I know your answer?
SHYLOCK Three thousand ducats for three months, and Antonio bound.
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BASSANIO Your answer to that.
SHYLOCK Antonio is a good man.
BASSANIO Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?
SHYLOCK Ho no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is
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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, he hath a third
at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he
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hath squand’red 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
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ducats, – I think I may take his bond.
BASSANIO Be assur’d you may.
SHYLOCK I will be assur’d I may: and that I may be
assured, I will bethink me, – may I speak with
Antonio?
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BASSANIO If it please you to dine with us.
SHYLOCK 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
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you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on
the Rialto? who is he comes here?
Enter ANTONIO.
BASSANIO This is Signior Antonio.
SHYLOCK [aside] How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian:
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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.
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He hates our sacred nation, and he rails
(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!
BASSANIO Shylock, do you hear?
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SHYLOCK 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?
Tubal (a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe)
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Will furnish me; but soft! how many months
Do you desire?
[to Antonio] Rest you fair good signior,
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.
ANTONIO Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow
By taking nor by giving of excess,
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Yet to supply the ripe wants of my friend,
I’ll break a custom:
[to Bassanio] is he yet possess’d
How much ye would?
SHYLOCK Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
ANTONIO And for three months.
SHYLOCK I had forgot, – three months, –
[to Bassanio] you told me so.
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Well then, your bond: and let me see, – but hear you,
Me thoughts you said, you neither lend nor borrow
Upon advantage.
ANTONIO I do never use it.
SHYLOCK When Jacob graz’d his uncle Laban’s sheep, –
This Jacob from our holy Abram was
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(As his wise mother wrought in his behalf)
The third possessor: ay, he was the third.
ANTONIO And what of him? did he take interest?
SHYLOCK No, not take interest, not as you would say
Directly int’rest, – mark what Jacob did, –
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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
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Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The skilful shepherd pill’d 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
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Fall parti-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.
ANTONIO This was a venture sir that Jacob serv’d for,
A thing not in his power to bring to pass,
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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?
SHYLOCK I cannot tell, I make it breed as fast, –
But note me signior.
ANTONIO Mark you this Bassanio,
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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!
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SHYLOCK
Three thousand ducats, ’tis a good round sum.
Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate.
ANTONIO
Well Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?
SHYLOCK Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
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About my moneys and my usances:
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
(For suff ’rance is the badge of all our tribe)
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine,
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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 moneys,’ you say so:
You that did void your rheum upon my beard,
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And foot 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
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Shall I bend low, and in a bondman’s key
With bated breath, and whisp’ring humbleness
Say this:
‘Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday last,
You spurn’d me such a day, another time
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You call’d me dog: and for these courtesies
I’ll lend you thus much moneys’?
ANTONIO I am as like to call thee so again,
To spet on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
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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
Exact the penalty.
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SHYLOCK Why look you how you storm!
I would be friends with you, and have your love,
