Enter the DUKE, the Magnificoes,' ANTONIO,
BASSANIO, GRATIANO, SOLANIO, and others.

Duke. What! is Antonio here?
Ant. Ready, so please your grace.

Duke. I am sorry for thee: thou art come

to answer

A stony adversary," an inhuman wretch,
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.

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Ant.

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I have heard

Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify* His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate,

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And that no lawful means can carry me
Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose
My patience to his fury, and am arm'd
To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,
The very tyranny and rage of his.

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court.
Solan. He is ready at the door: he comes,
my lord.

Enter SHYLOCK.

Duke. Make room, and let him stand before our face.

Shylock, the world' thinks, and I think so too, That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy

malice

To the last hour of act; and then, 'tis thought, Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more

strange

Than is thy strange apparent cruelty:

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And where thou now exact'st the penalty, Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,

Thou wilt not only lose the forfeiture,

IO

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But, touch'd with human gentleness and love, 25 Forgive a moiety 10 of the principal,

Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,

That have of late brought down such ruin on

him;

Enough to press a royal merchant down,
And pluck commiseration of his state
From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint,
From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd
To offices of tender courtesy.

We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.

Shy. I have possessed" your grace of what I purpose;

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And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn
To have the due and forfeit of my bond:
If you deny it, let the danger light
Upon your charter and your city's freedom.
You'll ask me, why I rather choose to have
A weight of carrion flesh, than 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 45
To have it baned? 12 What, are you answer'd
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 i' the

nose:

As there is no firm 13 reason to be render'd
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 inevitable shame
As to offend, himself being offended;
So can I give no reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodged hate and a certain loathing

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I bear Antonio, that I follow thus

A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd? Bass. This is no answer, thou unfeeling

man,

To excuse the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with mine answer.

Bass. Do all men kill the things they do not love?

Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill?

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Bass. Every offence is not a hate at first. 65 Shy. What wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?

Ant. I pray you, think; you question with the Jew:

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You may as well go stand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood 15 bate his usual height;
You may as well use question with the wolf, 70
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the
lamb ;

You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops, and to make no noise,
When they are fretting with the gusts of
heaven;

You may as well do anything most hard,
As seek to soften that-than which what's
harder?

you,

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His Jewish heart: therefore, I do beseech
Make no more offers, use no further means,
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will. 80

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Bass. For thy three thousand ducats here
is 17 six.

Shy. If every ducat in six thousand ducats
Were in six parts, and every part a ducat,
I would not draw them.; I would have my
bond.

Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy,
rendering none?

Shy. What judgment shall I dread, doing

no wrong?

You have among you many a purchased slave, Which, like your asses, and your dogs, and mules,

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You use in abject and in slavish parts,'
Because you bought them.-Shall I say to you, 90
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 season'd 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; 'tis 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 judgment: answer; shall I have
it?

Duke. Upon my power 19 I may dismiss this
court,

Unless Bellario, a learned doctor,

Whom I have sent for to determine this,
Come here to-day.

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