Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh; But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed

One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate

Unto the state of Venice.

320

Gratiano. O upright judge!—Mark, Jew: O learned judge!

Shylock. Is that the law?

Portia.

Thyself shalt see the act: For, as thou urgest justice, be assured 325 Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest. Gratiano. O learned judge! Mark, Jew: A learned judge!

Shylock. I take this offer, then; pay the bond

thrice

And let the Christian go.

Bassanio.

Portia. Soft!

Here is the money. 330

The Jew shall have all justice; soft! no haste :
He shall have nothing but the penalty.

Gratiano. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge!

Portia. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the

flesh.

335

Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less nor more
But just a pound of flesh if thou cut'st more
Or less than a just pound, be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part

340

Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,

Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate.

Gratiano. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! Now, infidel, I have you on the hip.

345

Portia. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy for

feiture.

Shylock. Give me my principal, and let me go. Bassanio. I have it ready for thee; here it is. Portia. He hath refused it in the open court: He shall have merely justice and his bond.

350

Gratiano. A Daniel, still say I ; a second Daniel! I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.

Shylock. Shall I not have barely my principal? Portia. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,

To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.

355

Shylock. Why, then the devil give him good of it! I'll stay no longer question.

He seek the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive

Shall seize one half his goods: the other half 365
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st;
For it appears, by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly and directly too

370

Thou hast contrived against the very life

Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd

The danger formerly by me rehearsed.

Down therefore and beg mercy of the duke.

375

thyself:

Gratiano. Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang

And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state,
Thou hast not left the value of a cord;

Therefore thou must be hang'd at the state's charge.

Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our

spirits,

380

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it:

For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's :
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

Portia. Ay, for the state, not for Antonio.
Shylock. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not

385

that:

R

You take my house when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house; you take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live.
Portia. What mercy can you render him,
Antonio?

390

Gratiano. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake.

Antonio. So please my lord the duke and 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;

395

The other, that he do record a gift,

400

Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd,

Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter.

Duke. He shall do this, or else I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

Portia. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say?

Shylock. I am content.

Portia.

405

Clerk, draw a deed of gift.

Shylock. I pray you, give me leave to go from

hence;

I am not well: send the deed after me,

Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten

more,

To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

[Exit Shylock.

66

FROM THE FAERIE QUEEN?"

IN vaine (said then old Meliboe) doe men

The heavens of their fortune's fault accuse,
Sith they know best what is the best for them;
For they to each such fortune doe diffuse
As they do know each can most aptly use.
For not that which men covet most is best,

5

Nor that thing worst which men do most refuse; But fittest is, that all contented rest

With that they hold : each hath his fortune in his

brest.

It is the mynd that maketh good or ill,

That maketh wretch or happie, rich or poore;
For some that hath abundance, at his will,
Hath not enough, but wants in greater store;
And other, that hath litle, asks no more,
But in that litle is both rich and wise;

For wisdome is most riches; fools therefore
They are which fortune doe by vowes devize,
Sith each unto himselfe his life may fortunize.
E. SPENSER.

ΙΟ

15

NOTES.

LOVE'S LANGUAGE.

Page 7.

(6) perplex-trouble: logician-one skilled in logic (the art of reasoning).

THE IDIOT BOY.

Page 7.

(20) piteous-sad, mournful. (25) twain-two. (31) betide-befall, happen. (43) dale-a low place between hills, valley. (57) most especial charge-chief command or direction. (80) mute-silent (generally, mute means dumb). (108) rumour-report, story. (125) diverting -amusing, interesting. (129) demure-grave, quiet. (158) vile reflections cast-said wicked or false things about him (here the word reflections means reproaches). (166) anon-immediately, directly. (171) quandary—uncertainty, difficulty. (181) rue-lament, be sorry for. (182) prefaced half a hint of this—said something leading up to this. (210) brake-a place overgrown with

briars or ferns, a thicket. (218) prospect-view. (220) gorse-furze. (228) goblin—a mischievous fairy. (229) he's pursuing. his own undoing-he is going to his destruction. (232) railed-scolded. (237) distemper-ill humour (generally this means a disease). (289) not quite hob-nob--this expression, now rarely used, means not quite close enough to be on the most friendly terms. (332) with head and heels on fire-mad with excitement. (335) for aye-for ever. (336) bane-here this probably means the terror; generally it means destruction, ruin. (337) the Muses—the Greeks and Romans believed that nine goddesses, called Muses, presided over, and inspired the arts and sciences then known several were imagined to inspire poetry (each representing a different kind of poetry), the others represented tragedy, comedy, dancing, singing, history, and astronomy. It was customary for one engaged in any of the above-mentioned arts or sciences to call upon, or invoke the aid of the presiding goddess. As the word Muse is now used it applies only to the imaginative powers in the arts of poetry, music, and the drama. (338) indentures-written agreements properly: here it refers to the tie or connection formed by his devotion to poetry for many years. (343) my suit repel-refuse to listen to me (he means to say that at this point his

: