The Merchant of Venice | Page 7

ancient grudge I bear him.
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?
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,
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,
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; you told me so.
Well then,
your bond; and, let me see. But hear you,
Methought 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,
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
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 peel'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
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,
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,
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!
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
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,
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,
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
Shall I bend low and, in a
bondman's key,
With bated breath and whisp'ring humbleness,
Say
this:--
'Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurn'd me
such a day; another time
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
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
mayst with better face
Exact the penalty.
SHYLOCK.
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 moneys, and you'll not hear me:
This is kind I offer.
BASSANIO.
This were kindness.
SHYLOCK.
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.
ANTONIO.
Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond,
And say
there is much kindness in the Jew.
BASSANIO.
You shall not seal to such a bond for me;
I'll rather
dwell in my necessity.
ANTONIO.
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