With a reed voice; and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride; and speak of frays,
Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died
I could not do withal1; then I'll repent,
And wish, for all that, that I had not killed them :
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,

That men shall swear, I have discontinued school
Above a twelvemonth :-I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.

But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which stays for us
At the park gate; and therefore haste away,
For we must measure twenty miles to-day.

EXAMINATION ON ACT III.

[Exeunt.

1. To what point is the course of the action brought in the third act? 2. What more do we see of the Jew's character in this act?

3. What is the drift of Bassanio's remarks on the caskets?

4. Explain the classical allusions in this act.

5. What more do we gather of Portia's character from this act?

6. Quote some of the most striking passages of this act, and explain upon what principle they may be termed beautiful.

7. Explain the terms "peize," "eke," "counterfeit," "shrewd," "mere," "fond," and "commodity."

8. What is the leading idea of this drama?

9. How is Bassanio's character further developed?

10. What other cause is there for our sympathy with Antonio, besides his natural kindness and benevolence?

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-Venice. A Court of Justice.

Enter the Duke, the Magnificoes; ANTONIO, BASSANIO, GRATIANO, SALARINO, 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

1 I could not help it.

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

Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify1

His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate,
And that no lawful means can carry me

Out of his envy's2 reach, I do oppose
My patience to his fury; and am armed
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's 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 remorse3, more strange
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty;

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,

But, touched with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal;

Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,
That have of late so huddled on his back,
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 trained
To offices of tender courtesy.

We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.

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

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 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
To have it baned? What, are you answered yet?
Some men there are, love not a gaping pig:
Some, that are mad, if they behold a cat;

Master of passion, sways it to the mood

Of what it likes, or loaths: Now, for your answer :
As there is no firm reason to be rendered,

Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;
Why he, a harmless, necessary cat;
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,
I bear Antonio, that I follow thus

A losing suit against him. Are you answered?
Bass. This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,
To excuse the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my answer.
Bass. Do all men kill the things they do not love?
Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
Bass. Every offence is not a hate at first.

Shy. What, would'st thou have the serpent sting thee twice?

Ant. I pray you, think1 you question with the Jew,

You may as well go stand upon the beach,

And bid the main flood bate his usual height;

You may as well use question with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb;
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
Το wag their high tops, and to make no noise
When they are fretted with the gusts of heaven;
You may as well do any thing most hard,

As seek to soften that (than which what's harder?)
His Jewish heart:- Therefore, I do beseech you,
Make no more offers, use no further means,
But, with all brief and plain conveniency,
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.

1 When (understood).

Bass. For thy three thousand ducats here is 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,
You use in abject and in slavish parts,

Because you bought them:— Shall I say to you,
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 seasoned 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, fye 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 I may dismiss this court,
Unless Bellario, a learned doctor,

Whom I have sent for to determine this,

Come here to-day.

Solan.

My lord, here stays without,

A messenger, with letters from the doctor,

New come from Padua.

Duke. Bring us the letters; call the messenger.
Bass. Good cheer, Antonio! What man, courage yet!
The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all,
Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.
Ant. I am a tainted wether of the flock,
Meetest for death; the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me.
You cannot better be employed, Bassanio,
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.

Enter NERISSA, dressed like a lawyer's clerk.
Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario?
Ner. From both, my lord: Bellario greets your grace.
[Presents a letter.
Bass. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
Shy. To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there.

Gra. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew,
Thou mak'st thy knife keen1; but no metal can,
No, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness
Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?
Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.
Gra. Be thou accursed, inexecrable 2 dog!
And for thy life let justice be accused.
Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras3,

That souls of animals infuse themselves
Into the trunks of men: thy currish spirit
Governed a wolf, who, hanged for human slaughter,
Infused his soul in thee; for thy desires

Are wolfish, bloody, sterved, and ravenous.

Shy. Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond,
Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud:
Repair thy wit, good youth; or it will fall
To cureless ruin.. -I stand here for law.

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend
A young and learned doctor to our court:-

Where is he?

Ner.

He attendeth here hard by,

To know your answer, whether you'll admit him.

Duke. With all my heart :-Some three or four of you, Go, give him courteous conduct to this place.

Meantime, the court shall hear Bellario's letter.

[Clerk reads.] "Your grace shall understand, that, at the receipt of your letter, I am very sick; but in the instant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young doctor of Rome; his name is Balthazar. I acquainted him with the cause in controversy between the Jew and Antonio the merchant: we turned over many books together he is furnished with my opinion; which, bettered with his own learning (the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend), comes with him, at my importunity, to fill up your grace's request in my stead. I beseech you, let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation; for I never knew so young a body with

1 Thy soul is hard enough to sharpen thy knife on.

2 "Inexecrable," is most execrable. 3 A celebrated philosopher of Sa

mos, who is said to have believed in the transmigration of souls.

4 The older form of "starved."