483Bass. You shall not seale to such a bond for me,

484Ile rather dwell in my necessitie.

485Ant. Why feare not man, I will not forfaite it,

486Within these two months, that's a month before

487This bond expires, I doe expect returne

488Of thrice three times the valew of this bond.

489Shy. O father Abram, what these Christians are,

490Whose owne hard dealings teaches them suspect

491The thoughts of others: Praie you tell me this,

492If he should breake his daie, what should I gaine

493By the exaction of the forfeiture?

494A pound of mans flesh taken from a man,

495Is not so estimable, profitable neither

496As flesh of Muttons, Beefes, or Goates, I say

497To buy his fauour, I extend this friendship,

498If he will take it, so: if not adiew,

499And for my loue I praie you wrong me not.

500Ant. Yes Shylocke, I will seale vnto this bond.

501Shy. Then meete me forthwith at the Notaries,

502Giue him direction for this merrie bond,

503And I will goe and purse the ducats straite.

504See to my house left in the fearefull gard

505Of an vnthriftie knaue: and presentlie

506Ile be with you. Exit.

507Ant. Hie thee gentle Iew. This Hebrew will turne

508Christian, he growes kinde.

509Bass. I like not faire teames, and a villaines minde.

510Ant. Come on, in this there can be no dismaie,

511My Shippes come home a month before the daie.

518 Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion,

519The shadowed liuerie of the burnisht sunne,

520To whom I am a neighbour, and neere bred.

521Bring me the fairest creature North-ward borne,

522Where Phoebus fire scarce thawes the ysicles,

523And let vs make incision for your loue,

524To proue whose blood is reddest, his or mine.

525I tell thee Ladie this aspect of mine

526Hath feard the valiant, (by my loue I sweare)

527The best regarded Virgins of our Clyme

528Haue lou'd it to: I would not change this hue,

529Except to steale your thoughts my gentle Queene.

530Por. In tearmes of choise I am not solie led

531By nice direction of a maidens eies:

532Besides, the lottrie of my destenie

533Bars me the right of voluntarie choosing:

534But if my Father had not scanted me,

535And hedg'd me by his wit to yeelde my selfe

536His wife, who wins me by that meanes I told you,

537Your selfe (renowned Prince) than stood as faire

538As any commer I haue look'd on yet

539For my affection.

540Mor. Euen for that I thanke you,

541Therefore I pray you leade me to the Caskets

542To trie my fortune: By this Symitare

543That slew the Sophie, and a Persian Prince

544That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,

545I would ore-stare the sternest eies that looke:

546Out-braue the heart most daring on the earth:

547Plucke the yong sucking Cubs from the she Beare,

548Yea, mocke the Lion when he rores for pray

549To win the Ladie. But alas, the while

550If Hercules and Lychas plaie at dice

551Which is the better man, the greater throw

552May turne by fortune from the weaker hand:

553So is Alcides beaten by his rage,

554And so may I, blinde fortune leading me

555Misse that which one vnworthier may attaine,

556And die with grieuing.

557Port. You must take your chance,

558And either not attempt to choose at all,

559Or sweare before you choose, if you choose wrong

560Neuer to speake to Ladie afterward

561In way of marriage, therefore be aduis'd.

562Mor. Nor will not, come bring me vnto my chance.

563Por. First forward to the temple, after dinner

564Your hazard shall be made.

565Mor. Good fortune then, Cornets.

566To make me blest or cursed'st among men. Exeunt.

568Clo. Certainely, my conscience will serue me to run

569from this Iew my Maister: the fiend is at mine elbow,

570and tempts me, saying to me, Iobbe, Launcelet Iobbe, good

571Launcelet, or good Iobbe, or good Launcelet Iobbe, vse

572your legs, take the start, run awaie: my conscience saies

573no; take heede honest Launcelet, take heed honest Iobbe,

574or as afore-said honest Launcelet Iobbe, doe not runne,

575scorne running with thy heeles; well, the most coragi-

576ous fiend bids me packe, fia saies the fiend, away saies

577the fiend, for the heauens rouse vp a braue minde saies

578the fiend, and run; well, my conscience hanging about

579the necke of my heart, saies verie wisely to me: my ho-

580nest friend Launcelet, being an honest mans sonne, or ra-

581ther an honest womans sonne, for indeede my Father did

582something smack, something grow too; he had a kinde of

583taste; wel, my conscience saies Lancelet bouge not, bouge

584saies the fiend, bouge not saies my conscience, conscience

585say I you counsaile well, fiend say I you counsaile well,

586to be rul'd by my conscience I should stay with the Iew

587my Maister, (who God blesse the marke) is a kinde of di-

588uell; and to run away from the Iew I should be ruled by

589the fiend, who sauing your reuerence is the diuell him-

590selfe: certainely the Iew is the verie diuell incarnation,

591and in my conscience, my conscience is a kinde of hard

592conscience, to offer to counsaile me to stay with the Iew;

593the fiend giues the more friendly counsaile: I will runne

594fiend, my heeles are at your commandement, I will

595runne.

597Gob. Maister yong-man, you I praie you, which is the

598waie to Maister Iewes?

599Lan. O heauens, this is my true begotten Father, who

600being more then sand-blinde, high grauel blinde, knows

601me not, I will trie confusions with him.

602Gob. Maister yong Gentleman, I praie you which is

603the waie to Maister Iewes.

604Laun. Turne vpon your right hand at the next tur-