Venice. A public place. Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK SHYLOCK Three thousand ducats; well. BASSANIO Ay, sir, for three months. SHYLOCK For three months; well. BASSANIO For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound. SHYLOCK Antonio shall become bound; well. BASSANIO May you stead me? will you pleasure me?shall I know your answer? SHYLOCK Three thousand ducats for three months and Antonio bound. BASSANIO Your answer to that. SHYLOCK Antonio is a good man. BASSANIO Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? SHYLOCK Oh, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a good man is to have you understand me that he is sufficient. Yet his means are in supposition:
he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover, upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath, squandered abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, Imean pirates, and then there is the peril of waters, winds and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient. Three thousand ducats; I think I may take his bond. BASSANIO Be assured you may. SHYLOCK I will be assured I may; and, that I may be assured, I will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio? BASSANIO If it please you to dine with us. SHYLOCK Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into.
I
will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto? Who is he comes here?
Enter ANTONIO BASSANIO This is Signior Antonio. SHYLOCK [Aside] How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian, But more for that in low simplicity He lends out money gratis and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the 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, although 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. 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 grazed 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 compromised That all the eanlings which were streak'd and pied Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank, In the 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:
