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 possessed

How much ye would?

SHYLOCK Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

ANTONIO And for three months.

SHYLOCK

I had forgot—three months. (To Bassanio) You told me

so.—

Well then, your bond; and let me see—but hear you,

Methoughts 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 int’rest. Mark what Jacob did:

When Laban and himself were compromised

That all the eanlings which were streaked and pied

Should fall as Jacob’s hire, the ewes, being rank,

In end of autumn turned to the rams, 80

And when the work of generation was

Between these woolly breeders in the act,

The skilful shepherd peeled 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-coloured 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 served for—

A thing not in his power to bring to pass,

But swayed and fashioned 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, signor—

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 beholden to you?

SHYLOCK

Signor 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, 110

And spit 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 spat on me on Wednesday last;

You spurned me such a day; another time

You called me dog; and for these courtesies

I’ll lend you thus much moneys’?

ANTONIO

I am as like to call thee so again,

To spit 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

I would be friends with you, and have your love,

Forget the shames that you have stained 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

Expressed 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 three times the value of this bond.

SHYLOCK

O father Abram, what these Christians are,

Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect 160

The thoughts of others! (To Bassanio) Pray you tell me