180 It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
185 Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;

Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
190 Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law,
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

Por. Is he not able to discharge the money? Bass. Yes, here I tender it for him in the court; 195 Yea, twice the sum: if that will not suffice, I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er, On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart: If this will not suffice, it must appear

That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you, 200 Wrest once the law to your authority:

To do a great right, do a little wrong,

And curb this cruel devil of his will.

Por. It must not be; there is no power in Venice Can alter a decree established:

205 "Twill be recorded for a precedent,

210

And many an error, by the same example,
Will rush into the state: it cannot be.

Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!

O wise young judge, how I do honour thee!

Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond.
Shy. Here 'tis, most reverend doctor, here it is.
Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offer'd thee.
Shy. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven:
Shall I lay perjury upon my soul?

215 No, not for Venice.

220

Por.

Why, this bond is forfeit;
And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off
Nearest the merchant's heart. Be merciful:
Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond.
Shy. When it is paid according to the tenor.
It doth appear you are a worthy judge;

You know the law, your exposition

Hath been most sound: I charge you by the law,
Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar,

225 Proceed to judgment: by my soul I swear
There is no power in the tongue of man
To alter me: I stay here on my bond.

Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court To give the judgment.

Por.

Why then, thus it is:
230 You must prepare your bosom for his knife.
Shy. O noble judge! O excellent young man!
Por. For the intent and purpose of the law
Hath full relation to the penalty,

235

240

245

Which here appeareth due upon the bond.

Shy. 'Tis very true: O wise and upright judge!
How much more elder art thou than thy looks!
Por. Therefore lay bare your bosom.

Shy.

Ay, his breast:

So says the bond: - doth it not, noble judge? 'Nearest his heart': those are the very words.

Por. It is so. Are there balance here to weigh The flesh?

Shy. I have them ready.

Por. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.

Shy. Is it so nominated in the bond?

Por. It is not so express'd: but what of that? "Twere good you do so much for charity.

Shy. I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond.
Por. You, merchant, have you any thing to say?
Ant. But little: I am arm'd and well prepared.
250 Give me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well!
Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you;
For herein Fortune shows herself more kind
Than is her custom: it is still her use

To let the wretched man outlive his wealth,
255 To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow
An age of poverty; from which lingering penance
Of such misery doth she cut me off.
Commend me to your honourable wife:
Tell her the process of Antonio's end;

260 Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death;
And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge
Whether Bassanio had not once a love.

Repent but you that you shall lose your friend,
And he repents not that he pays your debt;
265 For if the Jew do cut but deep enough,
I'll pay it presently with all my heart.

Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife
Which is as dear to me as life itself;
But life itself, my wife, and all the world,
270 Are not with me esteem'd above thy life:
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all

Here to this devil, to deliver you.

Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that,

275

280

If she were by, to hear you make the offer.

Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love: I would she were in heaven, so she could Entreat some power to change this currish Jew.

Ner. 'Tis well you offer it behind her back; The wish would make else an unquiet house.

Shy. These be the Christian husbands. I have a daughter; Would any of the stock of Barrabas

Had been her husband rather than a Christian!

We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence.

(Asido.)

Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine:

285 The court awards it, and the law doth give it.

290

Shy. Most rightful judge!

Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast:
The law allows it, and the court awards it.
Shy. Most learned judge! A sentence! Come, prepare!
Por. Tarry a little; there is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;
The words expressly are 'a pound of flesh':
Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed

295 One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate
Unto the state of Venice.

Gra. O upright judge!

Shy. Is that the law?

Por.

Mark, Jew: O learned judge!

Thyself shalt see the act:

800 For, as thou urgest justice, be assured

805

Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest.

Gra. O learned judge! Mark, Jew: a learned judge! Shy. I take this offer, then; pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go.

Bass.

Por. Soft!

Here is the money.

The Jew shall have all justice; soft! no haste:
He shall have nothing but the penalty.

Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge!
Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
810 Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less nor more
But just a pound of flesh: if thou cut'st more
Or less than a just pound, be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part

315 Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,

320

Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate.

Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!

Now, infidel, I have you on the hip.

Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture.

325

830

Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go.
Bass. I have it ready for thee; here it is.
Por. He hath refused it in the open court:
He shall have merely justice and his bond.

Gra. A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel!
I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.
Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal?
Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture.
To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.

Shy. Why, then the devil give him good of it!
I'll stay no longer question.

Por.

Tarry, Jew: The law hath yet another hold on you.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice,

If it be proved against an alien

835 That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
840 And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st;
For it appears, by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,

845 Thou hast contrived against the very life.
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd
The danger formerly by me rehearsed.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.

Gra. Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang thyself:

850 And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state,

Thou hast not left the value of a cord;

Therefore thou must be hang'd at the state's charge.

Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirits,

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it:

855 For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's;

The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.
Ay, for the state, not for Antonio.

Por.

Shy. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:
360 You take my house, when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house; you take my life,
When you do take the means whereby I live.

365

Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake. Ant. So please my lord the Duke and all the court To quit the fine for one half of his goods,

I am content; so he will let me have

The other half in use, to render it,

Upon his death, unto the gentleman 870 That lately stole his daughter:

Two things provided more, that, for this favour,
He presently become a Christian;

The other, that he do record a gift,

Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd,

375 Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter.

880

Duke. He shall do this, or else I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say?
I am content.

Shy.
Por.

Clerk, draw a deed of gift. Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence; I am not well: send the deed after me,

HENRY V. UPON CEREMONY.
[From King Henry V., 1599 (?), Act IV, Sc. 1, 11. 226-280]

Upon the king! let us our lives, our souls,
Our debts, our careful wives,

Our children, and our sins lay on the king!
We must bear all. O hard condition,

6 Twin-born with greatness, subject to the breath
Of every fool, whose sense no more can feel
But his own wringing! What infinite heart's-ease
Must kings neglect that private men enjoy!
And what have kings that privates have not too,
10 Save ceremony, save general ceremony?
And what art thou, thou idol ceremony?
What kind of god art thou, that suffer'st more
Of mortal griefs than do thy worshippers?
What are thy rents? what are thy comings-in?
15 O ceremony, show me but thy worth!
What is thy soul of adoration?

Art thou aught else but place, degree, and form,
Creating awe and fear in other men?

Wherein thou art less happy being fear'd

20 Than they in fearing.

What drink'st thou oft, instead of homage sweet,
But poison'd flattery? O, be sick, great greatness,
And bid thy ceremony give thee cure.

Think'st thou the fiery fever will go out

25 With titles blown from adulation?

Will it give place to flexure and low bending?
Canst thou, when thou command'st the beggar's knee,
Command the health of it? No, thou proud dream,