You know the law; your exposition

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

Antonio-Most heartily do I beseech the court

To give the judgment.

Portia-Why, then, thus it is:

You must prepare your bosom for his knife.
Shylock-O noble judge! O excellent young man!
Portia-For the intent and purpose of the law
Hath full relation to the penalty,

Which here appeareth due upon the bond.

Shylock-Tis very true: O wise and upright judge!
How much more elder art thou than thy looks!
Portia-Therefore, lay bare your bosom.
Shylock-Ay, his breast;

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

Portia-It is so. Are there balance here, to weigh
The flesh?

Shylock-I have them ready.

Portia-Have by some surgeon, Shylock,-on your

charge,―

To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.
Shylock-Is it so nominated in the bond?

Portia-It is not so expressed; but what of that?
Twere good you do so much for charity.

Shylock-I can not find it; 't is not in the bond. Portia-Come, merchant, have you anything to say? Antonio-But little; I am armed, and well prepared 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;
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 honorable wife:

Tell her the process of Antonio's end;

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 not you that you shall lose your friend;
And he repents not that he pays your debt;
For, if the Jew do cut but deep enough,

I'll pay it instantly with all my heart.

Portia-A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine; The court awards it, and the law doth give it.

Shylock-Most rightful judge!

Portia-And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it, and the court awards it.

Shylock-Most learned judge! A sentence! come, pre

pare.

Portia-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

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

Unto the state of Venice.

Gratiano-O upright judge!—Mark, Jew!—O learned

judge!

Shylock-Is that the law?

Portia-Thyself shall see the act:

For, as thou urgest justice, be assured

Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest.

Gratiano-O learned judge !—Mark, Jew!—a learned

judge!

Shylock-I take this offer, then: pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. Bassanio-Here is the money.

Portia-Soft;

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

Gratiano O Jew! an upright judge! a learned judge!
Portia-Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less, nor more,
But a just pound of flesh. If thou takest more,
Or less than just a pound-be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part

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

Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate.

Gratiano-A second Daniel-a Daniel, Jew! Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip.

Portia-Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture Shylock-Give me my principal and let me go.

Bassanio-I have it ready for thee; here it is. Portia-He hath refused it in the open court; He shall have merely justice, and his bond.

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

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

Portia-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,
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;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou standest;
For it appears, by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,

Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurred
The danger formerly by me rehearsed.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke.
Gratiano-Beg, that thou may'st have leave to hang

thyself;

And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state,
Thou hast not left the value of a cord;

Therefore thou must be hanged at the state's charge.

Duke-That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit,

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.

For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's;

The other half comes to the general state.-SHAKSPEARE

MARK ANTONY SCENE.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.

NITIZEN-We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.

CITIZEN-Tew follow me, me

Brutus-Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.

Cassius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.

Those that will hear me speak, let them stay here;
Those that will follow Cassius. go with him;

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Cæsar's death.

1st Cit.

I will hear Brutus speak.

2d Cit.-I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons, When severally we hear them rendered.

[Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUS goes into the rostrum.]

3d Cit.-The noble Brutus is ascended: Silence!

Bru.-Be patient till the last.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honor; and have respect to mine honor, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer,-Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it as he was valiant, I honor