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Venice. A street.
[Enter SALANIO and SALARINO]
SALANIO
Now, what news on the Rialto?
SALARINO
Why yet it lives there unchecked, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading
wrecked on the narrow seas; the Goodwins I think they call the place, a very
dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall ship, lie
buried, as they say, if my gossip's report be an honest woman of her word.
SALANIO
I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapped ginger, or made
her neighbors believe she wept for the death of a third husband: But it is
true, without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of talk,
that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio, O that I had a title good enough
to keep his name company!
SALARINO
Come, the full stop.
SALANIO
Ha, what sayest thou, why the end is, he hath lost a ship.
SALARINO
I would it might prove the end of his losses.
SALANIO
Let me say amen betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer, for here he comes
in the likeness of a Jew. How now Shylock, what news among the merchants?
[Enter SHYLOCK]
SHYLOCK
You know none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter's flight.
SALARINO
That's certain, I for my part knew the tailor that made the wings she flew
withal.
SALANIO
And Shylock for his own part knew the bird was fledged, and then it is the
complexion of them all to leave the dam.
SHYLOCK
She is damned for it.
SALANIO
That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.
SHYLOCK
My own flesh and blood to rebel.
SALANIO
Out upon it old carrion, rebels it at these years.
SHYLOCK
I say my daughter is my flesh and blood.
SALARINO
There is more difference between thy flesh and hers, than between jet and
ivory, more between your bloods, than there is between red wine and rhenish:
But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no?
SHYLOCK
There I have another bad match, a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show
his head on the Rialto, a beggar that was used to come so smug upon the
mart: let him look to his bond, he was wont to call me usurer, let him look
to his bond, he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy, let him
look to his bond.
SALARINO
Why I am sure if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh, what's that good
for?
SHYLOCK
To bait fish withal, if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge;
He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses,
mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my
friends, heated mine enemies, and what's his reason? I am a Jew: hath not a
Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections,
passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the
same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same
winter and summer as a Christian is: If you prick us do we not bleed? if you
tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us do we not die? and if you wrong
us shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble
you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility, revenge? If a
Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example,
why revenge? The villany you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard
but I will better the instruction.
[Enter a Servant]
SERVANT
Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you
both.
SALARINO
We have been up and down to seek him.
[Enter TUBAL]
SALANIO
Here comes another of the tribe, a third cannot be matched, unless the devil
himself turn Jew.
[Exeunt SALANIO, SALARINO, and Servant]
SHYLOCK
How now Tubal, what news from Genoa? hast thou found my daughter?
TUBAL
I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.
SHYLOCK
Why there, there, there, there, a diamond gone cost me two thousand ducats
in Frankfort, the curse never fell upon our nation till now, I never felt it
till now, two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels:
I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear: would
she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin: No news of them,
why so? and I know not what's spent in the search: why thou loss upon loss,
the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief, and no
satisfaction, no revenge, nor no in luck stirring but what lights on my
shoulders, no sighs but of my breathing, no tears but of my shedding.
TUBAL
Yes, other men have ill luck too, Antonio as I heard in Genoa?
SHYLOCK
What, what, what, ill luck, ill luck.
TUBAL
Hath an argosy cast away coming from Tripolis.
SHYLOCK
I thank God, I thank God. Is it true, is it true?
TUBAL
I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck.
SHYLOCK
I thank thee good Tubal, good news, good news: ha, ha, where? in Genoa.
TUBAL
Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, in one night fourscore ducats.
SHYLOCK
Thou stickst a dagger in me, I shall never see my gold again, fourscore
ducats at a sitting, fourscore ducats.
TUBAL
There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear
he cannot choose but break.
SHYLOCK
I am very glad of it, I'll plague him, I'll torture him, I am glad of it.
TUBAL
One of them showed me a ring that he had of your daughter for a monkey.
SHYLOCK
Out upon her, thou torturest me Tubal, it was my turquoise, I had it of Leah
when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of
monkeys.
TUBAL
But Antonio is certainly undone.
SHYLOCK
Nay, that's true, that's very true, go Tubal, fee me an officer, bespeak him
a fortnight before, I will have the heart of him if he forfeit, for were he
out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will: Go Tubal, and meet me at
our synagogue, go good Tubal, at our synagogue Tubal.
[Exeunt]