Shakespeare's play of the Merchant of Venice Part 10

SCENE II.--RIALTO BRIDGE (A), AND GRAND Ca.n.a.l.

_Enter_ SALARINO _and_ SALANIO.

_Salar_. Why, man, I saw Ba.s.sanio under sail; With him is Gratiano gone along; And in their s.h.i.+p, I am sure, Lorenzo is not.

_Sal_. The villain Jew with outcries rais'd the duke; Who went with him to search Ba.s.sanio's s.h.i.+p.

_Salar_. He came too late, the s.h.i.+p was under sail; But there the duke was given to understand, That in a gondola were seen together Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica; Besides, Antonio certified the duke, They were not with Ba.s.sanio in his s.h.i.+p.

_Sal_. I never heard a pa.s.sion so confus'd, So strange, outrageous, and so variable, As the dog Jew did utter in the streets; "_My daughter!--O, my ducats!--O, my daughter!

Fled with a Christian!--O, my Christian ducats!-- Justice! the law! my ducats, and my daughter.!"_ Let good Antonio look he keep his day, Or he shall pay for this.

_Salar_. Marry, well remember'd: I reason'd[78] with a Frenchman yesterday, who told me that Antonio hath a s.h.i.+p of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas that part the French and English,--the Goodwins, I think they call the place--a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall s.h.i.+p lie buried, as they say, if my gossip report be an honest woman of her word.

_Sal_. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapp'd ginger,[79] or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband: But it is true, that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,--O, that I had a t.i.tle good enough to keep his name company!--

_Salar_. Come, the full stop.

_Sal_. Why, the end is, he hath lost a s.h.i.+p.

_Salar_. I would it might prove the end of his losses!

_Sal_. Let me say amen betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.

_Enter_ SHYLOCK.

_Salar_. How now, Shylock? what news among the merchants?

_Shy_. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter's flight?

_Sal_. That's certain. I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal.

_Salar_. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledg'd; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.

_Shy_. She is d.a.m.n'd for it.

_Sal_. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.

_Shy_. My own flesh and blood to rebel!

_Salar_. But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no?

_Shy_. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a beggar, that 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.

_Sal_. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh?

What's that good for?

_Shy_. 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, pa.s.sions? 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 p.r.i.c.k 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.

_Salar_. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

[_Exeunt_ SALANIO, SALARINO, _and Servant_.

_Enter_ TUBAL.

_Shy_. How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? hast thou found my daughter?

_Tub_. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.

_Shy_. 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 hears'd 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 ill luck stirring but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs but o' my breathing; no tears but o' my shedding.

_Tub_. Yes, other men have ill luck, too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa,--

_Shy_. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck?

_Tub_. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.

_Shy_. I thank G.o.d, I thank G.o.d:--Is it true? is it true?

_Tub_. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck.

_Shy_. I thank thee, good Tubal;--Good news, good news: ha! ha!--Where?

in Genoa?

_Tub_. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats!

_Shy_. Thou stick'st a dagger in me:--I shall never see my gold again: Fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats!

_Tub_. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break.

_Shy_. I am very glad of it: I'll plague him; I'll torture him; I am glad of it.

_Tub_. One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey.

_Shy_. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise;[80]

I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.

_Tub_. But Antonio is certainly undone.

_Shy_. 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 merchandize I will.

Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue: go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal.

[_Exeunt_.