Down therefore and beg mercy of the duke. GRATIANO Beg that thou mayst 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 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:
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's;
The other half comes to the general state, Which humbleness may drive unto a fine. PORTIA Ay, for the state, not for Antonio. SHYLOCK Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:
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. PORTIA What mercy can you render him, Antonio? GRATIANO A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake. ANTONIO 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 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, Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter. DUKE He shall do this, or else I do recant The pardon that I late pronounced here. PORTIA Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say? SHYLOCK I am content. PORTIA Clerk, draw a deed of gift. SHYLOCK I pray you, give me leave to go from hence;I am not well: send the deed after me, And I will sign it. DUKE Get thee gone, but do it. GRATIANO In christening shalt thou have two god-fathers:
Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more, To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.
Exit SHYLOCK DUKE Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. PORTIA I humbly do desire your grace of pardon:
I must away this night toward Padua, And it is meet I presently set forth. DUKE I am sorry that your leisure serves you not.
Antonio, gratify this gentleman, For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.
Exeunt Duke and his train BASSANIO Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof, Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew, We freely cope your courteous pains withal. ANTONIO And stand indebted, over and above, In love and service to you evermore. PORTIA He is well paid that is well satisfied;And I, delivering you, am satisfied And therein do account myself well paid:
My mind was never yet more mercenary.
I pray you, know me when we meet again:
I wish you well, and so I take my leave. BASSANIO Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further:
Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute, Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you, Not to deny me, and to pardon me. PORTIA You press me far, and therefore I will yield.
To ANTONIO
Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake;To BASSANIO
And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you:
Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more;And you in love shall not deny me this. BASSANIO This ring, good sir, alas, it is a trifle!
I will not shame myself to give you this. PORTIA I will have nothing else but only this;And now methinks I have a mind to it. BASSANIO There's more depends on this than on the value.
The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, And find it out by proclamation:
Only for this, I pray you, pardon me. PORTIA I see, sir, you are liberal in offers You taught me first to beg; and now methinks You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd. BASSANIO Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife;And when she put it on, she made me vow That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it. PORTIA That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts.
An if your wife be not a mad-woman, And know how well I have deserved the ring, She would not hold out enemy for ever, For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!
Exeunt Portia and Nerissa ANTONIO My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring:
Let his deservings and my love withal Be valued against your wife's commandment. BASSANIO Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him;Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst, Unto Antonio's house: away! make haste.
Exit Gratiano Come, you and I will thither presently;And in the morning early will we both Fly toward Belmont: come, Antonio.