_Shy_. O father Abraham, what these Christians are. Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this If he should break his day, what should I gain By the exaction of the forfeiture? A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, Is not so estimable, profitable neither, As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say, To buy his favour I extend this friendship; If he will take it, so; if not, adieu; And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not. _Ant_. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. _Shy_. Then meet me forthwith at the notary's; Give him direction for this merry bond, And I will go and purse the ducats straight; See to my house, left in the fearful guard[38] Of an unthrifty knave; and presently I will be with you. [_Exit_. _Ant_. Hie thee, gentle Jew. This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. _Bas_. I like not fair terms[39] and a villain's mind. _Ant_. Come, on; in this there can be no dismay, My ships come home a month before the day. [_Exeunt_. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 22: _--squander'd abroad_.; Scattered.] [Footnote 23: _to eat of the habitation which your prophet, the Nazarite, conjured the devil into!_; See 8th. c. St. Matthew, v. 30.] [Footnote 24: _catch him once upon the hip_,; Dr. Johnson says the expression is taken from the practice of wrestling.] [Footnote 25: _--ripe wants of my friend_,; Wants come to the height--wants that can have no longer delay.] [Footnote 26: _--Is he yet possess'd; Id est_, acquainted--informed.] [Footnote 27: _--eanlings_; Lambs just dropt.] [Footnote 28: _--certain wands_,; A _wand_ in Shakespeare's time was the usual term for what we now call a _switch_.--MALONE.] [Footnote 29: _--deed of kind,; Id est,_ of nature.] [Footnote 30: _--the fulsome ewes_; Lascivious--rank, obscene ewes.] [Footnote 31: _--Fall_; To let fall.] [Footnote 32: _--and those were Jacob's_.; See Genesis xxx. 37.] [Footnote 33: _The devil can cite scripture for his purpose_.; See St. Matthew iv. 6.] [Footnote 34: _O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!_; _Falsehood_, which, as _truth_ means _honesty_, is taken here for _treachery_ and _knavery_, does not stand for _falsehood_ in general, but for the dishonesty now operating.--JOHNSON.] [Footnote 35: _--and my usances:_; _Usance_ in our author's time signified _interest of money_.] [Footnote 36: _A breed of barren metal of his friend?_; A _breed_, that is, interest money bred from the principal. The epithet _barren_ implies that money is a _barren_ thing, and cannot, like corn and cattle, multiply itself.] [Footnote 37: _Dwell_; Continue.] [Footnote 38: _--fearful guard_; A guard not to be trusted, but gives cause of fear.] [Footnote 39: _I like not fair terms_; Kind words--good language.] SCENE IV.--SALOON OF THE CASKETS IN PORTIA'S HOUSE, AT BELMONT. _Flourish of Cornets. Enter the_ PRINCE OF MOROCCO, _and his Train_; PORTIA, NERISSA, _and other of her Attendants_.