The Merchant of Venice — Act 3, Scene 1

SALANIO

Now, what news on the Rialto?

SALARINO

Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd that Antonio hatha ship of rich lading wrecked on the narrow seas;the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a verydangerous flat and fatal, where the carcasses of manya tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossipReport be an honest woman of her word.

SALANIO

I would she were as lying a gossip in that as everknapped ginger or made her neighbours believe shewept for the death of a third husband. But it istrue, without any slips of prolixity or crossing theplain highway of talk, that the good Antonio, thehonest Antonio,--O that I had a title good enoughto keep his name company!--

SALARINO

Come, the full stop.

SALANIO

Ha! what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he hathlost a ship.

SALARINO

I would it might prove the end of his losses.

SALANIO

Let me say 'amen' betimes, lest the devil cross myprayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.

SALANIO

How now, Shylock! what news among the merchants?

SHYLOCK

You know, none so well, none so well as you, of mydaughter's flight.

SALARINO

That's certain: I, for my part, knew the tailorthat made the wings she flew withal.

SALANIO

And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird wasfledged; and then it is the complexion of them allto 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 hersthan between jet and ivory; more between your bloodsthan there is between red wine and rhenish. Buttell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had anyloss at sea or no?

SHYLOCK

There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, aprodigal, who dare scarce show his head on theRialto; a beggar, that was used to come so smug uponthe mart; let him look to his bond: he was wont tocall me usurer; let him look to his bond: he waswont to lend money for a Christian courtesy; let himlook to his bond.

SALARINO

Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not takehis 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, andhindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted mybargains, cooled my friends, heated mineenemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hathnot a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed withthe same food, hurt with the same weapons, subjectto the same diseases, healed by the same means,warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, asa Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poisonus, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we notrevenge? If we are like you in the rest, we willresemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christianwrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be byChristian example? Why, revenge. The villany youteach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but Iwill better the instruction.

Servant

Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house anddesires to speak with you both.

SALARINO

We have been up and down to seek him.

SALANIO

Here comes another of the tribe: a third cannot bematched, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

SHYLOCK

How now, Tubal! what news from Genoa? hast thoufound 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 cursenever fell upon our nation till now; I never felt ittill now: two thousand ducats in that; and otherprecious, precious jewels. I would my daughterwere dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear!would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats inher coffin! No news of them? Why, so: and I knownot what's spent in the search: why, thou loss uponloss! the thief gone with so much, and so much tofind the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge:nor no in luck stirring but what lights on myshoulders; no sighs but of my breathing; no tearsbut of my shedding.

TUBAL

Yes, other men have ill luck too: Antonio, as Iheard 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't true, is't 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 onenight fourscore ducats.

SHYLOCK

Thou stickest a dagger in me: I shall never see mygold again: fourscore ducats at a sitting!fourscore ducats!

TUBAL

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

SHYLOCK

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

TUBAL

One of them showed me a ring that he had of yourdaughter for a monkey.

SHYLOCK

Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was myturquoise; 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, feeme an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. Iwill have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for, werehe out of Venice, I can make what merchandise Iwill. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue;go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal.