These be the Christian husbands: I haue a daughter
Would any of the stocke of Barrabas
Had beene her husband, rather then a Christian.
We trifle time, I pray thee pursue sentence
Por. A pound of that same marchants flesh is thine,
The Court awards it, and the law doth giue it
Iew. Most rightfull Iudge
Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast,
The Law allowes it, and the Court awards it
Iew. Most learned Iudge, a sentence, come prepare
Por. Tarry a little, there is something else,
This bond doth giue thee heere no iot of bloud,
The words expresly are a pound of flesh:
Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh,
But in the cutting it, if thou dost shed
One drop of Christian bloud, thy lands and goods
Are by the Lawes of Venice confiscate
Vnto the state of Venice
Gra. O vpright Iudge,
Marke Iew, o learned Iudge
Shy. Is that the law?
Por. Thy selfe shalt see the Act:
For as thou vrgest iustice, be assur'd
Thou shalt haue iustice more then thou desirest
Gra. O learned Iudge, mark Iew, a learned Iudge
Iew. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice,
And let the Christian goe
Bass. Heere is the money
Por. Soft, the Iew shall haue all iustice, soft, no haste,
He shall haue nothing but the penalty
Gra. O Iew, an vpright Iudge, a learned Iudge
Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh,
Shed thou no bloud, nor cut thou lesse nor more
But iust a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more
Or lesse then a iust pound, be it so much
As makes it light or heauy in the substance,
Or the deuision of the twentieth part
Of one poore scruple, nay if the scale doe turne
But in the estimation of a hayre,
Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate
Gra.
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