A Motley Jest | Project Gutenberg

First Citizen. Shylock, how speeds thy business at the court?

Where is the pound of flesh thou covetest?

Second Citizen. How likest thou the judge from Padua?

Third Citizen. Eh, Jew, an upright judge! thou hast my lord

The duke to thank for thy poor life. Had I

But been thy judge a halter had been thine,

And thou had’st swung in’t, yet, beshrew my life,

’Twere pity that good Christian hemp were stretch’d

To hang a misbegotten knave like thee.

Fourth Citizen. Shylock, thou infidel, thou should’st have had

The lash on thine old back ten score of times

Ere they had suffer’d thee from out the court.

Fifth Citizen. A beating shall he have, e’en now, the knave.

[Beats Shylock.

Shylock [striking about him angrily] Aye! kill me, dogs of Christians, an’ ye will!

Meseems the Jew hath no more leave to tread

The stones on Christian streets; he may not breathe

The air a Christian breathes, nor gaze uncheck’d

Upon the Christian’s sky; he hath no part

Or lot in anything that is, unless

A Christian please to nod the head. I hate

Ye, brood of Satan that ye are! May all

The plagues of Egypt fall upon ye, dogs

Of Christians; all the pains—

Fourth Citizen.Nay, gentle Jew,

’Tis said thou must become a Christian, straight;

Old Shylock, turn perforce, a “Christian dog!”

Now, greybeard infidel, how lik’st thou this?

Shylock. Eternal torments blister him that asks.

[Exit Shylock, raving.

Second Citizen. A sweet-fac’d Christian will our Shylock make.

I would that I might be his cònfessor,

To lay such swingeing penance on the knave

As scarce would leave him space to sup his broth

Amid the pauses of his punishment.

[Exeunt citizens, with shouts.

Scene II.

Venice. A Room, in Shylock’s House.

[Enter Shylock and Tubal.

Tubal. How now, Shylock! What bitter woe looks from thy face? What has chanced to thee in the Christian’s court to make thee thus distraught?

Shylock. O Tubal, Tubal, there dwells no more pity in the Christian breast than there abides justice therein. I stood for justice and mine own, before them all; before that smiling, smooth-faced judge from Padua, and with those false smiles of his he turned against me the sharp edge of the law. He forbade the shedding of one drop of the merchant Antonio’s blood—naming therefor some ancient law, musty for centuries, and that still had gathered dust till it would serve to bait the Jew with—and so I lost my revenge upon Antonio. More than that, good Tubal, I lost everything I had to lose.

Tubal. Lost everything! Now, by our ancient prophets, this is woe indeed.

Shylock. Aye, good Tubal. The half my goods are now adjudged Antonio’s; the other half, upon my death, goes to the knave, Lorenzo; that same he that lately stole my ducats and my daughter.

Tubal. And merry havoc will he and thy daughter Jessica make of thy treasure, Shylock.

Shylock. But there is greater woe to come, good Tubal. To save this poor remainder of a life have I this day sworn to turn a Christian.

Tubal. Thou, turn Christian! O monstrous deed! Our synagogue will be put to everlasting shame for this. Nay, good Shylock, it must not be. It must not be.

Shylock. Have I not said that I am sworn on pain of life? They would e’en have had my life almost in the open court had I not so sworn. But hear me, Tubal; I will not die till that I have bethought me of some secret, sure revenge upon Antonio, or failing this, upon the taunting, sneering fool they call Gratiano, whom I do loathe e’en as I loathe Antonio. Moreover I would gladly do some deadly hurt unto the accursed Paduan judge, an’ it might be so.

Tubal. Then wilt thou still be Hebrew at the heart, good Shylock?

Shylock. How else while yet I bear remembrance of my wrongs? Have not many of our chosen people done this selfsame thing for ducats or for life? Kissed the cross before men’s eyes, but spurned it behind their backs? As I shall do, erewhile. But, O good Tubal, the apples of Sodom were as sweet morsels in the mouth unto this that I must do.

Tubal. Hebrew at heart, albeit Christian of countenance.

Ay, Shylock, it is well. It is well.

[Exeunt.

Scene III.

Venice. Interior of Saint Mark’s.

Organ music heard. Enter a company of noble Venetians with the Duke and his train, accompanied by Bassanio, Portia, Antonio, Gratiano, Nerissa and others. Following these, at a little distance, appear Lorenzo and Jessica, the latter gorgeously attired. The company pauses before the font. Shylock enters from the left, led forward by a priest. His gaberdine has been exchanged for the Christian habit, and in his hand is placed a crucifix.

Duke. Old Shylock, art thou well content to do

As thus we have ordain’d, which is, that thou

Renounce thine ancient Jewish faith, repent

Thy sins, and take the holy, solemn vows

A Christian takes when on his brow the drops

Baptismal glister, and be nam’d anew

After the Christian custom of our land?

Shylock. Most noble duke, I am content, and do

Hereby renounce my nation and my faith,

And, which is more, raze out of mind the name

That I have borne these three-score heavy years,

Since it is thy command.

Duke.Cristofero

Shalt thou be call’d hereafter. Now, good priest,

Thine office do with ceremonies meet,

And make this greybeard Jew a Christian straight.

Solemn music heard, after which Shylock is baptized by the priest, Antonio at the command of the Duke standing godfather to the Jew, who makes the required responses in a low voice. While he is still kneeling the company converse in an undertone.

Gratiano. I much mislike this new made Christian’s face

Nor would I trust Cristofero for all

His Christian name and meekly mutter’d vows.

Portia. Nay, Gratiano, question not the heart

Nor rudely draw aside the veil that speech

Hangs ever ’fore the spirit. Who may say

That e’en the best among us keeps a faith

Loyal to every smallest clause, or does

Not slip at whiles amid the thousand small

Requirements of the law. And yet, we do

Implore a gentle sentence on these sins

Of ours, a pardon that shall make us whole.

If, for ourselves, then trebly for the Jew

New come, bewilder’d, to our Christian creed.

Antonio. There will be space enow to doubt the Jew

Turn’d Christian, Gratiano, when he shall

Give cause for doubt. ’Twere scantest charity

Till then, to bear with him, as we do bear

Ourselves unto our fellow Christians all.

A bitter lesson hath he lately conn’d,

And he were mad indeed that should neglect

To profit by’t.

Gratiano.Belike, belike ’tis thus,

But yet I do not like Cristofero’s looks;

I’ll not be argu’d out of that, i’ faith,

And say’t again, I much mislike his favour.

Nerissa. Peace, Gratiano, dost not note the duke

Commands to silence, and would speak once more?

Thou wilt be ever talking, as thy wont.

Duke. Cristofero, thou bear’st a Christian name

From this day forth. Then look to’t that thou dost

In all things as a Christian, not as Jew.

Shylock. In all things as a Christian. Yes. [Aside] Why that’s

Revenge! Revenge!

Duke.So must thou quit thy house

In Jewry, dwell mid Christian folk, and go

With Christian folk to church on holy days,

And wear henceforth the cross thou did’st disdain.

Dost hearken unto us, Cristofero?

Shylock. I hear but to obey, dread duke; and thank

Thee for thy clemency to me, once Jew,

But now, within this very selfsame hour,

A gasping new born Christian, all unschool’d

In duties other Christians know full well,

Yet earnest still, to act the Christian’s part,

With hope to better his ensample set.

Gratiano [aside to Bassanio] For all thy gentle Portia saith but now,

I like not such smooth terms from out those lips.

Bassanio [aside] Peace, Gratiano, let him say his say,

He cannot now do aught to injure thee.

[Exeunt Duke and train with Antonio and
friends. Lorenzo and Jessica come forward.

Jessica. How now, good father Cristofero; what a pair of Christians are we both. Only there’s this difference betwixt us, good father. I am a Christian for love of a husband and you have turned a Christian for love of your ducats.

Shylock. Ungrateful daughter; Why did’st thou go forth from my house by night and rob thy grey-haired father of his treasure?

Jessica. Why? That’s most easy of answer. Why, because I desired a Christian husband and there was no coming by my desire save by secret flight from your most gloomy chambers; and since neither my Christian husband nor your daughter Jessica could by any kind of contriving live upon air alone, we had, perforce, to take with us some of your ducats for the bettering our condition. Speak thou for me, Lorenzo. Was it not e’en so?

Lorenzo. Old man, I am sorry for that I was forced to take from you your daughter and your ducats against your good pleasure, but I must tell you that I loved her as myself [Aside] nay, much more, my Jessica,—and by reason of this great love of mine, and because of your exceeding hatred towards all Christians did I take her from your house. And since, moreover, as the maid very truly says, there’s no living i’ the world without the means to live, because of this did we make shift to take with us from your house such means, as well advised you would not have your daughter lack for food and suitable apparel, and since we are now Christians all, what matters it?

Shylock [slowly] Ay, what matters it? We are now Christians all, as thou sayest, and, I remember me that I have heard it said it is a Christian’s duty to forgive all who have wronged him. Therefore I forgive you, Jessica—for robbing your old father; and you, Lorenzo, I forgive—for stealing my daughter. You are each well mated. But I would be alone a while. Go, good Jessica. Go, son Lorenzo.

[Exeunt Lorenzo and Jessica.

Shylock [alone] A curse pursue the twain where’er they go.

A Christian-Jewish curse, since that should be

Weightier than either singly. Would that I

Might see them dead before me, while I live,—

Such love I bear my daughter, and my son.

[Gazes about the church.

These be the images of Christian saints

Whom I must bend the knee before when men

Look on. And here the Virgin; here the Christ.

Now must I kneel; a hundred eyes perchance,

Peer at me through the gloom. A hundred eyes

May see me kneel, yet shall they not perceive

The scorner of the Christian hid within

The humble figure of the man who kneels.

Now, by the prophets, whom I reverence,

And by these Christian saints whom I do scorn,

I swear to nourish my revenge till those

I deepest hate are dead, or sham’d before

Their fellows. But how this may be, I know

Not yet, for all the way were dark as night

Before me, save that my revenge burns red.

[Choir heard chanting in a distant chapel.
[Rises from his knees.

Good fellow Christians, it may hap the Jew

Turn’d Christian, shall yet do a harm to ye.

Behind Cristofero’s mask is still the face

Of Shylock; in his breast the heart unchang’d.

[Choir heard chanting Judica me Deus.

Yea, my good fellow Christians, I do thank

Ye for that word, and hug it to my heart.

Henceforth it shall be mine, when I do pray,

Not to thy Christ, but unto Israel’s God!

“Give sentence with me, O my God; defend

My cause against the hosts that wrought me ill.”

[Choir in the distance, responding Amen.

[Exit Shylock.