You shall not know by what ftrange accident
I chanced on this letter.

Anth. I am dumb.

Baff. Were you the doctor, and I knew you not? Gra. Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold?

Ner. Ay; but the clerk that never means to do it, Unless he live until he be a man.

Baff. Sweet doctor, you fhall be my bedfellow When I am abfent, then lie with my wife.

Anth. Sweet lady, you have given me life and living;

For here I read for certain, that my fhips

Are fafely come to road.

Por. How now, Lorenzo?

My clerk hath fome good comforts too for you.
Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee.-
There do I give to you and Jeffica,

From the rich Jew, a fpecial deed of gift,
After his death, of all he dies poffefs'd of.
Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way 5
Of starved people.

Por. It is almost morning,

And yet, I am fure, you are not fatisfy'd
Of thefe events at full. Let us go in,
And charge us there upon interrogatories,
And we will answer all things faithfully.
Gra. Let it be fo. The first interrogatory,
That my Neriffa fhall be fworn on, is,

-you drop manna in the way

Of farved people.]

Shakespeare is not more exact in any thing, than in adapting his images with propriety to his fpeakers; of which he has here given an inftance in making the young Jewefs call good fortune, manna.

WARBURTON.

The commentator should have remarked, that this fpeech is not, even in his own edition, the fpeech of the Jewefs. JOHNSON.

Whether till the next night he had rather stay,
Or go to bed now, being two hours to day.
But were the day come, I fhould wish it dark,
That I were couching with the door's clerk.
Well, while I live, I'll fear no other thing
So fore, as keeping fafe Neriffa's ring.

[Exeunt omnes.

It has been lately difcovered, that this fable is taken from a ftory in the Pecorone of Ser Giovanni Fiorentino, a novellift, who wrote in 1378. The flory has been published in English, and I have epitomised the tranflation. The tranflator is of opinion, that the choice of the cafkets is borrowed from a tale of Boccace, which I have likewife abridged, though I believe that Shakefpeare must have had fome other novel in view. JOHNSON.

TH

IIERE lived at Florence, a merchant whofe name was Bindo. He was rich, and had three fons. Being near his end, he called for the two eldeft, and left them heirs to the youngest he left nothing. This youngeft, whofe name was Giannetto, went to his father, and faid, What has my father done? The father replied, Dear Giannetto, there is none to whom I with better than to you. Go to Venice to your godfather, whose name is Anfaldo; he has no child, and has wrote to me often to fend you thither to him. He is the richest merchant amongst the Chritians: if you behave well, you will be certainly a rich man. The fon answered, I am ready to do whatever my dear father fhall command: upon which he gave him his benediction, and in a few days died.

Giannetto went to Anfaldo, and prefented the letter given by the father before his death. Anfaldo reading the letter, cried out, My dearest godfon is welcome to my arms. He then afked news of his father. Giannetto replied, He is dead. I am much grieved, replied Anfaldo, to hear of the death of Bindo; but the joy I feel, in feeing you, mitigates my forrow. He conducted him to his houfe, and gave orders to his fervants, that Giannetto fhould be obeyed, and ferved with more attention than had been paid to himself. He then delivered him the keys of his ready money; and told him, Son, fpend this money, keep a table, and make yourself known: remember, that the more you gain the good will of every body, the more you will be dear to me.

Giannetto now began to give entertainments. He was more obedient and courteous to Anfaldo, than if he had been an hondred times his father. Every body in Venice was fond of him. Aufalco

Anfaldo could think of nothing but him; fo much was he pleafed with his good manners and behaviour.

gave or

It happened, that two of his moft intimate acquaintance defigned to go with two fhips to Alexandria, and told Giannetto, he would do well to take a voyage and fee the world. I would go willingly, faid he, if my father Anfaldo will give leave. His companions go to Anfaldo, and beg his permiflion for Giannetto to go in the fpring with them to Alexandria; and defire him to provide him a fhip. Anfaldo immediately procured a very fine fhip, loaded it with merchandize, adorned it with ftreamers, and furnished it with arms; and, as foon as it was ready, he ders to the captain and failors to do every thing that Giannetto commanded. It happened one morning early, that Giannetto faw a gulph, with a fine port, and asked the captain how the port was called? He replied, That place belongs to a widow lady, who has ruined many gentlemen. In what manner? fays Giannetto. He answered, This lady is a fine and beautiful woman, and has made a law, that whoever arrives here is obliged to go to bed with her, and if he can have the enjoyment of her, he must take her for his wife, and be lord of all the country; but if he cannot enjoy her, he lofes every thing he has brought with him. Giannetto, after a little reflection, tells the captain to get into the port. He was obeyed; and in an infant they flide into the port fo eafily that the other fhips perceived nothing.

The lady was foon informed of it, and fent for Giannetto, who waited on her immediately. She, taking him by the hand, afked him who he was? whence he came? and if he knew the custom of the country? He anfwered, That the knowledge of that custom was his only reafon for coming. The lady paid him great honours, and fent for barons, counts, and knights in great number, who were her fubjects, to keep Giannetto company. Thefe nobles were highly delighted with the good breeding and manners of Giannetto; and all would have rejoiced to have him for their lord.

The night being come, the lady faid, it feems to be time to go to bed. Giannetto told the lady, he was entirely devoted to her fervice; and immediately two damfels enter with wine and sweetmeats. The lady intreats him to rate the wine: he takes the fweet-meats, and drinks fome of the wine, which was prepared with ingredients to caufe fleep. He then goes into the bed, where he inftantly falls afleep, and never wakes till late in the morning; but the lady rofe with the fun, and gave orders to unload the veffel, which the found full of rich merchandize. After nine o'clock the women fervants go to the bed-fide, order Giannetto to rife and be gone, for he had loft the fhip. The lady gave him a horfe and money, and he leaves the place very melancholy, and goes to Venice. When he arrives, he dares not return home for fhame;

P 4

but

but at night goes to the house of a friend, who is furprised to fee him, and inquires of him the cause of his return? He answers, his fhip had truck on a rock in the night, and was broke in pieces.

This friend, going one day to make a vifit to Anfaldo, found him very difconfolate. I fear, fays Anfalde, fo much, that this fon of mine is dead, that I have no reft. His friend told him, that he had been shipwreck'd, and had loft his all, but that he himself was fafe. Anfaldo inftantly gets up, and runs to find him. My dear fon, fays he, you need not fear my displeasure; it is a common accident; trouble yourfelf no further. He takes him home, all the way telling him to be chearful and easy.

The news was foon known all over Venice, and every one was concerned for Giannetto. Some time after, his companions arriving from Alexandria very rich, demanded what was become of their friend, and having heard the story, ran to fee him, and rejoiced with him for his fafety; telling him that next spring, he might gain as much as he had loft the laft. But Giannetto had no other thoughts than of his return to the lady; and was refolved to marry her, or die. Anfaldo told him frequently, not to be caft down. Giannetto faid, he should never be happy, till he was at liberty to make another voyage. Anfaldo provided another fhip of more value than the first. He again entered the port of Belmonte, and the lady looking on the port from her bedchamber, and feeing the fhip, afked her maid, if she knew the Atreamers? the maid faid, it was the fhip of the young man who arrived the last year. You are in the right, anfwered the lady; he muft furely have a great regard for me, for never any one came a fecond time: the maid faid, fhe had never feen a more agreeable man. He went to the caftle, and prefented himself to the lady; who, as foon as the faw him, embraced him, and the day was paffed in joy and revels. Bed-time being come, the lady entreated him to go to reft: when they were feated in the chamber, the two damfels enter with wine and fweet-meats; and having eat and drank of them, they go to bed, and immediately Giannetto falls afleep; the lady undrefled, and lay down by his fide; but he waked not the whole night. In the morning, the lady rifes, and gives orders to frip the fhip. He has a horse and money given to him, and away he goes, and never ftops till he gets to Venice; and at night goes to the fame friend, who with aftonishment afked him, what was the matter? I am undone, fays Giannetto. His friend anfwered, You are the caufe of the ruin of Anfaldo, and your fhame ought to be greater than the lofs you have fuffered. Giannetto lived privately many days. At last he took a refolution of fecing Anfaldo, who role from his chair, and running to embrace him, told him he was welcome : Giannetto with tears returned his embraces. Anfaldo heard his tale: do

not

not grieve, my dear fon, says he, we have still enough: the fea enriches fome men, others it ruins.

Poor Giannetto's head was day and night full of the thoughts: of his bad fuccefs. When Anfaldo enquired what was the matter, he confeffed, he could never be contented till he fhould be in a condition to regain all that he loft. When Anfaldo found him refolved, he began to fell every thing he had, to furnish this other fine fhip with merchandize: but, as he wanted ftill ten thousand ducats, he applied himself to a Jew at Meftri, and borrowed them on condition, that if they were not paid on the feast of St. John in the next month of June, that the Jew might take a pound of flesh from any part of his body he pleafed. Anfaldo agreed, and the Jew had an obligation drawn, and witneffed, with all the form and ceremony neceffary; and then counted him the ten thousand ducats of gold, with which Anfaldo bought what was ftill wanting for the vellel. This laft fhip was finer and better freighted than the other two, and his companions made ready for the voyage, with a defign that whatever they gained fhould be for their friend. When it was time to depart, Anfaldo told Giannetto, that fince he well knew of the obligation to the Jew, he entreated, that if any misfortune happened, he would return to Venice, that he might fee him before he died; and then he could leave the world with fatisfaction: Giannetto promised to do every thing that he conceived might give him pleasure. Anfaldo gave him his bleffing, they took their leave, and the fhips fet out.

Giannetto had nothing in his head but to steal into Belmonte; and he prevailed with one of the failors in the night to fail the veffel into the port. It was told the lady, that Giannetto was arrived in port. She faw from the window the veffel, and immediately fent for him.

Giannetto goes to the caftle, the day is fpent in joy and feasting; and to honour him, a tournament is ordered, and many barons and knights tilted that day. Giannetto did wonders, fo well did he understand the lance, and was fo graceful a figure on horfeback he pleafed so much, that all were defirous to have him for their lord.

The lady, when it was the ufual time, catching him by the hand, begged him to take his reft. When he paffed the door of the chamber, one of the damfels in a whifper faid to him, Make a pretence to drink the liquor, but touch not one drop. The lady faid, I know you must be thirsty, I must have you drink before you go to bed immediately two damfels entered the room, and prefented the wine. Who can refufe wine from fuch beautiful hands cries Giannetto: at which the lady fmiled. Giannetto takes the cup, and making as if he drank, pours the wine into his bofom. The lady thinking he had drank, fays afide to herself with great joy, You must go, young man, and bring another ship,