Materless paffion fways it to the mood

Of what it likes, or loaths. Now for your answer:
As there is no firm reason to be render'd,

Why he cannot abide a gaping pig ;

Why he, a harmless neceffary cat;

Why he, a woollen bag-pipe; but of force

reading, (on what authority, I am at a lofs to know ;) which Mr. Pope has fince copied. And tho' I have not difturb'd the text, yet, I muft obferve, I don't know what word there is to which this relative [it, in the 2d line] is to be referr'd. The ingenious Dr. Thirlby, therefore, would thus adjust the passage.

Cannot contain their urine; for affection,

* Matter of paffion, fways it &c. or, Miftrefs.

And then it is govern'd of paffion: and the two old Quarto's and Folio's read.. -Mafters of paffon, &c.

It may be objected, that affection and paffion are fynonomous terms, and mean the fame thing. I agree, they do at this time. But I obferve, the writers of our author's age made a fort of diftinétion: confidering the one as the cause, the other as the effect. And then, in this place, affection will stand for that jympathy or antipathy of foul, by which we are provok'd to fhew a liking or difguft in the working of our pajfions. B. Johnson, in his Sejanus, leems to apply the terms thus:

He hath ftudied

Affection's paffions, knows their springs, their ends,
Which way, and whither they will work.

So much, in fupport of Dr. Thirlby's regulation of the paffage. My ingenious friend Mr. Warburton is for pointing, and writing it, as in the old editions: but for giving it a different turn in the poet's drift and meaning. I come now to his reading and opinion.

Cannot contain their urine for affection.

Mafters of paffion fway it to the mood
Of what it likes, or loaths.

Obferve, he is here only fpeaking of the different power of founds, and the influence they have upon the human mind: and then concludes, the mafters of paffion (for fo he finely calls musicians) (way the paffions, or affections, as they please: Our poet then having, no doubt, in his mind the great effects that Timotheus, and other ancient muficians, are faid to have wrought by the power of mufick. This puts me in mind of a paffage of Collier, in his effay on mufick ; who fuppofes it poffible by a right chofen compofition (not, concord) of founds to infpire affright, terror, cowardife, and confternation; in the fame manner that, now, chearfulness, and courage, is affisted by contrary compofitions'.

Thus far Mr. Warburton. I fhall fubmit the paffage, for the prefent, to the opinion and determination of the publick; upon which, I may hereafter venture with more fafety to ascertain it.

G 2

Muft

Muft yield to fuch inevitable fhame,
As to offend, himself being offended;
So can I give no reafon, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate and a certain loathing
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus

A lofing fuit against him. Are you anfwer'd?
Baff. This is no anfwer, thou unfeeling man,
T'excufe the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my anfwer.
Baff. Do all men kill the thing they do not love?
Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
Baff. Ev'ry offence is not a hate at first.

Shy. What, would't thou have a ferpent fting thee twice?
Ant. I pray you, think you queftion with a few.
You may as well go ftand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood bate his usual height.
You may as well ufe queftion with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb.
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops, and to make no noise,
When they are fretted with the gufts of heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,
As feek to foften that, (than which what's harder!
His Jewish heart. Therefore, I do befeech you,
Make no more offers, ufe no farther means;
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.
Baff. For thy three thousand ducats here is fix.
Shy. If ev'ry ducat in fix thousand ducats
Were in fix parts, and ev'ry part a ducat,
I would not draw them, I would have my bond.
Duke. How fhalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none?
Shy. What judgment fhall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchas'd flave,
Which, like your affes, and your dogs, and mules,
You ufe in abject and in flavish part,

Because you bought them. Shall I fay to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why fweat they under burdens? let their beds
Be made as foft as yours, and let their palaces

Be

Be feafon'd with fuch viands; you will answer,
The flaves are ours. So do I answer you:
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought, 'tis mine, and I will have it.
you deny me, fie, upon your law! -

If

There is no force in the decrees of Venice:

I ftand for judgment; anfwer; fhall I have it?
Duke. Upon my pow'r I may dismiss this Court,
Unless Bellario, a learned Doctor,

Whom I have fent for to determine this,
Come here to-day.

Sal. My Lord, here ftays, without,

A meffenger with letters from the Doctor,
New come from Padua.

Duke. Bring us the letters, call the meffenger.

Baff. Good cheer, Anthonio; what, man, courage yet: The Jew fhall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, Ere thou shalt lofe for me one drop of blood.

Ant. I am a tainted weather of the flock, Meeteft for death: the weakest kind of fruit Drops earlieft to the ground, and fo let me. You cannot better be employ'd, Baffanio, Than to live ftill, and write mine epitaph.

Enter Neriffa, drefs'd like a Lawyer's Clerk. Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? (25) Ner. From both, my lord: Bellario greets your Grace. Baff. Why doft thou whet thy knife fo earnestly? Shy. To cut the forfeit from that bankrupt there. Gra. Not on thy foale, but on thy foul, harsh Jew, (26)

Thou

(25) From both my lord Bellario greets your Grace.] Thus the two old Folio's, and Mr. Pope in his 4to, had inaccurately pointed this paffage, by which a doctor of laws was at once rais'd to the dignity of the peerage. I fet it right in my SHAKESPEARE reflor'd, as Mr. Pope has fince done from thence in his last edition.

(26) Not on thy foale, but on thy foul, barsh Jew,] I was obliged, from the authority of the old Folio's, to restore this conceit, and jingle upon two words alike in found, but differing in fenfe. Gratiano thus rates the Jew; Tho' thou thinkeft, that thou art whetting thy knife on the foale of thy fhoe, yet it is upon thy foul, thy immortal part, 'that thou do'ft it, thou inexorable man!' There is no room to doubt,

G 3

but

Thou mak'ft thy knife keen; for no metal can,
No, not the hangman's ax, bear half the keenness
Of thy fharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?
Shy. No, none that thou haft wit enough to make.
Gra. O be thou damn'd, inexorable dog,
And for thy life let juftice be accus'd!
Thou almoft mak'ft me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,

That fouls of animals infufe themselves
Into the trunks of men. Thy currish fpirit
Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human flaughter,
Ev'n from the gallows did his fell foul fleet,
And, whil'ft thou lay'ft in thy unhallow'd dam,
Infus'd itself in thee: for thy defires
Are wolfifh, bloody, ftarv'd, and ravenous.

Shy. "Till thou canst rail the feal from off
Thou but offend'ft thy lungs to speak fo loud.
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall
To curelefs ruin, I ftand here for law. (27)

my

bond,

but this was our author's antithefis; as it is fo ufual with him to play on words in this manner: and that from the mouth of his moft ferious characters. So in Romeo and Juliet ;

You have dancing fhoes,
With nimble fuales; I have a foul of lead,

That ftakes me to the ground; I cannot move.

And again, immediately after.

I am too fore enpierced with his fhaft,

To fare with his light feathers.

So in King John:

O, lawful let it be,

That I have room with Rome to curfe awhile'!

And, in Julius Cæfar;

Now is it Reme, indeed; and room enough,

When there is in it but one only man.

But this fort of jingle is too perpetual with our author to need any farther inftances.

(27) To caelefs ruin.] This, I am fure, is a fignal instance of Mr. Pope's carelessness, for both the old 4to's have it cureless. The players in their edition, for fome particular whim, chang'd the word to endlefs; which Mr. Rowe has copied, becaufe, 1 prefume, he had never feen the old Quarto's. Our author has used this epithet, cure efs, again in his poem, call'd, Tarquin and Lucrece, St. 111.

O, hateful, vaporous and foggy night!
Since thou art guilty of my cureless crime.

Duke.

A

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend

young

and learned Doctor to our Court.

Where is he?

Ner. He attendeth here hard by

To know your answer, whether you'll admit him.
Duke. With all my heart. Some three or four of you
Go, give him courteous conduct to this place:
Mean time, the Court fhall hear Bellario's letter.

YOUR

OUR Grace fall understand, that, at the receipt of your letter, I am very fick: but at the inftant that your meffenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young Doctor of Rome, his name is Balthazar: I acquainted him with the caufe in controversy between the jew and Anthonio the merchant. We turn'd o'er many books together: be is furnished with my opinion, which, bettered with his own learning, (the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend,) comes with him at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's request in my stead. I beseech you, let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend eftimation: For I never knew so young a body with fo old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his commendation.

Enter Portia, drefs'd like a Doctor of Laws.

Duke. You hear the learn'd Bellario, what he writes, And here, I take it, is the Doctor come:

Give me your hand. Came you from old Bellario?

Por. I did, my lord.

Duke. You're welcome: take your place.

Are you acquainted with the difference,

That holds this prefent queftion in the Court?

Por. I am informed throughly of the cafe.

Which is the merchant here and which the Jeru?
Duke. Anthonio and old Shylock, both stand forth.
Por. Is your name Shylock?

Shy. Shylock is my name.

Por. Of a ftrange nature is the fuit you follow ; Yet in fuch rule, that the Venetian law

Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.

You ftand within his danger, do you not? [To Anth. G 4

Ant.