Muft yield to fuch inevitable shame, A lofing fuit against him. Are you answer'd? Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my anfwer. Shy. What, would't thou have a ferpent sting thee twice? As feek to foften that, (than which what's harder!) Becaufe you bought them. Shall I fay to you, Be Be feafon'd with fuch viands; you will answer, There is no force in the decrees of Venice: Whom I have fent for to determine this, Sal. My Lord, here ftays, without, A meffenger with letters from the Doctor, Duke. Bring us the letters, call the messenger. 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 earliest to the ground, and fo let me. You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio, 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 Jezu, (26) Thou (25) From both my lord Bellario greets your Grace.] Thus the two old Folios 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 refor'd, as Mr. Pope has fince done from thence in his laft edition. (26) Not on thy foale, but on thy foul, barfb Jew,] I was obliged, from the authority of the old Folios, to reftore this conceit, and jingle upon two words alike in found, but differing in fenfe. Gratiano thus rates the Jew; Tho' thou thinkest, 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 Thou mak'ft thy knife keen; for no metal can, That fouls of animals infufe themselves but this was our author's antithefis; as it is ufual fo 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 foales; I have a foul of lead, I hat stakes me to the ground; I cannot move. And again, immediately after. I am too fore enpierced with his fhaft, To feare with his light feathers. So in King John: -O, lawful let it be, That I have room with Rome to curse awhile! And, in Julius Cæfar; Now is it Rome, 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 careless ruin.] This, I am fure, is a fignal inftance of Mr. Pope's careleffness, for both the old 4tos have it curelefs. The players in their edition, for fome particular whim, chang'd the word to endless; which Mr. Rowe has copied, becaufe, I prefume, he had never feen the old Quartos. Our author has used this epithet, curelefs, again in his poem, call'd, Tarquin and Lucrece, St. 111. O, hateful, vaporous and foggy night! Duke Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend Ner. He attendeth here hard by To know your answer, whether you'll admit him. YOU OUR Grace shall understand, that, at the receipt of your letter, I am very fick : but at the inftant that your messenger came, in loving vifitation was with me a young Doctor of Rome, his name is Balthazar: I acquainted him with the caufe in controverfy between the Jew and Anthonio the merchant. We turn'd o'er many books together: he is furnished with my opinion, which, bettered with his own learning, (the greatness whereof I cannot enough com mend,) comes with him at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's requeft in my ftead. 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? Duke. You're welcome: take your place. Are you acquainted with the difference, That holds this prefent queftion in the Court? Which is the merchant here? and which the Jew? Shy. Shylock is my name. Por. Of a ftrange nature is the fuit you Yet in fuch rule, that the Venetian law Cannot impugn you, as you do proceed. follow; You ftand within his danger, do you not? [To Anth. G4 Ant. Por. Then must the Jew be merciful. Shy. On what compulfion muft I? tell me that, Wherein doth fit the dread and fear of Kings; And earthly power doth then fhew likeft God's, That in the courfe of juftice none of us Should fee falvation. We do pray for mercy; And that fame pray'r doth teach us all to render Which, if thou follow, this ftrict Court of Venice Por. Is he not able to discharge the money? I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er, That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you, (28) (28) That malice bears down truth.] I propos'd, in my SHAKESPEARE reflor'd, to read ruth here; i. e. Compaffion, mercy. But upon more mature advice, I believe, the text needs no alteration. Truth may mean here, reafon; the reasonable offers of accommodation, which we have made. Wreft |