The

His request was granted, and the king presented him with one of the most beautiful and excellent One of the mules, that had ever been mounted. king's trusty servants was commanded to accompany Ruggieri, and riding along with him, to pick up, and recollect every word he said of the king, and then mention that it was the order of his sovereign, that he should go back to him. The man watching the opportunity, joined Ruggieri when he set out, said he going towards Italy, and would be glad to ride in company with him. Ruggieri jogging on with his mule, and talking of one thing or other, it being near nine o'clock, told his companion, that they would do well to put up their mules a little, and as soon as they entered the stable, every beast, except his, began to stale. Riding on further, they came to a river, and watering the beasts, his mule staled in the river: you untoward beast, says he, you are like your master, who gave you to me. servant remembered this expression, and many others as they rode on all day together: but he heard not a single word drop from him, but what was in praise of the king. The next morning Ruggieri was told the order of the king, and instantly turned back. When the king had heard what he had said of the mule, he commanded him into his presence, and with a smile, asked him, for what reason he had compared the mule to him. Ruggieri answered, My reason is plain, you give where you ought not to give, and where you ought to give, you give nothing; in the same manner the mule would not stale where she ought, and where she ought not, there she staled, The king said upon this, If I have not rewarded you as I have do not entertain a thought that I was inmany, sensible to your great merit; it is Fortune who hindered me; she is to blame, and not I; and I will shew you manifestly that I speak truth. My discontent, sir, proceeds not, answered Ruggieri,

from

from a desire of being enriched, but from your not having given the smallest testimony to my deserts in your service: nevertheless your excuse is valid, and I am ready to see the proof you mention, though I can easily believe you without it. The king conducted him to a hall, where he had already commanded two large caskets, shut close, to be placed and before a large company told Ruggieri, that in one of them was contained his crown, scepter, and all his jewels, and that the other was full of earth: choose which of them you like best, and then you will see that it is not I, but your fortune that has been ungrateful. Ruggieri, chose one. It was found to be the casket full of earth. The king said to him with a smile, Now you may see Ruggieri that what I told you of fortune is true; but for your sake, I will oppose her with all my strength. You have no intention, I am certain, to live in Spain, therefore I will offer you no preferment here, but that casket which fortune denied you, shall be yours in spite of her: carry it with you into your own country, shew it to your friends, and neighbours, as my gift to you; and you have my permission to boast, that it is a reward, of your virtues.

JOHNSON.

SINCE the first edition of the Reliques of English poetry was printed, the Editor hath had reason to believe that both Shakspeare and the Author of the ballad, are indebted for their story of the Jew (however they came by it) to an Italian Novel, which was first printed at Milan in the year 1554, in a book intitled, Il Pecorone, nel quale si contengono Cinquanta Novelle antiche, &c. republished at Florence about the year 1748 or 9.-The Author Ser Giovanni Fiorentino, who wrote in 1378; thirty after the time, in which the scene of Boccace's

years

Decameron

Decameron is laid. (Vide Manni Istoria del Decamerone di Giov. Boccac. 4to Fior. 1744.)

That Shakspeare had his plot from the novel itself, is evident from his having some incidents from it, which are not found in the Ballad: And I think it will also be found that he borowed from the ballad some hints, that were not suggested by the novel. (See the Ballad, pt. 2d. ver. 25, &c. where instead of that spirited description of the whetted blade, &c. the prose narrative coldly says, "The "Jew had prepared a razor," &c. See also some other passages in the same piece. This, however, is spoken with diffidence, as I have at present before me only the abridgment of the novel which Mr. Johnson has given us at the end of his Commentary on Shakspeare's play. The translation of the Italian story at large, is not easy to be met with, having, I believe, never been published, though it was printed some years ago with this title,"The

Novel, from which the Merchant of Venice, "written by Shakspeare is taken, translated from "the Italian. To which is added a Translation of "a Novel from the Decamerone of Boccaccio. "London, printed for M. Cooper. 1755.

8vo." PERCY.

THE Jew of Venice was a story exceedingly well known in Shakspeare's time; celebrated in ballads; and taken (perhaps) originally from an Italian book, intitled- -Il Pecorone: the author of which calls himself,- -Ser Giovanni Fiorentino; and writ his book, as he tells you in some humourous verses at the beginning of it, in 1378, three years after the death of Boccace: It is divided into giornatas, and the story we are speaking of is in the first novel of the giornata quarta; edit. 1565, octavo, in Vinegia. This novel Shakspeare certainly read;

either in the original, or (which I rather think) in some translation that is not now to be met with, and

formed his play upon it. It was translated anew, and made public in 1755, in a small octavo pamphlet, printed for M. Cooper: and, at the end of it, a novel of Boccace; (the first of day the tenth) which, as the translator rightly judges, might possibly produce the scene of caskets, substituted by the poet in the place of one in the other novel, that was not fit for the stage. CAPELL.

THE reader has been presented with a distinct epitome of the novels from which the story of this play is supposed to be taken. It should however be

remembered, that if our poet was at all indebted to the Italian novellists, it must have been through the medium of some old translation, which has hitherto escaped the researches of his most industrious editors.

It appears from a passage in Stephen Gosson's School of Abuse, &c. 1579, that a play, compre. hending the distinct plots of Shakspeare's Merchant of Venice, had been exhibited long before he commenced a writer, viz. "The Jew shewn at the "Bull, representing the greedinesse of worldly "choosers, and the bloody minds of usurers." These plays, says Gosson, (for he mentions others with it) are goode and sweete plays, &c.

ور

It is therefore not improbable that Shakspeare new-wrote his piece, on the model already mentioned, and that the elder performance, being inferior, was permitted to drop silently into ob livion.

This play of Shakspeare had been exhibited be fore the year 1598, as appears from Meres's Wits Treasury, where it is mentioned with eleven more of our author's pieces. It was entered on the books

of

of the Stationers' Company, July 22, in the same year. It could not have been printed earlier, because it was not yet licensed. The old song of Gernutus the Jew of Venice, is published by Dr Percy in the first volume of his Reliques of ancient English Poetry and the ballad intitled, The Murtherous lyfe and terrible death of the rich Jewe of Malta; and the tragedie on the same subject, were both entered on the Stationers' books, May 1594.

:

STEEVENS.

THE Story was taken from an old translation of the Gesta Romanorum, first printed by Winkin de Word. The book was very popular, and Shakspeare has closely copied some of the language: an additional argument, if we wanted it, of his track of reading. Three vessels are exhibited to a lady for her choice-The first was made of pure gold, well beset with precious stones without, and within full of dead men's bones; and thereupon was engraven this posie: Whoso chooseth me, shall find that he deserveth. The second vessel was made of fine silver, filled with earth and worms, the superscription was thus, Whoso chooseth me, shall find that his nature desireth. The third vessel was made of lead, full within of precious stones, and thereupon was insculpt this posie, Whoso chooseth me, shall find that God hath disposed for him. -The lady after a comment upon each,

chooses the leaden vessel.

In a MS. of Lidgate, belonging to my very learned friend, Dr. Askew, I find a Tale of two Merchants of Egipt and of Buldad, ex Gestis Romanoruт. -Leland therefore could not be the original author, as Bishop Tanner suspected. lived a century after Lidgate. FARMER.

He

The