You use in abject and in flavish part, 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. yet: The few hall 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 so earnestly? (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. Shy Shy. To cut the forfeit from that bankrupt there. Thou mak'ft thy knife keen; for no metal can, That fouls of animals infuse themselves Are wolfish, bloody, ftarv'd, and ravenous. Shy. "Till thou canft rail the feal from off my bond, Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak fo loud. Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall 66 (26) Not on thy Soale, but on thy Soul, harsh Jew,] I was obliged, from the Authority of the old Folio's, to reftore this Conceit, and Jingle upon two Words alike in found, but differing in Senfe. Gratiano thus rates the Jew; "Tho' thou thinkeft, that thou art whetting thy Knife on the Soale of thy Shoe, yet it is upon thy Soul, thy immortal Part, "that thou do'st it, thou inexorable Man!" There is no Room to doubt, 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 most serious Characters. So in Romeo and Juliet ; You have dancing Shoes, With nimble Soales; I have a Soul of Lead, And again, immediately after, I am too fore enpierced with his Shaft, To foare 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 Rome, indeed; and room enough, When there is in it but one only man. But this fort of Jingle is too perpetual with our Apthor to nced any far ther Inftances. VOL. II. F To To cureless ruin. I ftand here for law. (27) Ner. He attendeth here hard by To know your anfwer, whether you'll admit him. YOUR UR Grace fall 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 Balthafar: I acquainted him with the caufe in controverfie 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 commend,) comes with him at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's request in my ftead. I beseech you, let bis lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend eftimation: For I never knew fo young a body with fo old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whofe trial fhall 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. That holds this prefent question in the Court? (27) To careless Ruine.] This, I am fure, is a fignal Inftance of Mr. Pope's Carelefsnefs, 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, I prefume, he had never feen the old Quarto's. Our Author has used this Epithet, cureless, again in his Poem, call'd, Tarquin and Lucrece. St. 111. O, hatefull, vaporous and foggy Night! Por. Por. I am informed throughly of the cafe. Which is the merchant here? and which the few? Duke. Anthonio and old Shylock, both stand forth. Por. Is your name Shylock? Shy. Shylock is my name. Por. Of a strange 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. Ant. Ay, fo he says. Por. Do you confefs the bond? Ant. I do. Por. Then muft the Jew be merciful. Shy. On what compulfion must I? tell me that. Wherein doth fit the dread and fear of Kings; And earthly power doth then shew likeft God's, Which, if thou follow, this ftrict Court of Venice Por. Is he not able to discharge the mony? F 2 Yea, Yea, twice the fum; if that will not fuffice, That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you, (28) To do a great right, do a little wrong; Por. It must not be, there is no pow'r in Venice 'Twill be recorded for a precedent; And many an error, by the fame example, Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel. No, not for Venice. Por. Why, this bond is forfeit; And lawfully by this the Jew may claim Hath been moft found. I charge you by the law, (28) That Malice bears down truth.] I propos'd, in my SHAKESPEARE reftor'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. Ant. |