But lend it rather to thine enemy;
Who, if he break, thou may't with better face ::
Exaêt the penalty.

Shy. Why, how you storm?
I would be friends with you, and have your love :
Forget the shames that you have stain'd me with;
Supply your present wants, and take no doit
Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me :
This is kind I offer.

Anth. This were kindness.

Shy. This kindness will I show;
Go with me to a Notary, seal me there
Your single bond; and, in a merry sport,
If you repay me not on such a day,
In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are
Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body it shall please me.

Anth. Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond, And say, there is much kindness in the jewu.

Ball. You shall not seal to such a bond for me,
I'll rather dwell in my neceffity.

Anth. Why, fear not, man ; I will nct forfeit it;
Within these two months (that's a month before
This bond expires) I do expect return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

Shy. O father Abraham, what these christians are ! Whose own hard dealings teach them to suspect The thoughts of others ! pray you, tell me this, If he should break this day, what should I gain By the exaction of the forfeiture ? Sestertiis. As for the contradiction betwixt bried, and barren, it is a poetical beauty in which Claudian, among the Classics, particularly abounds. Besides, in this epithet, perhaps (as Mr. Warburton ingeniously hinted to me,) our author would shew us the reason on which the advocates against Usury went; and which is the only one they use: That metal is a barren thing; and cannot, like corn and cattle, multiply itself : and therefore it is unjust, that interest should be taken for it: for the most superstitious in this regard allow the taking interest for fruits, corn, cattle, &c.

E 4

A pound of man's felh, taken from a man,
Is not fo eftimable or profitable,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, so; if not adieu ;
And for my love, I pray you, wrong me not..

Antb. Yes, Shylack, I will feal unto this bondo

Shy. Then meet me forthwith at the Notary's.
Give him direction for this merry bond,
And I will go and purse the ducats ftrait;
See to my house, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and prefently
I'll be with you.

[Exis Anth. Hie thee, gentle Jew. This Hebrew will turn christian; he grows

kind. Bal. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind. Anth. Come on, in this there can be no dismay; My fhips come home a month before the day. (Exeunt

SCENE, BELMONT,
Enter Morochius, a Tawney-Moer, all in wbite; ang
three or four Followers accordingly; with Portia,
Neriffa, and her train. Fl. Cornets,

MOROCHIUS
Islike me not for my complexion,

The shadow'd livery of the burnih'd fun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phæbus' fire scarce thaws the isicles,
And let us make incision for your love,
To prove whose blood is reddeft, his or mine.
I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mine
Hath fear'd the valiant; by my love, I swear,
The best regarded virgins of our clime

,

Have lov'd it too : I would not change this hue,
Except to fteal your thoughts, my gentle Queen.

Por. In tirms of choice I am not solely led
By nice direction of a maiden's

eyes ;
Besides, the lottery of my destiny
Bars me the right of voluntary chusing,
But if my father had not scanted me,
And hedg'd me by his wit to yield myself
His wife, who wins me by that means I told you ;
Yourself, renowned Prince, then stood as fair,
As any comer I have look'd on yet,
For my affection.

Moi. Ev'n for that I thank you ;
Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets
To try my fortune. By this scimitar,
That flew the Sophy and a Persian Prince,
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,
I would out-ftare the sternest eyes that look,
Out-brave the heart most daring on the earth,
Pluck the young fucking cubs from the fhe-bear,
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
To win thee, lady. But, alas the while !
If Hercules and Lichas play at dice
Which is the better man, the greater

throw May turn by fortune from the weaker hand: So is Alcides beaten by his page ; (8)

And : (8) So is Alcides beaten by bis rage.] Tho' the whole set of editions concur in this reading, and it pass'd wholly unfuspected by the late Icarned editor ; I am very well assur'd, and, I dare say, the readers will be in too presently, that it is corrupt at bottom. Let us look into the poet's drift, and the history of the perfons mention'd in the context. If Hercuks (says he) and Licbes were to play at dice for the decison of their fuperiority, Licbas, the weaker man, might have the better caf of the two. But how then is Alcides beaten by his rage ? To admit this, we must suppose a gap in the poet; and that fome lines are loft, in which Hercnles, in his paffion for lofing the hand, had thrown the box and dice away, and knock'd his own head against the wall for mere madness. Thus, indeed, might he be said, in some sense, to be beaten by his ragc. But Shakespeare had no fuch stuff in his head. He means no more, than, if Licbas had the better throw, so might Hirouks himself be beaten by Lichas. And who was he, but a poor unfortunate fervant of Hercules, that unknowingly brought his

matter

ES

chuse wrong,

And so may I, blind fortune leading me,
Miss that, which one unworthier may attain;
And die with grieving.

Por. You must take your chance,
And either not attempt to chuse at all,
Or swear, before you chuse, if you
Never to speak to lady afterward
In way of marriage; therefore, be advis'd.

Mor. Nor will not; therefore, bring me to my chance.

Por. First, forward to the temple; after dinner
Your hazard shall be made.
Mor. Good fortune then !

Cornets. To make me blest, or cursed'st among men. [Exeunt.

SCEN E changes to Venice.

C С

Enter Launcelot alone. Laun. Ertainly, my conscience will serve me to run

from this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot, or good Gobbo, or good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away. My conscience says, no; take heed, hünett Launcelot;. take heed, honest Gobbo; or, as aforefaid, honest Launcemaster the envenom'd shirt, dipt in the blood of the centaur Neffus, and was thrown headlong into the sea for his pains? This one circumstance of Lichas's quality known fufficiently ascertains the emena dation I have subítituted, of page instead of rage. It is scarce requisite to hint here, it is a point so well known, that page has been always us’d in English to fignify any boy-servant: as well as what latter times have appropriated it to, a lady's trairbearer, And, consonant to our extended usage of the word, the French call a fhipboy, un page du na: vire. So much in explanation of this new adopted reading. The very excellent Lord LANSDOWNE, in his alteration of this play, tho? he might not fard to make the correction upon the poet, feems at leaft to have understood the passage exactly as I do: and tho' he changes the verse, retains the sense of it in this manner :

So were a Giant worsted by a Dwarf ! Tho.' I had made the emendation, before I thought to look into his Lordship's performance; it is no smali satisfaction to me, that I have the authority of such a Genias to back my conjecture. Mr. Pope, in his last edition, has thought fit to embrace my reading.,

lot Gooko, do not run; fcorn running with thy heels. Well, tie moit c' urayious fiend bids me pack: via! says the fiend; away! says the fiend; for the heav'ns roufe up a brave inind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my cocicience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me, my honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son, or rather an honest woman's fon ---- (for, indeed, my father did f mething smack, something grow to ; he had a kind of taste.) --- well, my conscience says, budge not; budge, says the fiend; budge not ; says my conscience ; conscience, fay I, you counsel ill; fiend, say I, you council ill. To be rul'd by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnal; and in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel ; I will run fiend, ny heels are at your commandment, I will run'

Enter old Gobbo, with a basket. Gob. Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's ?

Laun. O heav'ns, this is my true begotten father, who being more than sand-blind, high gravel-blind, knows me not ; I will try confusions with him:

Gob. Master young Gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's ?

Laun. Turn up, on your right-hard (9) at the next tärning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left;

(9) Turn up on your right band - ] This arch and perplex'd di rection, on purpose to puzzle the enquirer, seems to be copied from Syrus to Dimico, in the Brorbers of Terence : Act. 4. Sc. 2.

eas part

storieris, Adilinistram bacrectâ platea : ubi ad Dianæ veneris,

Ila ad dextram frius, quam ad portam vinias: &c. The reader, upon a collation of the whole passage, will find, how infinitely more concise and humourous the jest is couch'd in our poeto

marry,

ubi eas