A cur can lend three thousand ducats? Or Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last; Ant. I am as like to call thee so again, Who if he break, thou may'st with better face Shy. Why, look you, how you storm! I would be friends with you, and have your love, Forget the shames that you have stained me with, Supply your present wants, and take no doit Of usance for my moneys; and you'll not hear me. This is kind I offer. Ant. This were kindness. If you repay me not on such a day, In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken Ant. Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond, And say, there is much kindness in the Jew. Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me; I'll rather dwell in my necessity. Ant. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it. Within these two months,-that's a month before 11. e. interest, money bred from the principal. This bond expires,-I do expect return Of thrice three times the value of this bond. Shy. O father Abraham, what these Christians are; A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, I will be with you. Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. [Exit. This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. To fear was anciently to give as well as feel terrors. So in K. Henry IV. Part I. ACT II. SCENE I. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and his Train; PORTIA, Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion, But, if my father had not scanted me, And hedged me by his wit, to yield myself His wife, who wins me by that means I told you, For my Mor. affection. Even for that I thank you; Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets, To try my fortune. By this cimeter,— 1 To understand how the tawny prince, whose savage dignity is well supported, means to recommend himself by this challenge, it must be re.nembered that red blood is a traditionary sign of courage. I would outstare the sternest eyes that look, And so may I, blind fortune leading me, Por. You must take your chance; And either not attempt to choose at all, Or swear, before you choose, if you choose wrong, Never to speak to lady afterward In way of marriage; therefore be advised.1 Mor. Nor will not; come, bring me me unto 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. SCENE II. Venice. A Street. Enter LAUNCELOT GOBBO.2 Laun. Certainly 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, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo; or, as aforesaid, honest Launcelot Gobbo, do not run; scorn running with thy 1 i. e. be considerate: advised is the word opposite to rash. 2 The old copies read-Enter the Clown alone; and throughout the play, this character is called the Clown at most of his entrances or exits. heels.' Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack; via! says the fiend; away! says the fiend, for the heavens; rouse up a brave mind, says the fiend, and run. Well, my conscience, 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 son; for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste;— well, my conscience says, Launcelot, budge not; budge, says the fiend; budge not, says my conscience. Conscience, say I, you counsel well; fiend, say I, you counsel well. To be ruled 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 incarnation; 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; my heels are at your commandment; I will run. Enter old GOBBO,2 with a Basket. Gob. Master, young man, you, I pray you; which is the way to master Jew's? Laun. [Aside.] O Heavens, this is my true begotten father! who, being more than sand-blind,3 highgravel blind, knows me not.-I will try conclusions with him. Gob. Master, young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's? Laun. Turn up on your right hand, at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's house. 1 In Much Ado About Nothing, we have "O illegitimate construction! I scorn that with my heels." 2 It has been inferred from the name of Gobbo, that Shakspeare designed this character to be represented with a hump-back. 3 "Sand-blind; having an imperfect sight, as if there was sand in the eye, myops." Holyoke's Dictionary. |