Sale. Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind; Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there Will show you his estate. Gra. Nerissa, cheer yon' stranger; bid her welcome. Your hand, Salerio; What's the news from Venice? How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio? I know, he will be glad of our success; We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.^ Sale. 'Would you had won the fleece that he hath lost! Por. There are some shrewd contents in yon' same paper, That steal the colour from Bassanio's cheek: Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world Of any constant man. What, worse and worse?— And I must freely have the half of any thing O sweet Portia, Bass. How much I was a braggart: When I told you I have engag'd myself to a dear friend, 4 We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.] So, in Abraham Fleming's Rythme Decasyllabicall, upon this last luckie Voyage of worthie Capteine Frobisher, 1577: “The golden fleece (like Jason) hath he got, "And rich return'd saunce losse or luckless lot." Again, in the old play of King Leir, 1605: "I will returne seyz'd of as rich a prize “As Jason, when he wanne the golden fleece." It appears, from the registers of the Stationers' Company, that we seem to have had a version of Valerius Flaccus in 1565. In this year (whether in verse or prose is unknown) was entered to J. Purfoote: "The story of Jason, howe he gotte the golden flece, and howe he did begyle Media [Medea,] out of Laten into Englishe, by Nycholas Whyte." Steevens. Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy, And not one vessel 'scape the dreadful touch Sale. Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him; Jes. When I was with him, I have heard him swear, To Tubal, and to Chus, his countrymen, That he would rather have Antonio's flesh, Than twenty times the value of the sum It will go hard with poor Antonio. Por. Is it your dear friend, that is thus in trouble? Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man, The best condition'd and unwearied spirit In doing courtesies; and one in whom 5 The paper as the body --] I believe, the author wrote-is the body. The two words are frequently confounded in the old copies. So, in the first quarto edition of this play, Act IV: "Is dearly bought, as mine," &c. instead of—is mine. Malone. The expression is somewhat elliptical: "The paper as the body," means-the paper resembles the body, is as the body. Steevens. Por. What sum owes he the Jew? What, no more? Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond; Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault. Bass. [Reads] Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since, in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and I, if I might but see you at my death: notwithstanding, use your pleasure: if your love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter. Por. O love, despatch all business, and be gone. No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay, No rest be interposer 'twixt us twain. [Exeunt. 6 cheer;] i. e. countenance. So, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Vol. II, p. 369: "That liv'd, that lov'd, that lik’d, that look'd, with cheer." See note on this passage. Steevens. and I,] This inaccuracy, I believe, was our author's. Mr. Pope reads and me. Malone. SCENE III. Venice. A Street. Enter SHYLOCK, SALANIO, ANTONIO, and Gaoler. Shy. Gaoler, look to him;-Tell not me of mer су; This is the fool that lent out money gratis ;- Ant. Hear me yet, good Shylock. The duke shall grant me justice.-I do wonder, Ant. I pray thee, hear me speak. Shy. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak: I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more. I'll not be made a soft and dull-ey'd fool," To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield To christian intercessors. Follow not; I'll have no speaking; I will have my bond. [Exit SHY. Salan. It is the most impenetrable cur, That ever kept with men. Let him alone; Ant. Many that have at times made moan to me; Salan. I am sure, the duke Will never grant this forfeiture to hold. 8 ▬▬▬▬▬ so fond —] i. e. so foolish. So, in the old comedy of Mother Bombie, 1594, by Lyly: -that the youth seeing her. fair cheeks, may be enamoured before they hear her fond speech." 9 Steevens. dull-ey'd fool,] This epithet dull-ey'd is bestowed on melancholy in Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Steevens. The duke cannot deny &c.] As the reason here given seems a little perplex'd, it may be proper to explain it. If, says he, the For the commodity that strangers have Well, gaoler, on:-Pray God, Bassanio come SCENE IV. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Enter PORTIA, NERISSA, LORENZO, JESSICA, and BALTHAZAR. Lor. Madam, although I speak it in your presence, You have a noble and a true conceit Of god-like amity; which appears most strongly But if you knew to whom you show this honour, duke stop the course of law, it will be attended with this inconvenience, that stranger merchants, by whom the wealth and power of this city is supported, will cry out of injustice. For the known stated law being their guide and security, they will never bear to have the current of it stopped on any pretence of equity whatsoever. Warburton. 2 For the commodity that strangers have With us in Venice, if it be denied, &c.] i. e. for the denial of those rights to strangers, which render their abode at Venice so commodious and agreeable to them, would much impeach the justice of the state. The consequence would be, that strangers would not reside or carry on traffick here; and the wealth and strength of the state would be diminished. In The Historye of Italye, by W. Thomas, quarto, 1567, there is a section On the libertee of straungers at Venice. Malone. |