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Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.

Shy. Why then the devil give him good of it: I'll stay no longer question.

Por.

Tarry, Jew,

The law hath yet another hold on you.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice,

If it be prov'd against an alien,
That by direct, or indirect attempts,
He seek the life of any citizen,

The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive,
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st:
For it appears by manifest proceeding,
That, indirectly, and directly too,
Thou hast contriv'd against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd

The danger formerly by me rehears'd.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke.

Gra. Beg that thou may'st have leave to hang thysel": And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state,

Thou hast not left the value of a cord;

Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit,

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it:

For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's ;
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio.

Shy. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that : You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life, When you do take the means whereby I live.

Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio?

Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else; for Heaven's sake. Ant. So please my lord the duke, and all the court,

To quit the fine for one half of his goods;

I am content, so he will let me have

The other half in use,-to render it,

Upon his death, unto the gentleman

That lately stole his daughter;

Two things provide:l more,―That for this favor,
He presently become a Christian;

The other, that he do record a gift,

Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd

Unto his sor Lorenzo, and his daughter.

Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant
The pardon, that I late pronounced here.

Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou say?
Shy. I am content.

Por.

Clerk, draw a deed of gift. Shy. I pray you give me leave to go from hence: I am not well; send the deed after me,

And I will sign it.

Duke.

Get thee gone, but do it.

Gra. In christening, thou shalt have two godfathers;
Had I been judge, thou should'st have had ten more,
To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner.
Por. I humbly do desire your grace of pardon ;

I must away this night toward Padua,
And it is meet, I presently set forth.

Duke. I am sorry, that your leisure serves not.
Antonio, gratify this gentleman;

For, in iny mind, you are much bound to him.

[Exit SHYLOCK.

[Exeunt DUKE, Magnificoes, and Train.

The interest of the Play ends with the delivery of Antonio, and the punishment of Shylock the fifth Act is occupied in explanations which naturally follow between the loading characters, growing out of the disguises assumed by Portia and Nerissa.

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"The story of King Lear and his three daughters, is found in Holinshed's Chronicle; and was originally told by Geoffry of Monmouth, who says that Lear was the eldest son of Bladud, and nobly governed his country for sixty years." According to that his torian, he died about 800 years before Christ. Shakspeare has taken the hint for the behavior of the steward, and the reply of Cordelia to her father concerning her future marriage, from the Mirror of Magistrates, 1587. According to Steevens, the episode of Gloster and his sons is borrowed from Sidney's Arcadia."

Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, and Lear, are placed by general consent as first in the list of Shakspeare's inspired creations, but to the character of Lear, is yielded the pre-eminence. It is perhaps the most wonderfu. dramatic conception on record. We have en. deavored to incorporate into our selections, the entire development of this extraordinary

oreation.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

LEAR, King of Britain.

KING OF FRANCE.

DUKE OF BURGUNDY.

DUKE OF CORNWALL.

DUKE OF ALBANY.

EARL OF KEnt.

EARL OF GLOSTER.

EDGAR, son to Gloster.

EDMUND, illegitimate son ta Gloster

CURAN, a courtier.

Old Man, tenant to Gloster.

Physician. Fool.

OSWALD, steward to Goneril.
An Officer employed by Edmund.
Gentleman, attendant on Cordelia.
A Herald. Servants to Cornwall.

GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, daughters to Lear.

Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers and

Attendants.

SCENE,-BRITAIN.

ACT I.

SCENE I-A Room of State in King Lear's Palace. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants.

[Exit GLOSTER & EDMUNI

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster.
Glo. I shall, my liege.
Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker purpose.
Give me the map there.-Know, that we have divided,
In three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age;
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of Cornwall,
And you, our no less loving son of Albany,

We have this hour a constant will to publish

Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife

May be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy,

Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,

Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,

And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my daughters, (Since now we will divest us, both of rule,

Interest of territory, cares of state,)

Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most?

That we our largest bounty may extend

Where merit doth most challenge it.-Goneril,

Our eldest-born, speak first.

Gon.

Sir, I

Do love you more than words can wield the matter
Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty;
Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor:
As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found.

A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

Cor. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent.
Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,
With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady: To thine and Albany's issue
Be this perpetual.-What says our second daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.

Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
I find, she names my very deed of love;

Only she comes too short,-that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys,

Which the most precious square of sense possesses;

[Aside

And find, I am alone felicitate

In your dear highness' love.
Cor.

Then poor Cordelia !

¡Aside.

And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's
More richer than my tongue.

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remains this ample third of our fair kingdom ;
No less in space, validity, and pleasure,

Than that confirm'd on Goneril.-Now, our joy,
Although the last, not least; to whose young love
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be interess'd; what can you say, to draw
A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.
Cor. Nothing, my lord.

Lear. Nothing?

Cor. Nothing.

Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: speak again.
Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty

According to my bond; nor more, nor less.

Lear. How, how, Cordelia ? mend your speech a little Lest it may mar your fortunes.

Cor.

Good my lord,

You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Return those duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honor you.
Why have my sisters husbands, if they say
They love you, all? Haply, when I shall wed,

That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care, and duty!

Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,

To love my father all.

Lear. But goes this with thy heart?
Cor.

Lear. So young, and so untender?

Cor. So young, my lord, and true.

Ay, good my lord.

Lear. Let it be so,-Thy truth then be thy dower:

For, by the sacred radiance of the sun;

The mysteries of Hecate, and the night ;

By all the operations of the orbs,

From whom we do exist, and cease to be;
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,
And as a stranger to my heart and me
Hold thee, from this, for ever.

Kent.

Lear. Peace, Kent!

Good my liege,—

Come not between the dragon and his wrath:
I lov'd her most, and thought to set my rest

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