TROILUS AND CRESSIDA.

XXV. ULYSSES ON PERSEVERANCE, Act iii. Scene 3,

JULIUS CÆSAR.

XXVI. CASSIUS' OPINION OF CESAR, Act i. Scene 1,

XXVII. MARK ANTONY'S ORATION,
XXVIII. BRUTUS AND CASSIUS,

KING LEAR.

PAGE

130

134

iii.

2,

iv.

3,

XXIX. THE THREE SISTERS, Act i. Scene 1,

OTHELLO.

XXX. OTHELLO ON HIS MARRIAGE, Act i. Scene 3,

NOTE.

The following is a list of Shakespeare's plays, drawn up, as nearly
as is now possible, in the order in which they were written :--

Comedy of Errors, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's Labour's Lost,
Taming of the Shrew, Part I., Part II., and Part III. of Henry VI.,
Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night's Dream, King John,
Richard II., Part I. and Part II. of Henry IV., Richard III., Henry
V., All's Well that Ends Well, Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About
Nothing, As You Like It, Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night,
Measure for Measure, Henry VIII., Troilus and Cressida, Othello,
King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Pericles, Julius Cæsar,
Timon of Athens, Winter's Tale, Cymbeline, Coriolanus, The Tempest.

THE

SHAKESPEARE READER.

I.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

ACT i. SCENE 3.-THE BARGAIN.

[Bassanio, a gentleman of Venice, being in want of money, applies to Antonio, the "Merchant of Venice," from whom he had previously borrowed various sums. Antonio being unable, at the time, to raise the sum of money required by Bassanio, advises him to borrow the sum from Shylock, a Jew, promising to become surety for the due repayment of the money within three months, by which time certain merchant-ships of his would have returned to Venice, and he would, as he supposed, be easily able to fulfil his engagement. Shylock, who has long cherished a hatred of Antonio, will only lend the money on condition that, in the written agreement or "bond," it should be stated that if Antonio were unable to pay the debt by the time named, the Jew should be allowed to cut from Antonio's breast a pound of flesh. The scene below represents the Jew and the two friends in the act of making this extraordinary bargain.]

SCENE: VENICE, a public place.

Bass. This is Signior Antonio.

Shy. (Aside.) How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian.

But more for that in low simplicity

1. Signior. A title of respect among the Italians, and in the south of Europe generally, e.g., the Sultan of Turkey is called the grand Seignior. It is equivalent to our Mr.

2. A fawning publican. —The publicans were tax-collectors among the ancient Jews for their Roman masters. Hence the Jews were accustomed to use the term publicun as one of great reproach. To fawn is to court favour by frisking about one as a dog; but in all common justice, this epithet could not be applied to Antonio, whose character was manly and the reverse of cringing. because.

3. For

4. For that because.

He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,

5

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains and my well won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

10

Bass.

Shylock, do you hear? Shy. I am debating of my present store,

And, by the near guess of my memory,

I cannot easily raise up the gross

Of full three thousand ducats. What of that?

5. Gratis.-Without requiring interest.

15

6. Rate of usunce rate of interest; usance is money paid for the use of money. See line 69.

6. Venice. This city was for many centuries the capital of a celebrated republic, the first maritime and commercial power of the world. The state attained the height of its prosperity in the 15th century, when Venice had a population of at least a quarter of a million. The city is built entirely on piles, and occupies 70 or 80 small islands, separated by canals, which are crossed by over 300 bridges.

7. If I can catch him once upon the hip. That is, If I can once get him into my power. It is a wrestling phrase.

S. Ancient. Of long standing.

9. Rails. Scoffs, utters reproaches.

10. Where merchants most do congregate.-Where merchants meet to transact business, or, as we should say, on the Exchange.

12. Which he calls interest.-In the early days of Christianity, it was thought sinful to expect interest for the use of money. Both "interest" and "usury" (usance) were formerly held in reprobation; the former term has now lost that character, though the latter still retains it. The profession of banking, as we know it in modern times, was utterly unknown amongst Christians; all money-lending, for purposes of gain, was therefore carried on by

Jews.

17. The gross.-The whole, the total.

18. Ducats (pron. duk'ats). A coin of several countries struck in the dominions of a duke. When made of silver it is of the value of

Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,

Will furnish me.

But soft! how many months

20

Do you desire? (To Ant.) Rest you fair, good signior;
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.

Ant. Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow

By taking nor by giving of excess,

Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a custom. Is he yet possessed

How much ye would?

Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

Shy. Three thousand ducats; 'tis a good round sum.

25

30

Three months from twelve; then, let me see; the rate

Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?
Shy. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft

In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and my usances;
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,

335

4s. 6d. The chief magistrate of Venice was called the Doge (i.e. duke). The celebrated ducat of Venice, the most ancient coin in Europe, was struck in 1284.

21. Rest you fair.—A salutation, much the same in meaning as " I hope you are quite well."

22. The last man in our mouths.-The last person about whom we were

25. Ripe wants.-Wants that are come to maturity, and therefore require immediate satisfaction.

26. Possessed.-Fully informed, put in possession of.

32. Beholding, i.e. beholden, holden, or bound. Many instances occur in Shakespeare where the pres. part. is used for the past. 34. Rialto.-A bridge built of white marble, and consisting of a single arch. It crosses the grand canal, which separates Venice into two portions nearly equal. The Exchange was on this bridge. Cf.:

"Now what news on the Rialto. " iii. 1.

39. Gaberdine.-A loose outer coat.

And all for use of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears you need my help:
Go to, then: you come to me, and you say

Shylock, we would have moneys: " you say so;
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard
And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold: moneys is your suit.
What should I say to you? Should I not say
"Hath a dog money? is it possible

40

45

A cur can lend three thousand ducats?" Or
Shall I bend low and in a bondman's key,
With bated breath and whispering humbleness,
Say this;

50

"Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurn'd me such a day; another time

55

Ant.

You call'd me dog; and for these courtesies
I'll lend you thus much moneys?"

I am as like to call thee so again,

To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.

If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not

As to thy friends; for when did friendship take

60

A breed for barren metal of his friend?
But lend it rather to thine enemy,

Who, if he break, thou may'st with better face
Exact the penalty.

43. Moneys.-Shakespeare frequently uses this word in the plural. Cf.:

"And seven hundred pounds of moneys and gold and silver."

Merry Wives of Windsor, i. 1.

44. Void your rheum upon my beard.-That is, spit upon my beard.

45. Spurn.--To strike with the spur or heel.

46. Suit.-Literally a following after; hence in common usage, a prosecution of right before any tribunal. Cf.: suite, Fr. (and Eng.),

a train of attendants.

50. A bondman's key.-The humble tones of a slave.

51. Bated breath, i.e. abated breath (as from fear).

61. A breed for barren metal.-Interest, usance, money procured by

lending money.

63. If he break, i.e. fail to repay the loan.