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of the offence, if any thing can be said in excuse for the indulgence of so base a passion.

It should be borne in mind that in the days of Elizabeth, England was tight laced in religious bands; and although the Jews did not then endure as much persecution as in the reign of John, still they were then, as now, held up to unmerited obloquy, for no better reason than that which Shylock himself has proclaimed, namely-because they were Jews.

The senseless outcry generally raised against them comes with very ill grace from persons professing to be Christians; for not only were the Doctrines of our own faith most admirably illustrated by the practice of the HEAVENLY BEING who taught them, but were themselves derived from the laws of Moses.-Those laws form the revelation which we hold as sacred, and have furnished the ground-work of our municipal and fiscal codes.-Shakespeare, therefore, when giving an essay on the passion of revenge, which the character under consideration was intended to be, has followed the example of his Divine Master, by clothing the man with all the delusive impressions which might serve to palliate, if not to justify, his

acts.

The laws of Moses are in themselves beautiful; cruelty is no where inculcated, nor indeed can the people professing the Jewish faith be justly charged with the practice of that vice; on the

contrary, in the necessary slaughter of their animals, they carefully avoid giving them excess of pain, by extinguishing life with the utmost celerity.-It may then be asked, why Shakespeare has made Shylock seek the death of his enemy? And why by the taking of a pound of flesh?-On the first point, if the Reader will but have the patience to continue his perusal of these observations, he will find an answer: and on the second,he may answer himself on the instant, by remembering that Shylock is to choose the part from which the flesh is to be taken.-And he chooses the part that would instantly cause death without torture

"Nearest his heart-those are the very words.".

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ACT II. SCENE V.

THE second scene of Shylock exhibits him with his late servant and his daughter; and in this, as in every other, he has been vilely misrepresented by the actors. The servant (Launcelot) has just engaged with Bassanio, with whom he flatters himself he shall find a better place than with the Jew. To Shylock's good offices he was certainly indebted in getting the place, as Bassanio says to him,

Shylock, thy master, spoke with me this day,
And hath preferr'd thee, if it be preferment,
To leave a rich Jew's service, to become

The follower of so poor a Gentleman.

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Scene. Before Shylock's House.

Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT.

Shylock. Well, thou shalt see-thy eyes shall be thy judge,

The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio.

What, Jessica! Thou shalt not gormandize

As thou hast done with me:-What, Jessica!-
And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out:-
Why, Jessica, I say!

Enter JESSICA.

Jessica.

Call you? what is your will?

Shylock. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica;
There are my keys:—but wherefore should I go?
I am not bid for love-they flatter me.
But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
The prodigal Christian. Jessica, my girl,
Look to my house:-I am right loath to go;
There is some ill a brewing to my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

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Launcelot. I will go before, Sir.—

Mistress, look out of the window for all this;

There will come a Christian by,

Will be worth a Jewess' eye.

[Exit LAUNCELOT.]

Shylock. What says the fool of Hagar's Offspring, ha? Jessica. His words were-Farewell, Mistress: nothing else.

Shylock. The Patch was kind enough, but a huge feeder, Snail slow in profit, and he sleeps by day

More than the wild cat; drones hive not with me,
Therefore I part with him; and part with him

To one that I would have him help to waste

His borrow'd purse.-Well, Jessica, go in;
Perhaps I will return immediately;
Do as I bid you,

Shut doors after you; fast bind, fast find,
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

There is nothing of acerbity in this scene towards Launcelot nor Jessica-he is kind to each, and both betray him. Still every word is consistent. He has now a much stronger inducement to go forth, than he had to dine with Antonio,―he goes to help to waste the borrowed money-to aid the profligacy of the prodigal,—that he may thereby be the less able to furnish at maturity, the three thousand ducats, for which Antonio is now BOUND. Every feeling is sacrificed to the prosecution of his main design. Shylock's faith in dreams glances exquisitely at the dreams of Jacob and Joseph, and at the expositions of those types of waking thoughts given by many of the Jewish prophets. The allusion to HAGAR'S offspring is very appropriate to the departure of his servant; Hagar having been bondswoman to Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and having quitted her, as Launcelot does Shylock, under the supposed grievance of too little indulgence. (Genesis, chap. xvi.)

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