Do you desire?-Rest you fair, good signior; [To ANTONIO. Your worship was the last man in our mouths. Yet, to supply the ripe wants3 of my friend, Shy. Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. Ant. And for three months. Shy. I had forgot,-three months, you told me so. Well then, your bond; and, let me see,- -But hear you; Methought, you said, you neither lend, nor borrow, Upon advantage. Ant. I do never use it. Shy. When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's sheep, This Jacob from our holy Abraham was (As his wise mother wrought in his behalf,) The third possessor; ay, he was the third. say, Ant. And what of him? did he take interest? Shy. No, not take interest; not, as you would Directly interest: mark what Jacob did. When Laban and himself were compromis'd, That all the eanlings 5 which were streak'd, and pied, Should fall as Jacob's hire; the ewes, being rank, In the end of autumn turned to the rams: And when the work of generation was Between these woolly breeders in the act, The skilful shepherd peel'd me certain wands, And in the doing of the deed of kind 6, 3 Wants come to the height, which admit no longer delay. 4 Informed. 5 Young lambs just dropt, or ean'd. This word is usually spelt yean but the Saxon etymology demands ean. ticularly to ewes. 6 i. e. of nature. It is applied par He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes ; Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv'd for; Shy. I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast:But note me, signior. Ant. Mark you this, Bassanio, The devil can cite scripture for his purpose. An evil soul, producing holy witness, Is like a villain with a smiling cheek; A goodly apple rotten at the heart; O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath! Shy. Three thousand ducats,-'tis a good round sum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. 7 Fulsome,' says Mr. Douce, has, doubtless, the same signification with the preceding epithet rank.' It is true that rank has sometimes the interpretation affixed to it of rammish in old Dictionaries, but there is also another meaning of the word which may be found in Baret's Alvearie, 1573, viz. Fruitefull, ranck, battle, Lat. fertilis. This sense would also, I think, better accord with fulsome, if it could be shown to be a synonyme. It is quite evident that Steevens's interpretation is not supported by his quotations, most of which have one of the old senses of the word foul or foulsome. Mr. Boswell's interpretation, pregnant, is inadmissible; and the quotation from Golding's Ovid is much in favour of my suggestion. The fulsome ewes may therefore only mean the fruitful ewes : 'But what have your poor sheepe misdone, a cattel meeke and meeld, Created for to maintaine man, whose fulsome dugs do yeeld Sweete nectar.' 8 Falsehood here means knavery, treachery, as truth is sometimes used for honesty. Ant. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholden to you? About my monies, and my usances 9: For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe: And all for use of that which is mine own. Well then, it now appears, you need my help: And foot me, as you spurn a stranger cur 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, 9 Interest. 10 i. e. interest, money bred from the principal. Meres says, Usurie and encrease of gold and silver is unlawful, because against nature; nature hath made them sterill and barren, usurie makes them procreative.' The honour of starting this conceit belongs to Aristotle. See De Republ. l. 1. 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 stain'd me with, Supply your present wants, and take no doit Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me : This is kind I offer. Ant. This were kindness. -- Shy. This kindness will I show:- In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me. 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 11 in my necessity. Ant. Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it; Within these two months, that's a month before 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, 11 i. e. continue; to abide has both the senses of habitation and continuance. To buy his favour, I extend this friendship: And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not. I will be with you. 12 [Exit. Ant. Hie thee, gentle Jew. This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. Bass. I like not fair terms, and a villain's mind. Ant. Come on in this there can be no dismay, My ships come home a month before the day. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and his Train; POR- 12 Fearful guard is a guard that is not to be trusted, but gives cause of fear. To fear was anciently to give as well as feel terSo in K. Henry IV. Part I. rors. A mighty and a fearful head they are.' |