Do you desire? - Rest you fair, good signior: [TO ANTONIO. Your worship was the last man in our mouths. Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend3, 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, hear you; Methought, you said, you neither lend, nor borrow, 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. Ant. And what of him? did he take interest? But Shy. No, not take interest; not, as you would say, Directly interest: mark what Jacob did. When Laban and himself were compromis'd, That all the eanlings which were streak'd, and pied, He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes ; 3 the ripe wants of my friend,] Ripe wants are wants come to the height, wants that can have no longer delay. - · possess'd,] i. e. acquainted, informed. the eanlings-] Lambs just dropt: from ean, eniti. of kind,] i. e. of nature. Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time Fall party-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob's. Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv'd for; But sway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heaven. Ant. Mark you this, Bassanio, sum. 'tis a good round Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. In the Rialto you have rated me About my monies, and my usances:7 Still have I borne it with a patient shrug; And all for use of that which is mine own. 7 my usances:] Use and usance are both words anciently employ'd for usury, both in its favourable and unfavourable sense. But Mr. Ritson says, that Use and usance, mean nothing more than interest; and the former word is still used by country people in the same sense. 8 Shylock, we would have monies; You say so; 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, Who if he break, thou may'st with better face Shy. Of usance for my monies, and you'll not hear me : 8 Shylock,] Our author, as Dr. Farmer informs me, took the name of his Jew from an old pamphlet entitled: Caleb Shillocke, his Prophesie: or the Jewes Prediction. London, printed for T. P. (Thomas Pavyer.) No date. STEEVENS. 9 A breed for barren metal of his friend?] A breed, that is interest money bred from the principal. By the epithet barren, the author would instruct us in the argument on which the advocates against usury went, which is this; that money is a barren thing, and cannot, like corn and cattle, multiply itself. And to set off the absurdity of this kind of usury, he put breed and barren in opposition. WARBURTON. This kindness will I show” — Ant. This were kindness. Go with me to a notary, seal me there Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken Ant. Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond, Bass. You shall not seal to such a bond for me, I'll rather dwell 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, And, for my love, I pray you, wrong me not. Ant. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. 1 left in the fearful guard, &c.] 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 terrours. JOHNSON. Hie thee, gentle Jew. [Exit. This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. ACT II. SCENE I. Belmont. A Room in Portia's House. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and his Train; PORTIA, NERISSA, and other of her Attend ants. Mor. Mislike me not for my complexion, Hath fear'd the valiant;3 by my love, I swear, Have lov'd it too: I would not change this hue, 2 To prove whose blood is reddest, his, or mine.] To understand how the tawny prince, whose savage dignity is very well supported, means to recommend himself by this challenge, it must be remembered that red blood is a traditionary sign of courage: Thus Macbeth calls one of his frighted soldiers, a lily-liver'd boy; again, in this play, cowards are said to have livers as white as milk; and an effeminate and timorous man is termed a milksop. JOHNSON. 3 Hath fear'd the valiant,] i. e. terrify'd. To fear is often used by our old writers, in this sense. |