He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes 9; Fall party-colour'd lambs', and those were Jacob's2. This was a way to thrive, and he was blest; Again, in Drayton's Mooncalf: 9 66 nothing doth so please her mind, "As to see mares and horses do their kind." COLLINS. the FULSOME ewes ;] Fulsome, I believe, in this instance, means lascivious, obscene. The same epithet is bestowed on the night, in Acolastus his After-Witte. By S. N. 1600: 66 Why shines not Phoebus in the fulsome night?" In the play of Muleasses the Turk, Madam Fulsome a Bawd is introduced. The word, however, sometimes signifies offensive in smell. So, in Chapman's version of the 17th Book of the Odyssey: 66 and fill'd his fulsome scrip," &c. Again, in the dedication to Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, p. 63: " noisome or fulsome for bad smells, as butcher's slaughter houses," &c. It is likewise used by Shakspeare in King John, to express some quality offensive to nature: 66 "And stop this gap of breath with fulsome dust." Again, in Thomas Newton's Herball to the Bible, 8vo. 1587: Having a strong sent and fulsome smell, which neither men nor beastes take delight to smell unto." Again, ibid. : "Boxe is naturally dry, juicelesse, fulsomely and loathsomely smelling." Again, in Arthur Golding's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, b. xv.: 66 But what have you poore sheepe misdone, a cattel meek and meeld, "Created for to manteine man, whose fulsome dugs do yeeld "Sweete nectar," &c. STEEVENS. Minsheu supposes it to mean nauseous in so high a degree as to excite vomiting. MALONE. It perhaps only meant, in this passage, pregnant. Fulsome frequently was used for full, as it certainly was in Mr. Steevens's quotation from Golding: "Pleno quæ fertis in ubere." The same writer, in his translation of Abraham's Sacrifice, by Beza, speaks of the moon's "round and fulsome face." BoSWELL. I FALL party-colour'd lambs,] To fall is frequently used by our author as a verb active, to let fall, to drop. BOSWELL. and those were Jacob's.] See Genesis xxx. 37, &c. 2 STEEVENS. This thrift is blessing, if men steal it not. ANT. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv'd for; A thing not in his power to bring to pass, But sway'd, and fashion'd, by the hand of heaven. Was this inserted to make interest good? Or is your gold and silver, ewes and rams? 4 SHY. I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast 1:But note me, signior. ANT. Mark you this, Bassanio, The devil can cite scripture for his purpose". An evil soul, producing holy witness, O, what a goodly outside falshood hath"! SHY. Three thousand ducats,-'tis a good round sum. Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. 3 This was a way to thrive, &c.] So, in the ancient song of Gernutus the Jew of Venice: Her cow, &c. seems to have suggested to Shakspeare Shylock's argument for usury. PERCY. I make it BREED as fast:] So, in our author's Venus and Adonis : "Foul cank'ring rust the hidden treasure frets; "But gold that's put to use more gold begets." MALONE. 5 The devil can cite scripture, &c.] See St. Matthew iv. 6. HENLEY. 60, what a goodly outside FALSHOOD hath!] Falshood, which as truth means honesty, is taken here for treachery and knavery, does not stand for falshood in general, but for the dishonesty now operating. JOHNSON. ANT. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you? SHY. Signior Antonio, many a time and oft, About my monies, and my usances': 7 9 my USANCES:] Use and usance are both words anciently employ'd for usury, both in its favourable and unfavourable sense. So, in The English Traveller, 1633 : Again: " "Give me my use, give me my principal." 66 A toy; the main about five hundred pounds, Mr. Ritson asks, whether Mr. Steevens is not mistaken in saying that use and usance were anciently employed for usury. "Use and usance (he adds) mean nothing more than interest; and the former word is still used by country people in the same That Mr. Steevens however, is right respecting the word in the text, will appear from the following quotation: "I knowe a gentleman borne to five hundred pounde lande, did never receyve above a thousand pound of nete money, and within certeyne yeres ronnynge still upon usurie and double usurie, the merchants termyng it usance and double usance, by a more clenly name he did owe to master usurer five thousand pound at the last, borowyng but one thousande pounde at first, so that his land was clean gone, beynge five hundred poundes inherytance, for one thousand pound in money, and the usurie of the same money for so fewe yeres; and the man now beggeth." Wylson on Usurye, 1572, p. 32. REED. Usance, in our author's time, I believe, signified interest of money. It has been already used in this play in that sense: "He lends out money gratis, and brings down "The rate of usance with us here in Venice." Again, in a subsequent part, he says, he will take "no doit of usance for his monies." Here it must mean interest. MALONE. 8 Still have I borne it with a patient shrug ;] So, in Marlowe's Jew of Malta, (written and acted before 1593,) printed in 1633: "I learn'd in Florence how to kiss my hand, "Heave up my shoulders when they call me dogge." MALONE. And all for use of that which is mine own. 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 And SPIT] The old copies always read spet, which spelling is followed by Milton: "Of Stygian darkness spets her thickest gloom." STEEVENS. I 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. Dr. Warburton very truly interprets this passage. Old Meres says, "Usurie and encrease by gold and silver is unlawful, because against nature; nature hath made them sterill and barren, usurie makes them procreative." FARMER. The honour of starting this conceit belongs to Aristotle. See De Repub. lib. i. HOLT WHITE. But lend it rather to thine enemy; Who if he break, thou may'st with better face SHY. 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: Go with me to a notary, seal me there In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken 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 in my necessity 2. 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. Ofather Abraham, what these Christians are; Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this; If he should break his day, what should I gain *First folio, penalties. + First folio, it pleaseth. Thus both the quarto printed by Roberts, and that by Heyes, in 1600. The folio has a breed of. MALONE. 2 - DWELL in my necessity.] To dwell seems in this place to mean the same as to continue. To abide has both the senses of habitation and continuance. JOHNSON. |