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And pluck commiferation of his state

From braffy bofoms, and rough hearts of flint;
From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd
To offices of tender courtefie.

We all expect a gentle anfwer, Jew.

Shy. I have poffefs'd your Grace of what I purpose, And by our holy Sabbath have I fworn, To have the due and forfeit of my bond. If you deny it, let the danger light Upon your charter, and your city's freedom! You'll afk me, why I rather chufe to have A weight of carrion flesh, than to receive Three thousand ducats? I'll not anfwer that 3 But fay, it is my humour, is it answer'd ? What if my house be troubl'd with a rat, And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand ducats To have it baned? what, are you anfwer'd yet? Some men there are, love not a gaping pig; Some, that are mad, if they behold a cat ; And others, when the bag-pipe fings i' th' nofe,

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next line fays, he has answered it, and then spends the 19 following lines to justify and explain his answer. Who can doubt. then, but we should read

-Ill Now anfwer that, BY SAYING 'tis my humour.— WARBURTON.

Dr. Warburton has mistaken the fenfe. The Jews being asked a queftion which the law does not require him to answer, ftands upon his right, and refuses; but afterwards gratifies his own malignity by fuch anfwers as he knows will aggravate the pain of the enquirer. I will not answer, fays he, as to a lega or ferious question, but fince you want an anfwer, will this serve you?

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Cannot contain their urine, for affection;
Mafter of paffion, fways it to the mood

Of what it likes, or loaths. Now for your anfwer :
As there is no firm reason to be render'd,
Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;
Why he, a harmless neceffary cat;
Why he, a woollen bag-pipe; but of force

4 Mr. Rowe reads,
Cannot contain their Urine for
Affection.
Malterlefs paffion fways it to
the Mood

Of what it likes, or loaths.] Materless Paffion, Mr. Pope has fince copied. I don't know what Word there is to which this Re. lative it is to be referred. Dr. Thirlby would thus adjust the paffage.

Cannot contain their Urine; for
Affection,

Matter of Paffion, sways it, &c. And then it is govern'a of Paffton: and the two old Quarto's and Folio's read- -Matters of Paffion, &c.

it may be objected, that Affection and Pallion mean the fame Thing. But observe, the Writers of our Author's Age made a Distinction: a Johnson in Sejanus:

Must

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5 Why be, a whollen bag-pipe.] This incident Shakespear feems to have taken from J. C. Scali ger's Exot. Exercit. against Cardan. A book that our author was well read in, and much indebted to for a great deal of his phyfics: it being then much in vogue, and indeed is excellent, tho' now long fince forgot. In his 344 Exercit. Sect. 6. he has thefe words, Narrabo nunc tibi jocofam Sympathiam Reguli Vafconis Equitis. Is dum viveret audito phormingis fono, urinam illice facere cogebatur.--And to make this jocular story still more ridiculous, Shakespear, I fuppofe, tranflared phorminx by bag pipes. But what would chiefly obierve from hence is this, that as Sta. liger ufes the word Sympathiam which fignifies, and to he interprets it, communem AFFECTIONEM duabus rebus, fo Shakespear And this is certainly right. He tranflates it by AFFEC. ION;

He hath ftudied Affection's pathons, knows their Springs and ends. And then, in this place, Affection will fland for that Sympathy or Antipathy of Soul, by which we are provok'd to fhew a Liking or Dijguft in the working of cur Paffions. THEOBALD. Masterless paffion fways it to the mood.] The two old Quarto's and Folio read, MASTERS OF passion.

Canno

Muft yield to fuch inevitable fhame,
As to offend, himself being offended;
So can I give no reafon, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate and a certain loathing.
I bear Anthonio, that I follow thus

A lofing fuit against him. Are you answer'd?
Ball. This is no anfwer thou unfeeling man,
T'excufe the current of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my anfwer.

Baff. Do all men kill the thing they do not love? Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill? Baff. Ev'ry offence is not a hate at first.

Shy. What, would't thou have a ferpent fting thes twice?

Anth. I pray you, 'hink, you queftion with a Jew.
You may as well go ftand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood 'bate his ufual height.
You may as well ufe queftion with the wolf,
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb.
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
Το wag their high tops, and to make no noife,
When they are fretted with the gufts of heav'n.
You may as well do any thing moft hard,

As feek to foften that, (than which what's harder!)
His few heart. Therefore, I do beseech you,
Make no more offers, ufe no farther means;
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.

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Baff. For thy three thousand ducats here is fix.
Shy. If ev'ry ducat in fix thousand ducats
Were in fix parts, and ev'ry part a ducat,

I would not draw them, I would have my bond.
Duke. How fhalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring

none?

Shy. What judgment fhall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchas'd flave,
Which, like your affes, and your dogs, and mules,
You ule in abject and in flavish part,

Because you bought them. Shall I fay to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why fweat they under burdens? let their beds
Be made as foft as yours, and let their palates
Be feafon'd with fuch viands; you will anfwer,
The flaves are ours. So do I anfwer you.
The pound of flesh which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought, 'tis mine, and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie upon your law!

There is no force in the decrees of Venice.

I ftand for judgment.

Anfwer; fhall I have it?

Duke. Upon my pow'r I may difmifs this Court,

Unlefs Beliario, a learned Doctor, 7

Whom I have fent for to determine this,

Come here to day.

Sal. My lord, here ftays, without,

A meffinger with letters from the Doctor,
New come from Padua.

6

Duke. Bring us the letters,

Many a purchas'd flave.]This argument confidered as uled to the particular perfons, feems conclufive. I fee not how Venetians or Englifemen, while they practife the purchafe and fale of laves can much enforce or demand the law of doing to others as we would that they should do

to us.

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7 Bellario, a learned Do&or, Whom I have fent for The Doctor and Court are here fomewhat unfkilfully brought together. That the Duke would, on fuch an occafion, confult a Doctor of great reputation, is not unlikely, but how fhould this be foreknown by Portia?

Ball.

Baff. Good cheer, Anthonio. What, man, courage

yetThe Jew fhall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, Ere thou fhalt lofe for me one drop of blood.

Anth. I am a tainted weather of the flock, Meeteft for death: the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground, and fo let me. You cannot better be employed, Baffanio, Than to live ftill, and write mine epitaph.

SCENE

II.

Enter Neriffa, dress'd like a lawyer's Clerk.

Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario?
Ner. From both, my lord.
Bellario greets your

Grace.

Baff. Why doft thou whet thy knife fo earnestly? Shy. To cut the forfeit from that bankrupt there. Gra. Not on thy foal, but on thy foul, harsh

8

Few,

Thou mak'ft thy knife keen; for no metal can,
No, not the hangman's ax, bear half the keenness
Of thy fharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?
Shy. No, none that thou haft wit enough to make.
Gra. O be thou damn'd, inexorable dog,

And for thy life let juftice be accus'd!
Thou almost mak'ft me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,
That fouls of animals infuse themselves
Into the trunks of men. Thy currish spirit,
Govern'd a wolf, who,

hang'd for human flaughter,

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