was fledg'd; and then, it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam. Shy. She is damned for it. Salar. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge. Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel! Salan. Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years? Shy. I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood. Salar. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers, than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods, than there is between red wine and rhenish. But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no? Shy. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto a beggar, that used to come so smug upon the mart.-Let him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer;-let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy;—let him look to his bond. Salar. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh what's that good for? Shy. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million'; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reasons? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed my flesh and blood.] So the 4to. by Roberts, and the folio: the 4to. by Heyes has "my flesh and my blood." Perhaps my ought in this place to be repeated for greater explicitness and emphasis: Shylock has just before used the expression, "my own flesh and blood." 7- and hindered me half a million ;] This is the reading of all the old copies, and not," and hindered me of half a million," as Malone printed it. 8 - and what's his reason?] So the two quartos: the folio reads, poorly, "and what's the reason." by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? if you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Enter a Servant. Serv. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both. Salar. We have been up and down to seek him. Salan. Here comes another of the tribe: a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew9. [Exeunt SALAN. SALAR. and Servant. Enter TUBAL. Shy. How now, Tubal? what news from Genoa? hast thou found my daughter? Tub. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her. Shy. Why there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort. The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now:-two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels.—I would, my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! would she were hearsed 9 unless the devil himself turn Jew.] This, and the preceding part of the speech, should be spoken as Tubal is approaching, and before he actually comes upon the stage; because the instant he appears, Shylock ought to put the question to him, "How now, Tubal? what news from Genoa?" Hitherto the entrance of Tubal has been wrongly placed, preceding what Salanio says, and keeping Shylock, who must naturally be all eagerness, waiting until Salanio has conIcluded his observation. 10 - would she were] The 4to, by Roberts, reads, "O! would she were." at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them?-Why, so;-and I know not what's spent in the search': Why thou-loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief, and no satisfaction, no revenge; nor no ill luck stirring, but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs, but o' my breathing; no tears, but o' my shedding. Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa, Shy. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck? Tub. hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God! I thank God! Is it true? is it true? Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck. Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal.-Good news, good news! ha ha!-Where? in Genoa?? Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats. Shy. Thou stick'st a dagger in me. I shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break. Shy. I am very glad of it. I'll plague him; I'll torture him: I am glad of it. Tub. One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. 1- I know not WHAT'S spent in the search :] This is the reading of both quartos: the folio, again more tamely, has how much is, &c. 2 WHERE? in Genoa ?] All the old editions have "here, in Genoa ?" which is evidently wrong. Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone. I Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true. Go, Tubal, fee me an officer'; bespeak him a fortnight before. will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandize I will. Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue: go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Belmont. An Apartment in PORTIA'S House. Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, and their Attendants. The caskets set out. Por. I pray you tarry: pause a day or two, But lest you should not understand me well, 3 - FEE me an officer,] So all the ancient copies; not "see me an officer," as it is misprinted in Malone's Shakespeare, by Boswell. Beshrew your eyes, They have O'ER-LOOK'D me,] "O'er-look'd me" is here used in the sense of enchanted me. So in "The Merry Wives of Windsor," A. v. sc. 5, as referred to by Malone : "Vile worm, thou wast o'er-look'd even from thy birth." Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, I speak too long; but 'tis to peize the time, Bass. Let me choose; For, as I am, I live upon the rack. Por. Upon the rack, Bassanio? then confess What treason there is mingled with your love. Bass. None, but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear th' enjoying of my love. There may as well be amity and life "Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. Por. Ay, but, I fear, you speak upon the rack, Bass. Promise me life, and I'll confess the truth. Confess, and love, Bass. Let music sound, while he doth make his choice; May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream, 5 but 'tis to PEIZE the time ;] To peize is to poise, weigh, or balance, and, as Henley remarks, figuratively to keep in suspense, or to delay. Marlowe, in his "Hero and Leander," 1598, Sest. II., uses the word in the sense of weighed :"For from the earth to heaven is Cupid raised, "Fancy Where fancy is in equal balance peized." here, as in Shakespeare, is synonymous with love. |