Do you desire?-Rest you fair, good signior; [TO ANTONIO. Your worship was the last man in our mouths. Ant. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow, By taking, nor by giving of excess, Yet, to supply the ripe wants3 of my friend, How much you would? 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, In the end of autumn turned to the rams: 3 Wants come to the height, which admit no longer delay. It is applied par 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. He stuck them up before the fulsome 7 ewes ; Ant. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv'd for; : Or is your gold and silver, ewes and rams? Ant. 8 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: And all for use of that which is mine own. Well then, it now appears, you need my help: 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, But lend it rather to thine enemy; 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. 1. 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. Go with me to a notary, seal me there If you repay me not on such a day, 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; 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 By the exaction of the forfeiture? A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man, Is not so estimable, profitable neither, As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say, 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. 12 And I will go and purse the ducats straight; I will be with you. [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.' |