FAREWELL, dear love; since thou wilt needs be gone, Nay, I will never die, so long as I can spie Farewell, farewell; since this I find is true, 5 10 But I will seek elsewhere, if I may find love there : O no, no, no, I dare not. Ten thousand times farewell;-yet stay a while :- I have no power to move. How now, am I in love? 15 Once more adieu, I see loath to depart 20 But seeing I must lose thy love, which I did choose, Goe thy way for me, since that may not be. Goe thy ways for me. But whither ? Goe, oh, but where I may come thither. What shall I doe? my love is now departed. She is as fair, as she is cruel-hearted. 25 She would not be intreated, with prayers oft repeated, If she come no more, what care I? 30 XI. GERNUTUS THE JEW OF VENICE. IN the "Life of Pope Sixtus V. translated from the Italian of Greg. Leti, by the Rev. Mr. Farneworth," folio, is a remarkable passage to the following effect: "It was reported in Rome, that Drake had taken and plundered St. Domingo in Hispaniola, and carried off an immense booty. This account came in a private letter to Paul Secchi, a very considerable merchant in the city, who had large concerns in those parts, which he had insured. Upon receiving this news, he sent for the insurer Sampson Ceneda, a Jew, and acquainted him with it. The Jew, whose interest it was to have such a report thought false, gave many reasons why it could not possibly be true, and at last worked himself into such a passion, that he said, 'I'll lay you a pound of flesh it is a lye.' Secchi, who was of a fiery hot temper, replied, 'I'll lay you a thousand crowns against a pound of your flesh that it is true.' The Jew accepted the wager, and articles were immediately executed betwixt them, 'That, if Secchi won, he should himself cut the flesh with a sharp knife from whatever part of the Jew's body he pleased.' The truth of the account was soon confirmed; and the Jew was almost distracted, when he was informed, that Secchi had solemnly swore he would compel him to an exact performance of his contract. A report of this transaction was brought to the Pope, who sent for the parties, and, being informed of the whole affair, said, 'When contracts are made, it is but just they should be fulfilled, as this shall: Take a knife, therefore, Secchi, and cut a pound of flesh from any part you please of the Jew's body. We advise you, however, to be very careful; for, if you cut but a scruple more or less than your due, you shall certainly be hanged.'' The Editor of that book is of opinion, that the scene between Shylock and Antonio in the "Merchant of Venice" is taken from this incident. But Mr. Warton, in his ingenious "Observations on the Faerie Queen," Vol. i. page 128, has referred it to the following ballad. Mr. Warton thinks this ballad was written before Shakespeare's play, as being not so circumstantial, and having more of the nakedness of an original. Besides, it differs from the play in many circumstances, which a meer copyist, such as we may suppose the ballad-maker to be, would hardly have given himself the trouble to alter. Indeed he expressly informs us, that he had his story from the Italian writers. See the "Connoisseur," Vol. i. No. 16. After all, one would be glad to know what authority Leti had for the foregoing fact, or at least for connecting it with the taking of St. Domingo by Drake; for this expedition did not happen till 1585, and it is very certain that a play of "the Jewe," representing the greedinesse of worldly chusers, and bloody minds of usurers," had been exhibited at the play-house called "the Bull" before the year 1579, being mentioned in Steph. Gosson's "Schoole of Abuse ", which was printed in that year. 66 As for Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice," the earliest edition known of it is in quarto 1600; though it had been exhibited in the year 1598, being mentioned, together with eleven others of his plays, in Meres's "Wits Treasury", &c. 1598, 12mo. fol. 282. See Malone's Shakesp. The following is printed from an ancient black-letter copy in the Pepys collection, † intitled, "A new Song, shewing the crueltie of Gernutus, a Jewe, who, lending to a merchant an hundred crowns, would have a pound of his fleshe, because he could not pay him at the time appointed. To the tune of Black and Yellow." THE FIRST PART. IN Venice towne not long agoe Gernutus called was the Jew, His life was like a barrow hogge, Yet never once doth any good, * Warton, ubi supra. + Compared with the Ashmole Copy. 5 10 Or like a filthy heap of dung, So fares it with the usurer, For feare the thiefe will him pursue His heart doth thinke on many a wile, How to deceive the poore; 15 20 His mouth is almost ful of mucke, Yet still he gapes for more. His wife must lend a shilling, 25 For every weeke a penny, Yet bring a pledge, that is double worth, And see, likewise, you keepe your day, 30 Or else you loose it all: This was the living of the wife, Her cow she did it call. Within that citie dwelt that time A marchant of great fame, Which being distressed in his need, Desiring him to stand his friend 35 For twelve month and a day, To lend to him an hundred crownes : Whatsoever he would demand of him, 40 Ver. 32. "Her Cow," &c. seems to have suggested to Shakespeare Shylock's argument for usury taken from Jacob's management of Laban's sheep, Act i. to which Antonio replies, "Was this inserted to make interest good? "No," (quoth the Jew, with flearing lookes) No penny for the loane of it But we will have a merry jeast, For to be talked long : You shall make me a bond," quoth he, And this shall be the forfeyture; 45 50 If you agree, make you the bond, 55 "With right good will!" the marchant says: When twelve month and a day drew on The marchants ships were all at sea, 60 "With all my heart," Gernutus sayd, VOL. I. I 65 70 75 |