Against the world, the Roman Empire, over which Cæsar ruled, included nearly

known world.
None so poor, &c.,
even the meanest

person is now too

opinion to do honour to Cæsar.

But yesterday, the word of Cæsar might
Have stood against the world *-

-now lies he

40

there, And none so poor* as to do him reverence! the whole of the then O masters! if I were disposed to stir Your hearts and mind to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus and Cassius* wrong, wrong, Who, you all know, are honourable men! high in his own I will not do them wrong; I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, Than I will wrong such honourable men !— But here's a parchment* with the seal of Cæsarhonours. He was the I found it in his closet *-'tis his will! author of the conspi- Let but the commons * hear his testamentracy to murder his benefactor. (Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read),Parchment, the skin And they will go and kiss dead Cæsar's wounds, 50 prepared for writing And dip their napkins in his sacred blood; Yea, beg a hair of him for memory; private And, dying, mention it within their wills,

Cassius was a Roman noble, upon whom Cæsar bestowed great

of a sheep or goat

on.

Closet, a

room.

Commons, the com- Bequeathing it, as a rich legacy,*
Unto their issue! *

mon people.
Legacy, anything left
by will,

Issue, children, de.

scendants.

The Nervii were the most warlike of the Belgic tribes. Their country was in the north-eastern portion of France. In 57 B. C. Cæsar so totally defeated them, that they had only 5co fighting men left out of 60,000. Casca was the conthe first thrust at

spirator who aimed

Cæsar.

If

you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle. I remember
The first time that ever Cæsar put it on:
'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent-
That day he overcame the Nervii !
Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger
through!-

*

See what a rent the envious Casca * made !—
Through this, the well-beloved Brutus stabbed!
And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it!
As rushing out of doors, to be resolved*
If Brutus so unkindly knocked, or no ;-
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel!
Judge, O ye gods, how dearly Cæsar loved him!
This, this was the unkindest cut of all!
For when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' * arms,
who Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty
heart;

To be resolved, to be certain.

Casar's angel here
h's best

means
friend.
Traitor, one

plots against his sove-
reign or the govern-
ment.

Pompey's statue, a statue set up in the

Forum to the honour of Pompey the Great, the predecessor of

Cæsar.

And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statue *-
Which all the while ran blood !-great Cæsar
fell!

Oh! what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down;

45

55

60

65

70

75

Whilst bloody treason* flourished over us!
80 Oh! now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity:* these are gracious drops!
Kind souls! what! weep you when you but
behold

Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? look you here!
Here is himself-marred,* as you

traitors!

Bloody treason, &c., the treason which caused Cæsar's blood to be shed, triumphed for the time being. Dint of pity, the effect of pity which causes you to shed

tears. see, by

85 Good friends! sweet friends! let me not stir you up

To such a sudden flood of mutiny!

They that have done this deed are honourable !
What private griefs they have, alas, I know
not,

That made them do it: they are wise and

honourable,

90 And will, no doubt, with reason answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts.
I am no orator,* as Brutus is;
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt * man,
That loves his friend-and that they know

full well

*

*

95 That gave me public leave to speak of him-
For I have neither wit,* nor words, nor worth,'
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on!
I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
100 Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor
dumb mouths ! *

And bid them speak for me. But, were I
Brutus,

And Brutus Antony,* there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæsar, that should move
105 The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny!

5

Marred, disfigured.

Poppy, a plant having large showy flow

ers.

FLEETING PLEASURES.-Burns.
BUT pleasures are like poppies* spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed:
Or like the snow-fall in the river,
A moment white-then gone for ever:
Or like the borealis
race,
That flit ere you can point their place:
Or like the rainbow's lovely form,
Evanishing* amid the storm.

*

Borealis race, here reference is made to the "Northern Lights."

Evanishing, disappearing.

MERCHANT OF VENICE,* ACT IV. SCENE I.

Shakspeare.

Magnificoes were Enter the DUKE; the MAGNIFICOES ;* ANTONIO, BASSANIO, GRATIANO, SALARINO, SALANIO, and others.

the higher or

chief nobles of Venice.

Antonio, a young merchant, who used to lend

money to dis

tressed people

any interest for

Duke. What, is Antonio * here?

Ant. Ready, so please your grace.

Duke. I am sorry for thee; thou art come to

answer

without receiving A stony adversary,* an inhuman wretch Uncapable of pity, void and empty From any dram* of mercy.

it.

Adversary, an

enemy.

Uncapable (now written incap

able), not being

able to pity.
Dram, the small-
est quantity.
To qualify, &c.,

to turn him from
his cruel inten-

tion. Rigorous, severe, stern, cruel. Obdurate, harsh, very cruel, stubborn.

The Jew, Shylock, who hated Antonio because the latter had often insulted him in the streets and

public places, and found fault with him for lending money at a high

rate of interest. The world, those

interested in the matter; here means the people

of Venice

Where, whereas.

Moiety, portion.

Ant.

*

I have heard,
Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify
His rigorous* course; but, since he stands obdurate,*
And that no lawful means can carry me
Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose
My patience to his fury; and am arm'd
To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,
The very tyranny and rage of his.

Duke. Go one, and call the Jew* into the court.
Salan. He's ready at the door: he comes, my

lord.

Enter SHYLOCK.

Duke. Make room, and let him stand before our

face.

Shylock, the world* thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act; and then, 'tis thought,
Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty,

And, where* thou now exact'st the penalty,
Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,
Thou wilt not only lose the forfeiture,

But, touch'd with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety* of the principal,

Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,

That have of late brought down such ruin on him,

5

ΙΟ

15

20

25

Venice was once an important commercial city. It is situated on the islands at the mouth of the river Po, in northern Italy. It has canals for streets, and above 300 bridges over them, the chief of which is the Rialto, built of white marble.

30 Enough to press a royal merchant* down. We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.

Royal merchant, the great Italian merchants who

Shy. I have possess'd* your grace of what I had claims on

purpose;

And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn To have the due and forfeit of my bond.* 35 If you deny it, let the danger light

Upon your charter* and your city's freedom.*
You'll ask me why I rather choose to have
A weight of carrion flesh than to receive
Three thousand ducats.' I'll not answer that,
40 But say it is my humour. Is it answer'd?
What if my house be troubled with a rat,
And I be pleased to give ten thousand ducats
To have it baned?* What, are you answer'd yet?
Bass. This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,

45 To excuse the current* of thy cruelty.

Shy. I am not bound to please thee with

answer.

Ant. I pray you, think yon question with
Jew:*

You may as well go stand upon the beach,
And bid the main flood* bate* his usual height;
50 You may as well use question with the wolf

my,

the

Why he hath made the ewe * bleat for the lamb,
As try to melt his Jewish heart to kindness.
Bass. For thy three thousand ducats here are six.
Shy. If every ducat in six thousand ducats
55 Were in six parts, and every part a ducat,

I would not draw them; I would have my bond.
Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering
none?

Shy. What judgment* shall I dread, doing no
wrong?

The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
60 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 stand for judgment: answer; shall I have it?
Duke. Upon my power * I may dismiss this court,

65 Unless Bellario, a learned doctor,

*

Whom I have sent for to determine this,
Come here to-day.

Salar.

My lord, here stays without
A messenger with letters from the doctor,

*

70 New come from Padua.*

Duke. Bring us the letters; call the messenger.

kingdoms, and
sometimes
acquired princi
palities for them-
selves.
Possessed, in-
formed.
Bond, a binding
agreement.

Charter, that on
which the laws
were written.
City's freedom,
the power to pro-
tect thefree rights
of the citizens.
Ducat, a silver
coin, varying in
value in different
countries, so call-

ed because coin

ed in the domin

ions of a Duke.

A silver ducat is
worth about 4s.
6d.; a gold one,
twice as much.
Baned,destroyed,
poisoned.
Current, course.
Think you ques-
tion with the Jew,
you
are dealing with
a Jew who e
heart is hardened
against argu-
ment.

remember

Main flood, the ocean, the rising tide.

Bate, to stop, lower, or diminish. Ewe, a female sheep. Judgment, punishment, sentence. Decrees, laws. Judgment here means a verdict. Upon my power, on my authority. Determine, decide.

New, just now, this instant. Padua, an ancient city in Lombardy, about twenty miles

from Venice.

Bass. Good cheer, Antonio! What, man? courage
yet!

*

The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all,
Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.
Ant. I am a tainted wether * of the flock,
Meetest for death; the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me :
You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio,
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.*

Enter NERISSA,* dressed like a lawyer's clerk.

Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario?
Ner. From both, my lord: Bellario greets * your
grace.
[Presents a letter.
Bass. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
Shy. To cut the forfeiture* from that bankrupt

there.

*

Gra. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew,
Thou mak'st thy knife keen: but no metal can,
No, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness
Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?

Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.
Gra. O, for thy life let justice be accused.*
Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,*

That souls of animals infuse themselves
Into the trunks of men: for thy desires

Are wolfish, bloody, starved, and ravenous.

Shy. Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond, 95
Thou but offend'st* thy lungs to speak so loud:
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall

*

To cureless ruin.-I stand here for law.

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend
A
and learned doctor to our court :-
young
Where is he?

Ner.

He attendeth here hard by,

To know your answer whether you'll admit him.
Duke. With all my heart :-some three or four of

you,

Go give him cordial conduct to this place.

Enter PORTIA,* dressed like a doctor of laws.

Duke. Give me your hand. Came you from old

Bellario?

Por I did, my lord.

100

105