all his jewels, and that the other was full of earth: choose which of them you like best, and then you will shee that it is not I, but your for tune that has been ungrateful. Ruggieri chose one. It was found to be the casked full of earth. The King said to him with a smile, Now you may see Ruggieri that what I told you of fortune was true; but for your sake, I will oppose her with all my strength. You have no intention, I am certain, to live in Spain, therefore I will offer you no preferment here; but that casket which fortune denied you, shall be yours in de spite of her: carry it with you into your own country, show it to your friends and neigbours, as my gift to you: and you have my permission to boast, that it is a reward of your virtues.

or

Of The MERCHANT of VENICE the style is even and easy, with few peculiarities of diction, anomalies of construction. The comick part rai ses laughter, and the serious fixes expectation. The probability of either one or the other story cannot be maintained. The union of two actions in one event is in this drama eminently happy. Dryden was much pleased with his own address in connecting the two plots of his Spanish Friar, which yet, I believe, the critick will find excelled by this play. JOHNSON..

Of the incident of the bond, no English origi nal has hitherto been pointed qut, I find, however, the following in The Orator: handling a hundred severall Discourses, in form of Declamations: some of the Arguments being drawne from Titus Livius and other ancient Writers, the rest of the Author's own invention: Part of which are of Matters happened in our

Age. Written in French by Alexander Silvayn, and Englished by L. P. [i. e. Lazarus Pilot] London, printed by Adam Islip, 1596. — (This book is not mentioned by Ames.) See p. 401.

,,DECLAMATION 95,

,,Of a Jew, who would for his debt have a pound of the flesh of a Christian.

„A Jew, unto whom a Christian merchant ought nine hundred crownes, would have summoned him for the same in Turkie: the merchant, because he would not be discredited, promised to pay the said summe within the tearme of three months, and if he paid it not, he was bound to give him a pound of the flesh of his bodie. The tearme being past some fifteene daies, the Jew refused to take his money; and demaunded the pound of flesh: the ordinairie judge of that place appointed him to cut a just pound of the Christian's flesh, and if he cut either more or lesse, then his own head should be smitten off: the Jew appealed from this sentence, - unto the chiefe judge, saying:

,,Impossible is it to breake the credit of trafficke amongst men without great detriment to the commonwealth: wherefore no man ought to bind himselfe unto such covenants which he cannot or will not accomplish, for by that means should

*Lazarus Prot, (not Pilot) is Anthony Mundy. RITSON.

no man feare to be deceaved, and credit being maintained, every man might be assured of his owne; but since deceit hath taken place, never wonder if obligations are made more rigorous and strict then they were wout, seeing that although the bonds are made never so strong, yet can no znan be very certaine that he shall not be a loser. It seemeth, at the first sight that it is a thing no less strange than cruel, to bind a man to pay a pound of the flesh of his bodie, for want of money surely, in that it is a thing not usuall, it appeareth to be somewhat the more admirable; but there are divers others that are more cruell, which because they are in use seeme nothing ter rible at all: as to binde all the bodie unto a most lothsome prison, or unto an intolerable slaverie, where not only the whole bodie but also all the sences and spirits, are tormented; the which is commonly practised, not only betwixt those which are either in sect or nation contrary, but also even amongst those that are of one sect and nation; yea amongst Christians it hath been seene that the son hath imprisoned the father for monie. Likewise in the Roman commonwealth, so famous for lawes and armes, it was lawful for debt to imprison, beat, and afflict with torment the free citizens: how manie of them (do you thinke) would have thought themselves happic, if for a small debt they might have been excu sed with the paiment of a pounde of their flesh? who ought then to marvile if a Jew requireth so small a thing of a Christian, to discharge him of a good round summe? A man may aske why I would not rather take silver, of this man, then his flesh: I might alleage many reasons; for I

might say that none but my selfe can tell what the breach of his promise hath cost me, and what I have thereby paied for want of money unto my creditors, of that which I have lost in my credit: for the miserie of those men which esteem their reputation, is so great, that oftenti mes they had rather endure any thing secretlie, then to have their discredit blazed abroad, because they would not be both shamed and harmed. neverthelesse, I doe freely confesse, that I had rather lose a pound of my flesh then my credit should be in any sort cracked: I might also say, that I have need of this flesh to cure' a friend of mine of a certaine maladie,, which is otherwise incurable; or that I would have it to terrifie thereby the Christians for ever abusing the Jews once more hereafter: but I will onlie, say, that by his obligation he oweth it me. It is lawfull to kill a squidier if he come unto the warres but an hour too late; and also to hang a theefe though he steal never so little: is it then such a great matter to cause such a one to pay a pound of his flesh, that hath broken his promise manie tior that putteth annother in danger to lose both credit and reputation, yea and it may be life, and al for griefe? were it not better for him to lose that I demaud, then his soule, alreadie bound by his faith? Neither am I to take that which he oweth me, but he is to deliver it to me: and especiallie because, no man knoweth bettet than he where the same may be spared to the least hurt of his person: for. I might take it in such place as he might thereby happen to lose his life: Whatte matter were it then if I should cut off his privie members, supposing that the

mes,

or

same would altogether weigh a just pound? els his head, should I be suffered to cut it off, although it were with the danger of mine own life? I believe, I should not; because there were as little reason therein, as there could be in the amends whereunto I should be bound; or els if I would cut off his nose, his lips, his ears, and pull out his eies, to make them altogether a pound, thould I be suffered? surely I think not, because the obligation dooth not specifie that I ought either to choose, cut, or take the same, but that he ought to give me a pound of his flesh. Of every thing that is sold, he which delivereth the same is to make waight, and he which receiveth, taketh heed that it be just; seeing then that nei ther the obligation, custome, nor law doth bind me to cut, or weigh, much lesse unto the above mentioned satisfaction, I refuse it all, and require that the same which is due should be delivered unto me, "

The Christian's Answere.

,,It is no strange matter to here those dispute of equitie which are themselves most unjust; and such as have no faith at all, desirous that others should observe the same inviolable; the which were yet the more tolerable, if such wen would be contented with reasonable things, or at least not altogether unreasonable but what reason is there that one man should unto his own prejudice desire the hurt of another? at this Jew is content to lose nine hundred crownes to have a pound of my flesh; whereby is manifestely seene