END OF SECOND ACT.
HISTORICAL NOTES TO ACT SECOND.
(A) Venice occupies 72 islands. There are 306 canals, traversed by innumerable gondolas. The gondolas introduced in this scene are copied from paintings of the same date as when the action of the play is supposed to occur, and are, consequently, rather varied in shape from those now seen in Venice. Besides the great squares of St. Mark, and the adjoining Piazetta before the Doge's Palace, the city has numerous narrow streets, or rather lanes, with small open spaces in front of the churches, or formed by the termination of several alleys, leading to a bridge. It is one of these spaces that is represented in the second act.
(B) "Black Monday" is Easter Monday, and was so called on this occasion. In the 34th of Edward III. (1360), the 14th April, and the morrow after Easter Day, King Edward, with his host, lay before the City of Paris, which day was full dark of mist and hail, and so bitter cold that many men died on their horse's backs with the cold.—Stowe.
FOOTNOTES:
Khanzir, Arab, a hog. A cape on the coast of Syria is named Ras el Khanzir; i.e., hog's-head.
—for the heavens; This expression is simply "a pretty oath." It occurs in Ben Jonson and Decker.
—sand-blind, high-gravel blind,; Having an imperfect sight, as if there was sand in the eye.—Gravel-blind, a coinage of Launcelot's, is the exaggeration of sand-blind.
I will try conclusions; Experiments.
—turn down indirectly to the Jew's house.; This perplexed direction is given to puzzle the enquirer.
—now will I raise the waters.; Id est, make him weep.
—we talk of young master Launcelot. Gobbo. Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership. Id est, plain Launcelot, and not, as you term him, master Launcelot.
—phill horse,; The horse in the shafts of a cart or waggon. The term is best understood in the Midland Counties.
—the suit is impertinent; Launcelot is a blunderer, as well as one who can "play upon a word;" here he means pertinent.
—a livery more guarded; More ornamented.
—a fairer table; Table is the palm of the hand.
—I shall have good fortune!; The palm which offers to swear that the owner shall have good fortune, is a fair table to be proud of.
—here's a simple line of life!; In allusion to the lines on the palm of his hand.
—in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed,; A cant phrase to signify the danger of marrying.
—something too liberal:—; Gross or coarse.
—hood mine eyes; Alluding to the manner of covering a hawk's eyes.
—sad ostent; Grave appearance—show of staid and serious behaviour. Ostent is a word very commonly used for show among the old dramatic writers.
—we shall see your bearing.; Bearing is carriage—deportment.
We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers.; Id est, we have not yet bespoken the torch-bearers.
—to break up this, To break up was a term in carving.
I am bid forth to supper,; I am invited. To bid, in old language, meant to pray.
to feed upon the prodigal Christian: The poet here means to heighten the malignity of Shylock's character, by making him depart from his settled resolve, of "neither to eat, drink nor pray with Christians," for the prosecution of his revenge.
nose fell a bleeding; Some superstitious belief was annexed to the accident of bleeding at the nose.
wry-neck'd fife,; The upper part or mouth-piece, resembling the beak of a bird.
—worth a Jewess' eye.; It's worth a Jews' eye is a proverbial phrase.
The patch is kind enough; Patch is the name of a Fool, probably in allusion to his patch'd or party colored dress.
Sung by Miss POOLE, Miss LEFFLER, and Mr. WALLWORTH.
The words are from Midsummer Night's Dream, Act i., Scene 1.
—a Gentile and no Jew.; A jest arising from the ambiguity of Gentile, which signifies both a Heathen, and one well-born.
ACT III.
SCENE I.—SALOON OF THE CASKETS IN PORTIA'S HOUSE AT BELMONT.
Enter NERISSA, with SERVANTS.
Flourish of Trumpets. Enter the PRINCE OF ARRAGON, PORTIA, and their Trains.
What says the golden chest? ha! let me see:
Such have but a shadow's bliss:
There be fools alive, I wis,[75]
Silver'd o'er; and so was this.'
By the time I linger here:
With one fool's head I came to woo,
But I go away with two.
FOOTNOTES:
—so have I address'd me: To address is to prepare—id est I have prepared myself by the same ceremonies.
That many may be meant; Many modes of speech were familiar in Shakespeare's age that are now no longer used. "May be meant," id est, meaning by that, &c.
—the fool multitude; The foolish multitude.
—I wis,; I know.
SCENE II.—RIALTO BRIDGE (A), AND GRAND CANAL.
Enter SALARINO and SALANIO.
Fled with a Christian!—O, my Christian ducats!—
Justice! the law! my ducats, and my daughter.!"
Salar. Marry, well remember'd: I reason'd[78] with a Frenchman yesterday, who told me that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas that part the French and English,—the Goodwins, I think they call the place—a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip report be an honest woman of her word.
Sal. I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapp'd ginger,[79] or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband: But it is true, that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,—O, that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!—
Salar. Come, the full stop.
Sal. Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship.
Salar. I would it might prove the end of his losses!
Sal. Let me say amen betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer; for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.
Enter SHYLOCK.
Salar. How now, Shylock? what news among the merchants?
Shy. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter's flight?
Sal. That's certain. I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal.
Salar. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledg'd; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.
Shy. She is damn'd for it.
Sal. That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.
Shy. My own flesh and blood to rebel!
Salar. 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.
Sal. 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 reason? 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 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 villany you teach me I will execute: and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
Salar. Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew.
[Exeunt SALANIO, SALARINO, 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 hears'd 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;[80] I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.
Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone.
Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true: Go, Tubal, fee me an officer, bespeak him a fortnight before: I 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.