Shakespeare's play of the Merchant of Venice Part 8

GLEE.[69]

O happy fair!

Your eyes are lode-stars, and your tongue sweet air!

More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear![70]

Ho! who's within?

_Enter_ JESSICA, _above_.

_Jes_. Who are you? Tell me, for more certainty, Albeit I'll swear that I do know your tongue.

_Lor_. Lorenzo, and thy love.

_Jes_. Lorenzo, certain; and my love, indeed; For who love I so much? And now who knows But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours?

_Lor_. Heaven, and thy thoughts, are witness that thou art.

_Jes_. Here, catch this casket; it is worth the pains.

_Lor_. Come, come at once; For the close night doth play the run-away, And we are staid for at Ba.s.sanio's feast.

_Jes_. I will make fast the doors, and gild myself With some more ducats, and be with you straight.

[_Exit from above_.

_Gra_. Now, by my hood, a Gentile and no Jew.[71]

_Lor_. Beshrew me, but I love her heartily: For she is wise, if I can judge of her; And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true; And true she is, as she hath prov'd herself; And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true, Shall she be placed in my constant soul.

_Enter JESSICA, below_.

What, art thou come?--On, gentlemen, away; Our masquing mates by this time for us stay.

[_Exeunt_

_Enter various parties of Maskers, Revellers, &c_.

END OF SECOND ACT.

HISTORICAL NOTES TO ACT SECOND.

(A) Venice occupies 72 islands. There are 306 ca.n.a.ls, 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 s.p.a.ces in front of the churches, or formed by the termination of several alleys, leading to a bridge. It is one of these s.p.a.ces 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:

[Footnote 43: _Khanzir_, Arab, a hog. A cape on the coast of Syria is named _Ras el Khanzir;_ i.e., hog's-head.]

[Footnote 44: _--for the heavens_; This expression is simply "a pretty oath." It occurs in Ben Jonson and Decker.]

[Footnote 45: _--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_.]

[Footnote 46: _I will try_ conclusions; Experiments.]

[Footnote 47: _--turn down indirectly to the Jew's house_.; This perplexed direction is given to puzzle the enquirer.]

[Footnote 48: _--now will I raise the waters.; Id est_, make him weep.]

[Footnote 49: --we talk of young master Launcelot. _Gobbo_. Of Launcelot, an't please your masters.h.i.+p. _Id est, plain_ Launcelot, and not, as you term him, _master_ Launcelot.]

[Footnote 50: _--phill horse_,; The horse in the shafts of a cart or waggon. The term is best understood in the Midland Counties.]

[Footnote 51: _--the suit is impertinent_; Launcelot is a blunderer, as well as one who can _"play upon a word;"_ here he means _pertinent_.]

[Footnote 52: _--a livery more_ guarded; More ornamented.]

[Footnote 53: _--a fairer table_; Table is the palm of the hand.]

[Footnote 54: _--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.]

[Footnote 55: _--here's a simple line of life_!; In allusion to the lines on the palm of his hand.]

[Footnote 56: _--in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed_,; A cant phrase to signify the danger of marrying.]

[Footnote 57: _--something too_ liberal:--; Gross or coa.r.s.e.]

[Footnote 58: _--hood mine eyes_; Alluding to the manner of covering a hawk's eyes.]

[Footnote 59: _--sad ostent;_ Grave appearance--show of staid and serious behaviour. _Ostent_ is a word very commonly used for _show_ among the old dramatic writers.]

[Footnote 60: _--we shall see your bearing_.; Bearing is carriage--deportment.]

[Footnote 61: _We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers_.; _Id est_, we have not yet bespoken the torch-bearers.]

[Footnote 62: _--to break up this,_ To _break up_ was a term in carving.]

[Footnote 63: _I am bid forth to supper,_; I am invited. To _bid_, in old language, meant to _pray_.]

[Footnote 64: _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.]

[Footnote 65: _nose fell a bleeding_; Some superst.i.tious belief was annexed to the accident of bleeding at the nose.]

[Footnote 66: _wry-neck'd fife,_; The upper part or mouth-piece, resembling the beak of a bird.]