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29. Por. Then must the Jew be merciful.

30. Shy. On what compulsion must I? Tell me that. 31. Por. The quality of mercy is not strained: It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath: it is twice blessed: It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes: "Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown, Itself enthroned in the hearts of kings. It is the loveliest attribute of Deity; And earthly power shows likest to divine, When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this,— That, in the course of justice, none of us

Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy;

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.

32. Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law,The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

33. Por. Is he not able to discharge the money?

34. Bass. Yes: here I tender it for him, in the court;

Yea, twice the sum: if that will not suffice,

I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er,

On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart:

If this will not suffice, it must appear

That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you,

Wrest once the law to your authority.

To do a great right, do a little wrong;

And curb this cruel monster of his will.

35. Por. It must not be. There is no power in Venice Can alter a decree established:

'T will be recorded for a precedent;

And many an error, by the same example,

Will rush into the state: it can not be.

36. Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel! O wise young judge, how do I honor thee!

37. Por. 38. Shy.

39. Por.

I pray you, let me look upon the bond. Here 't is, most reverend doctor,— here it is. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offered thee. 40. Shy. An oath! an oath! I have an oath in heaven! Shall I lay perjury upon my soul?

No; not for Venice.

41. Por. Why, this bond is forfeit; And lawfully, by this, the Jew may claim A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off

Nearest the merchant's heart! Be merciful :
Take thrice thy money: bid me tear the bond.

42. Shy. When it is paid according to the tenor. There is no power in the tongue of man

To alter me. I stay here on my bond.

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43. Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court To give the judgment.

44. Por. Why, then, thus it is:

You must prepare your bosom for his knife:

45. Shy. O noble judge! O excellent young man! 46. Por. For, the intent and purpose of the law Hath full relation to the penalty,

Which here appeareth due upon the bond.

47. Shy. 'Tis very true. O wise and upright judge! How much more elder art thou than thy looks!

48. Por. Therefore, lay bare thy bosom. 49. Shy. Ay, his breast:

So the bond, — doth it not, noble judge? says

Nearest his heart": those are the very words.

50. Por. It is so. Are there scales here, to weigh the flesh 51. Shy. I have them ready.

52. Por. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge

To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.

53. Shy. Is it so nominated in the bond?

54. Por. It is not so expressed; but what of that?

'T were good you do so much for charity.

55. Shy. I can not find it: 't is not in the bond.

56. Por.

Come, merchant, have you any thing to say? 57. Ant. But little I am armed, and well prepared. 58. Por. Shylock, a pound of that same merchant's flesh

is thine:

The court awards it; and the law doth give it:

59. Shy. Most rightful judge!

60. Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast; The law allows it; and the court awards it.

61. Shy. Most learned judge! A sentence: come, prepare

62. Por. Tarry a little: there is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood:
The words expressly are "a pound of flesh.”
Take then thy bond: take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed

One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate

Unto the state of Venice.

63. Gra. O upright judge!—Mark, Jew!-Olearned judge! 64. Shy. Is that the law?

65. Por. Thyself shall see the act:

For, as thou urgest justice, be assured,

Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest.

66. Gra. Olearned judge!—Mark, Jew,—a learned judge! 67. Shy. I take this offer then: pay the bond thrice,

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The Jew shall have all justice :-Soft! - no haste:

He shall have nothing but the penalty.

70. Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! 71. Por. Therefore, prepare thee to cut off the flesh: Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less, nor more; But just a pound of flesh if thou takest more, Or less, than a just pound, be it but so much

As makes it light, or heavy, in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part

Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,

Thou diest; and all thy goods are confiscate.
72. Gra. A second Daniel! a Daniel, Jew!
73. Por.

74. Shy.

75. Bass.

Why doth the Jew pause? Take thy forfeiture.
Give me my principal, and let me go.

I have it ready for thee: here it is. 76. Por. He hath refused it in the open court: He shall have merely justice and his bond.

77. Gra. A Daniel, still say I! a second Daniel!

I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.

78. Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal?
79. Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,

To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.

80. Shy. Why, then, I'll-I'll stay no longer question ing.

81. Por. Tarry, Jew:

The law hath yet another hold on you.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice,

If it be proved against an alien,
That by direct, or indirect attempts,
He seeks the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods: the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice:

In which predicament, I say, thou standest.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke.

82. Duke. That thou mayst see the difference of our spirit

I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.

83. Shy. Nay, take my life and all: pardon not that. You take my life,

When you do take the means whereby I live.

84. Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? 85. Gra. A halter gratis, and leave to hang himself.

86. Ant. If it so please my lord the duke, and all the court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods,

I am content; so he will let me have

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Upon his death, unto his absent daughter.

87. Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

88. Por. Art thou contented, Jew? I am content.

89. Shy.

90. Por.

Clerk, draw a deed of gift.

7?

What dost thou say?

91. Shy. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence: Send the deed after me,

I am not well.

And I will sign it.

92. Duke. Get thee gone; but do it.

QUESTIONS.-What can you say of Venice? What power had the Duke, who is represented here? In what relation did Antonio stand to Shylock? What is your impression of Shylock's character? What is said of the Jews as a people? Can this lesson be well read, without great care and previous study? What instruction do you gather from this extract?

LESSON CIII. (07

2. IN-STINCTIVE-LY, without reasoning.
2. CON-STEL-LA'TIONS, groups of fixed stars.
3. RET'I-NA, one of the coats of the eye,
where the sense of vision is received.

3. LU'MI-NOUS, emitting light.

4. CENT'U-RY, a period of a hundred years.
5. STU-PEN'DOUS, wonderful; amazing.
5. DO-MAIN', empire; realm.

ERRORS. Huth for Hath; thut for that; pu'pul for pu'pil; an devery for and every; thou'sun dorbs for thou'sand orbs.

THE SOURCE AND BOUNDARY OF LIGHT.

MITCHEL.

1. How astonishing are the inquiries made by the Almighty, when, out of the whirlwind, he demanded of Job, "Where is the way where light dwelleth? and, as for darkness, where is the place thereof, that thou shouldst take it ta the bound thereof, and that thou shouldst know the paths to the house thereof? Knowest thou it because thou wert then born, or because the number of thy days is great?"

2. How deep and stupendous these questions to him who

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