Shakespeare's play of the Merchant of Venice Part 18

Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

_Por_. Thou may'st, I warrant. We shall have old swearing,[113] That they did give the rings away to men; But we'll outface them, and outswear them, too. Away, make haste; thou know'st where I will tarry.

_Ner_. Come, good Sir, will you show me to this house?

[_Exeunt_.

END OF ACT FOURTH.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 112: _upon more advice,; Id est_, upon more reflection.]

[Footnote 113: _old swearing_; Of this once common augmentative in colloquial language there are various instances in our author.]

HISTORICAL NOTES TO ACT FOURTH.

(A) This scene represents the Sala dei Pregadi, or Hall of the Senators.

In Venice the tribunal for criminal cases was composed of forty judges, ordinarily presided over by one of three selected from the Council of the Doge, and draughted for the most part, if not wholly, from the members of the Senate. The Doge, who on all occasions was attended by his particular officers, had the right of sitting in the councils, or on the tribunal. The authority for the six senators in red (in this scene) is taken from the picture at Hampton Court Palace, where the Doge of Venice, in state, is receiving Sir Henry Wootton, amba.s.sador from James the First. The picture is by Odoardo Fialletti, better known as an engraver than as a painter, and who was living at Venice when Sir Henry Wootton was amba.s.sador there.

(B) The first Doge, or Duke of Venice, was Paolo Luca Anafesto, elected A.D. 697, and the last was Luigi Manini, who yielded the city, which had just completed the eleventh century of its sway, to the victorious arms of Buonaparte, in 1797.

(C) We are not to imagine the word _royal_ to be only a ranting, sounding epithet. It is used with great propriety, and shows the poet well acquainted with the history of the people whom he here brings upon the stage. For when the French and Venetians, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, had won Constantinople, the French, under the Emperor Henry, endeavoured to extend their conquests into the provinces of the Grecian Empire on the _Terra firma_; while the Venetians, who were masters of the sea, gave liberty to any subjects of the republic, who would fit out vessels, to make themselves masters of the isles of the Archipelago, and other maritime places; and to enjoy their conquests in sovereignty: only doing homage to the republic for their several princ.i.p.alities. By virtue of this licence, the Sanudi, the Justinianii, the Grimaldi, the Summaripi, and others, all Venetian _merchants_, erected princ.i.p.alities in several places of the Archipelago (which their descendants enjoyed for many generations), and thereby became truly and properly _royal merchants_, which, indeed was the t.i.tle generally given them all over Europe. Hence, the most eminent of our own merchants (while publick spirit resided amongst them, and before it was aped by faction), were called _royal merchants_.--_Warburton_.

This epithet was in our poet's time more striking and better understood, because Gresham was then commonly dignified with the t.i.tle of the _royal merchant.--Johnson_.

(D) This judgment is related by _Gracian_, the celebrated Spanish Jesuit, in his _Hero_, with a reflection at the conclusion of it;--

"The vivacity of that great Turke enters into compet.i.tion with that of Solomon: a _Jew_ pretended to cut an ounce of the flesh of a Christian upon a penalty of usury; he urged it to the Prince, with as much obstinacy, as perfidiousness towards G.o.d. The great Judge commanded a pair of scales to be brought, threatening the _Jew_ with death if he cut either more or less: And this was to give a sharp decision to a malicious process, and to the world a miracle of subtilty."--_The Hero_, p. 24, &c.

Gregorio Leti, in his _Life of Sixtus V_., has a similar story. The papacy of Sixtus began in 1583. He died Aug. 29, 1590.--_Steevens_

ACT V.

SCENE I.--BELMONT. AVENUE TO PORTIA'S HOUSE.

_Enter_ LORENZO _and_ JESSICA.

_Lor_. The moon s.h.i.+nes bright:--In such a night as this, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees, And they did make no noise,--in such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls, And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents, Where Cressid lay that night.

_Jes_. In such a night Bid young Lorenzo swear he lov'd me well; Stealing my soul with many vows of faith, And ne'er a true one.

_Lor_. In such a night, Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew, Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

_Jes_. I would out-night you, did no body come: But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

_Enter_ BALTHAZAR.

_Lor_. Who comes so fast in silence of the night?

_Bal_. A friend,

_Lor_. A friend? what friend? your name, I pray you, friend.

_Bal_. Balthazar is my name: and I bring word, My mistress will before the break of day Be here at Belmont.

I pray you, is my master yet return'd?

_Lor_. He is not, nor we have not heard from him.-- But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica, And ceremoniously let us prepare Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

_Enter_ LANCELOT.

_Lau_. Sola, sola, we ha, ho, sola, sola.

_Lor_. Who calls?

_Lau_. Sola! Did you see master Lorenzo, and mistress Lorenzo? sola, sola

_Lor_. Leave holloing, man; here.

_Lau_. Sola! where? where?

_Lor_. Here.

_Lau_. Tell him, there's a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news; my master will be here ere morning.

[_Exit_.

_Lor_. My friend Balthazar, signify, I pray you, Within the house, your mistress is at hand: And bring your music forth into the air. [_Exit_ BALTHAZAR.

How sweet the moon-light sleeps upon this bank!

Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears: soft stillness, and the night, Become the touches of sweet harmony.

Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines[114] of bright gold.

There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st But in his motion like an angel sings, Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins: Such harmony is in immortal souls, But whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.--

_Enter_ MUSICIANS.