J. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death. S. Is it so nominated in the bond? J. It is not so expressed; but what of that? "Twere good you do so much for charity. S. I cannot find it: 'tis not in the bond. We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence. J. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine : The court awards it, and the law doth give it. S. Most rightful judge! J. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast: The law allows it, and the court awards it. S. Most learned judge!-A sentence: come, prepare! J. 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. (Approaches Antonio.) Gratiano. O upright judge !-Mark, Jew: O learned judge! S. Is that the law? J. Thyself shalt see the act: For as thou urgest justice, be assured, Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest. G. O learned judge !-Mark, Jew: a learned judge! S. I take this offer, then ;-pay the bond thrice; And let the Christian go. B. Here is the money. J. Soft: The Jew shall have all justice :-soft!-no haste:- G. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. G. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! J. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture. B. I have it ready for thee: here it is. J. He hath refused it in the open court: G. A Daniel, still say I: a second Daniel ! To be so taken at thy peril. Tarry, Jew: The law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the laws of Venice,- The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive CCXV. THE QUACK. SCENE-The Inn. Enter HOSTESS, followed by LAMPEDO, a Quack Doctor. Hostess. Nay, nay: another fortnight. Lampedo. It can't be. The man's as well as I am: have some mercy! He hath been here almost three weeks already. Host. Well, then a week. Lamp. We may detain him a week. [with a drawn sword. [Enter BALTHAZAR, the patient, from behind, in his night-gown, You talk now like a reasonable hostess, That sometimes has a reckoning with her conscience. Host. He still believes he has an inward bruise. Lamp. I would to heaven he had! or that he'd slipp'd His shoulder-blade, or broke a leg or two, (Not that I bear his person any malice,) Or lux'd an arm, or even sprained his ankle! Host. Ay, broken any thing except his neck. Balthazar. [Aside.] A farrier! Lamp. To-morrow, we phlebotomize again : Next day, my new invented, patent draught; Then, I have some pills prepared : On Thursday, we throw in the bark: on Friday Balth. [Coming forward.] Well, sir, on Friday-what on Friday? Come, proceed. Lamp. Discovered! Host. Mercy, noble sir! Lamp. We crave your mercy!} They fall on their knees. Balth. On your knees? 'tis well! Pray, for your time is short. Host. Nay, do not kill us. Balth. You have been tried, condemn'd, and only wait For execution. Which shall I begin with? Lamp. The lady, by all means, sir, Balth. Come, prepare. [To the hostess.] Host. Have pity on the weakness of my sex! Tell me, and in a breath, how many poisons If you attempt it-[To LAMPEDO, who is making off.] Host. None, as I hope for mercy! Host. No, indeed, sir : 'Tis not, I own, of the first quality: But Balth. What? Host. I always give short measure, sir. And ease my conscience that way. Balth. Ease your conscience! I'll ease your conscience for you. Host. Mercy, sir! Balth. Rise, if thou canst, and hear me. Host. Your commands, sir? Balth. If, in five minutes, all things are prepared For my departure, you may yet survive. Host. It shall be done in less. Balth. Away, thou lump fish! [Exit hostess. Lamp. So now comes my turn! 'tis all over with me! Balth. And now, thou sketch and outline of a man! Thou eel in a consumption, eldest born Of Death on Famine! thou anatomy Of a starved pilchard! Lamp. I do confess my leanness. And, therefore, spare me. I am spare, Balth. Why! wouldst thou not have made me A thoroughfare, for thy whole shop to pass through? Balth. Yes: he must die, too. Lamp. For my patients' sake Balth. I'll send thee to the major part of them. Lamp. Pray, consider: I may hurt some one in the street. Balth. Why, then, I'll rattle thee to pieces in a dice-box, Or grind thee in a coffee-mill to powder, For thou must sup with Pluto; so, make ready: Balth. Thy wife! Lamp. My wife, sir. Balth. Hast thou dared think of matrimony, too? No flesh upon thy bones, and take a wife! Lamp. I took a wife, because I wanted flesh. I have a wife, and three angelic babes, Who, by those looks, are well nigh fatherless. Balth. Well, well! you wife and children shall plead for you. Come, come the pills! where are the pills? produce them. Lamp. Here is the box. Balth. Were it Pandora's, and each single pill Had ten diseases in it, you should take them. Lamp. What, all? Balth. Ay, all; and quickly too. Come, sir, begin-that's well! Another. Lamp. One's a dose. Balth. Proceed, sir. Lamp. What will become of me? Let me go home, and set my shop to rights, And, like immortal Cæsar, die with decency. Balth. Away! and thank thy lucky star I have not Bray'd thee in thine own mortar, or exposed thee For a large specimen of the lizard genus. Lamp. Would I were one! for they can feed on air. [Exit. CCXVI.-LOST REPUTATION-FROM OTHELLO. Characters-IAGO-CASSIO. Iago. What! be you hurt, lieutenant ? Cass. Past all surgery. Iago. Marry, heaven forbid! SHAKSPEARE. Cass. Reputation! reputation! reputation! Oh I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself; and what remains is bestial. My reputation! Iago, my reputation Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound: there is more sense in that, than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and false imposition oft got without merit, and lost without deserving. What, man! There are ways to recover the general again: sue to him, and he is yours. Cass. I will rather sue to be despised-Drunk! and squabble! swagger! swear! and discourse fustian with one's own shadow! Oh thou invincible spirit of wine! if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee, Devil. Iago. What was he that you followed with your sword! what had he done to you? Cass. I know not. Iago. Is it possible? Cass. I remember a mass of things, but nothing dis |