Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. Shy. Why then the devil give him good of it: I'll stay no longer question. Por. Tarry, Jew, The law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be prov'd against an alien, The party, 'gainst the which he doth contrive, The danger formerly by me rehears'd. Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. Gra. Beg that thou may'st have leave to hang thysel": And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Thou hast not left the value of a cord; Therefore, thou must be hang'd at the state's charge. Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it: For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's ; Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio. Shy. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that : You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life, When you do take the means whereby I live. Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else; for Heaven's sake. Ant. 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 The other half in use,-to render it, Upon his death, unto the gentleman That lately stole his daughter; Two things provide:l more,―That for this favor, The other, that he do record a gift, Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd Unto his sor Lorenzo, and his daughter. Duke. He shall do this; or else I do recant Por. Art thou contented, Jew, what dost thou say? Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift. Shy. I pray you give me leave to go from hence: I am not well; send the deed after me, And I will sign it. Duke. Get thee gone, but do it. Gra. In christening, thou shalt have two godfathers; Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. I must away this night toward Padua, Duke. I am sorry, that your leisure serves not. For, in iny mind, you are much bound to him. [Exit SHYLOCK. [Exeunt DUKE, Magnificoes, and Train. The interest of the Play ends with the delivery of Antonio, and the punishment of Shylock the fifth Act is occupied in explanations which naturally follow between the loading characters, growing out of the disguises assumed by Portia and Nerissa. "The story of King Lear and his three daughters, is found in Holinshed's Chronicle; and was originally told by Geoffry of Monmouth, who says that Lear was the eldest son of Bladud, and nobly governed his country for sixty years." According to that his torian, he died about 800 years before Christ. Shakspeare has taken the hint for the behavior of the steward, and the reply of Cordelia to her father concerning her future marriage, from the Mirror of Magistrates, 1587. According to Steevens, the episode of Gloster and his sons is borrowed from Sidney's Arcadia." Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, and Lear, are placed by general consent as first in the list of Shakspeare's inspired creations, but to the character of Lear, is yielded the pre-eminence. It is perhaps the most wonderfu. dramatic conception on record. We have en. deavored to incorporate into our selections, the entire development of this extraordinary oreation. PERSONS REPRESENTED. LEAR, King of Britain. KING OF FRANCE. DUKE OF BURGUNDY. DUKE OF CORNWALL. DUKE OF ALBANY. EARL OF KEnt. EARL OF GLOSTER. EDGAR, son to Gloster. EDMUND, illegitimate son ta Gloster CURAN, a courtier. Old Man, tenant to Gloster. Physician. Fool. OSWALD, steward to Goneril. GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, daughters to Lear. Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers and Attendants. SCENE,-BRITAIN. ACT I. SCENE I-A Room of State in King Lear's Palace. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. [Exit GLOSTER & EDMUNI Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster. We have this hour a constant will to publish Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife May be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my daughters, (Since now we will divest us, both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state,) Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend Where merit doth most challenge it.-Goneril, Our eldest-born, speak first. Gon. Sir, I Do love you more than words can wield the matter No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor: A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Cor. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent. Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister, Only she comes too short,-that I profess Which the most precious square of sense possesses; [Aside And find, I am alone felicitate In your dear highness' love. Then poor Cordelia ! ¡Aside. And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever, Than that confirm'd on Goneril.-Now, our joy, Lear. Nothing? Cor. Nothing. Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: speak again. My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more, nor less. Lear. How, how, Cordelia ? mend your speech a little Lest it may mar your fortunes. Cor. Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall carry Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters, To love my father all. Lear. But goes this with thy heart? Lear. So young, and so untender? Cor. So young, my lord, and true. Ay, good my lord. Lear. Let it be so,-Thy truth then be thy dower: For, by the sacred radiance of the sun; The mysteries of Hecate, and the night ; By all the operations of the orbs, From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Kent. Lear. Peace, Kent! Good my liege,— Come not between the dragon and his wrath: |