A COMEDY, by SHAKESPEARE, LONDON: Printed (by Affignment) for 1794. 2 Senators of Venice, Officers, Servants, and other At tendants SCENE, partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont, he Seat of Portia, upon the Continent. INTRODUCTION. His faid, that Shakespeare took the hint of this play from an old ballad. It is also faid, that the cruel character was a chriftian: now though we are totally againft giving prejudiced ideas against any fet of people, especially a race fo rejected as the Jews have been, and are yet; fiill as among their tribes, in common with the rest of mankind, feveral Shylocks no doubt have been, our author judicioufly faw, that making his principal an Ifraelite, would place him in a fronger point of view; and fuch fuccefsful pains has the bard taken with this horrid picture of depraved nature, that we fcruple not to pronounce him, as original and high finished a character, as we can conceive, furnished with a meft fuitable peculiarity of Byle. All the other characters are well drawn, notwithstanding Jeveral breaches of time and place, we may venture to pronounce this to be a piece of very fingular merit. It would be want of gratitude, for the great fatisfaction Mr. Macklin has often given in the Jew, not to pronounce his performance remarkably correct, feeling, and forceable. A C T I. SCENE, a Street in Venice. Enter ANTHONIO, SOLARINO, and SALANIO. N Auth. In footh, I know not why it am fo fad wearies me. You fay it wearies you; And fuch a want-wit fadnefs makes of me, Sal. Your mind is toffing on the ocean; * Argolia, a name given to any rich merchant ship; taken from Argo, the fhip in which Jason failed for the golden fleece. Like figniors and rich burgers on the flood; That curtly to them, do them reverence, Be with my hopes abroad. I fhould be still Sal. My wind, cooling my broth, Would blow me to an ague, when I thought And not bethink me ftraight of dang'rous rocks? And now worth nothing. Shall I have the thought, `Is fad to think upon his merchandize. Anth. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate *This fpeech is fancifully defcriptive of thofe apprehenfions which might probably affect a man in Anthonio's fituation, and at the fame time, leads to an idea, by his reply, of the magnitude of his concerns in trade. Antb. |