In thinges of bigger waight then this 75 He goes his way; the day once paft Gernutus doth not flacke To get a fergiant presently; And clapt him on the backe: 86 And P 2 And layd him into prison strong, And fued his bond withall; And when the judgement day was come, The marchants friends came thither fast, With many a weeping eye, For other means they could not find, But he that day must dye. 85 66 THE SECOND PART, "Of the Jews crueltie; fetting foorth the mercifulnesse of the Fudge towards the Marchant. To the tune of "Blacke and yellow." COME offered for his hundred crownes SOME Five hundred for to pay; And fome a thoufand, two or three, Yet ftill he did denay.. And at the laft ten thousand crownes. They offered, him to fave. Gernutus fayd, I will no gold, My forfeite I will have. Then fayd the judge, Yet, good my friend, Let me of you defire To take the flesh from fuch a place, As yet you let himlive : No: no quoth he, no: judgment here: For this it fhall be tride, For I will have my pound of fleshe From under his right fide. It grieved all the companie His crueltie to fee, For neither friend nor foe could helpe But he must spoyled bee. The bloudie Jew now ready is With whetted blade in hand*, To spoyle the bloud of innocent, By forfeit of his bond. 20 25 *The paffage in Shakespeare bears fo ftrong a refemblance to this, as to render it probable that the one fuggefted the other. See A& IV. fc. 2. "BASS. Why doest thou whet thy knife fo earnestly? &c." Sith needs thou wilt thy forfeit have, See that thou shed no drop of bloud, For if thou doe, like murderer, For if thou take either more or leffe To the value of a mite, Thou shalt be hanged presently, As is both law and right. Gernutus now waxt franticke mad, And wotes not what to fay; Quoth he at laft, Ten thousand crownes, I will that he fhall pay ; And fo I graunt to fet him free, 355 40 45 The judge doth answere make; 50 You shall not have a penny given ; At the last he doth demaund But for to have his owne. No, quoth the judge, doe as you lift, 55 Thy judgement fhall be showne. Either Either take your pound of flesh, quoth he, Or cancell me your bond. O cruell judge, then quoth the Jew, That doth against me stand! And fo with griping grieved mind He biddeth them fare-well. "Then' all the people prays'd the Lord, That ever this heard tell. 60 Since the firft Edition of this book was printed, the Editor bath had reason to believe that both SHAKESPEARE and the Author of this Ballad, are indebted for their Story of the Jew (however they came by it) to an Italian Novel, which was first printed at Milan in the year 1554, in a book intitled, Il Pecorone, nel quale fi P 4 Ver. 61. griped. Afhmol. copy. con |