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be-comes', suits, adorns. scep'-tre, the staff or baton borne by kings as an emblem or sign of authority. shows, represents; displays. tem'-por-al, earthly.

at'-trib-ute, that which belongs to.
ma'-jes-ty, kingly splendour.
dread and fear of kings, the dread
and fear caused by kings.
sway, power or government.
seas'-ons, tempers; is mixed up
with.

plea, answer, excuse.
sal-va'-tion, safety from evil.
ren'-der, give again.

mit'-i-gate, to soothe or soften; to lessen.

fol'-low, insist upon.

sen'-tence, judgment passed by the court.

crave, ask earnestly.

for-feit, that which is lost if certain conditions are not complied with.

dis-charge', pay.

ten'-der, offer.

suf-fice', be enough.

mal'-ice, ill-feeling. truth, honesty.

wrest, twist about for a certain

purpose.

curb, keep under; hinder.

de-cree', law.

e-stab'-lished, settled.

re-cord'-ed, written down.

pre'-ced-ent, that which may serve as an example or rule for the future.

state, the whole community or country.

a Dan'-iel, a prophet of Israel, who, although but a youth, showed great wisdom.

rev'-er-end, worthy of respect. oath, solemn promise.

per'-ju-ry, false swearing.

ten'-or, according to the agreement or promise.

ex-pos-i'-tion, showing forth.
charge, command, order.

to judg'-ment, to deliver sentence.
ex'-cel-lent, worthy; good.
in-tent', intention.
pur'-pose, reason.

hath full re-la'-tion, says that the penalty should be paid.

more el'-der. Shakspeare has both double comparatives and double superlatives. He has more better, more braver; most worst, most unkindest, &c. the very, the exact. a-wards', allows, decrees. tar'-ry, wait.

jot, a small portion, a drop. con-fis'-cate, confiscated, seized by the law.

just, exact.

sub'-stance, weight.

scru'-ple, a very small weight, now disused.

es'-ti-ma-tion, estimated weight.

for-feit-ure, that which had been given him, because forfeited, namely the pound of flesh. prin'-ci-pal, money, the sum that was lent at first.

en-act'-ed, declared.
al'-i-en, a foreigner.
con-trive', plot.

coff-er, a box for keeping money.
pre-dic-a-ment, position.
man'-i-fest, easily seen.
pro-ceed'-ing, act.

de-fend'-ant, namely Antonio.
in-curred', brought on thyself.
form'-er-ly, a word used in legal
documents for as aforesaid.
re-hearsed', told over.

which hum'-ble-ness, which thy humble conduct may cause me to reduce to a fine.

ay, for the state. The half that

N

goes to the state may be

altered, but not Antonio's half.

=

that my life.

prop, stay; support.

ren'-der, give.

so please, if it please.

quit, forgive.

the fine for one half, the fine which

is to be placed upon the half of his property.

in use, to employ it in my business, but as trust-money.

pos-sessed', supply of.

re-cant', withdraw, recall.

draw a deed of gift, write out a paper in proper legal form.

EXERCISES.-1. The Greek prefix peri- means round about; as perimeter, measure round about; pericardium, a membrane which incloses

the heart.

2. Analyse and parse the following:

'If this will not suffice, it must appear

That malice bears down truth.'

3. Make sentences of your own, and use in each one or more of the following words: Suffice, rehearse, incur, recant.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE-IV.

1. The duke now released Antonio, and dismissed the court. He then highly praised the wisdom and ingenuity of the young counsellor, and invited him home to dinner. Portia, who meant to return to Belmont before her husband, replied: 'I humbly thank your Grace, but I must away directly.'

2. The duke said he was sorry he had not leisure to stay and dine with him; and, turning to Antonio, he added: Reward this gentleman; for in my mind you are much indebted to him.'

The duke and his senators left the court; and then Bassanio said to Portia : Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend Antonio have by your wisdom been this day acquitted of grievous penalties, and I beg you will accept of the three thousand ducats due unto the Jew.'

'And we shall stand indebted to you over and above,' said Antonio, 'in love and service evermore.'

3. Portia could not be prevailed upon to accept the money; but upon Bassanio still pressing her to accept of some reward, she said: 'Give me your gloves; I will wear them for your sake:' and then Bassanio taking off his gloves, she espied the ring which she had given him upon his finger: now it was the ring the wily lady wanted to get from him to make a merry jest when she saw her Bassanio again, that made her ask him for his gloves; and she said, when she saw the ring: 'And for your love I will take this ring from you.' Bassanio was sadly distressed that the counsellor should ask him for the only thing he could not part with, and he replied in great confusion, that he could not give him that ring, because it was his wife's gift, and he had vowed never to part with it: but that he would give him the most valuable ring in Venice, and find it out by proclamation. On this Portia affected to be affronted, and left the court, saying: 'You teach me, sir, how a beggar should be answered.'

4. 'Dear Bassanio,' said Antonio, 'let him have the ring; let my love and the great service he has done for me be valued against your wife's displeasure.'

Bassanio, ashamed to appear so ungrateful, yielded, and sent Gratiano after Portia with the ring; and then the clerk Nerissa, who had also given Gratiano a ring, begged it of him, and Gratiano-not choosing to be outdone in generosity by his lord-gave it to her. And there was laughing among those ladies to think, when they got home, how they would tax their husbands with giving away their rings.

5. Portia, when she returned, was in that happy temper of mind which never fails to attend the consciousness of having performed a good action; her cheerful spirits enjoyed everything she saw the moon

6

never seemed to shine so bright before. And when that pleasant moon was hid behind a cloud, then a light which she saw from her house at Belmont as well pleased her charmed fancy, and she said to Nerissa: That light we see is burning in my hall; how far that little candle throws its beams, so shines a good deed in a naughty world:' and hearing the sound of music from her house, she said: Methinks that music sounds much sweeter than by day.' And now Portia and Nerissa entered the house, and dressing themselves in their own apparel, they awaited the arrival of their husbands, who soon followed them with Antonio; and Bassanio presenting his dear friend to the Lady Portia, the welcomings of that lady were hardly over, when they perceived Nerissa and her husband quarrelling in a corner of the room.

6. A quarrel already!' said Portia; 'what is the

matter?'

Gratiano replied: 'Lady, it is about a paltry gilt ring that Nerissa gave me, with words upon it like the poetry on a cutler's knife-" Love me and leave me not."

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'What does the poetry or the value of the ring signify?' said Nerissa; 'you swore to me, when I gave it to you, that you would keep it till the hour of death; and now you say you gave it to the lawyer's clerk.'

7. By this hand,' replied Gratiano, I gave it to a youth, a kind of boy, a little scrubbed boy no higher than yourself; he was clerk to the young counsellor that by his wise pleading saved Antonio's life: this prating boy begged it for a fee, and I could not for my life deny him.'

6

Portia said: You were to blame, Gratiano, to part with your wife's first gift. I gave my Lord Bassanio a

ring, and I am sure he would not part with it for all the world.'

Gratiano, in excuse for his fault, now said: 'My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away to the counsellor, and then the boy, his clerk, that took some pains in writing, begged my ring.'

8. Portia, hearing this, seemed very angry, and reproached Bassanio for giving away her ring. Bassanio was very unhappy to have so offended his dear lady, and he said with great earnestness: 'What could I do, sweet Portia? I was so beset with shame for my seeming ingratitude, that I was forced to send the ring after him. Pardon me, good lady; had you been there, I think you would have begged the ring of me to give the worthy doctor.'

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9. Ah,' said Antonio, 'I am the unhappy cause of these quarrels !'

Portia bade Antonio not to grieve at that, for that he was welcome notwithstanding; and then Antonio said: I once did lend my body for Bassanio's sake; and but for him to whom your husband gave the ring, I should have now been dead. I dare be bound again, my soul upon the forfeit, your lord will never more break his faith with you.'

10. Then you shall be his surety,' said Portia; 'give him this ring, and bid him keep it better than the other.'

When Bassanio looked at this ring, he was strangely surprised to find that it was the same he gave away; and then Portia told him how she was the young counsellor, and Nerissa was her clerk; and Bassanio found, to his unspeakable wonder and delight, that it was by the noble courage and wisdom of his wife that Antonio's life was saved.

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