he is to choose. The servants stand aside, and a soft music fills the chamber, while he makes his choice. His eyes falling on the golden chest, Bassanio is reminded of the proverb "all that glisters is not gold". Taking instances from different spheres of life he perceives how often a brilliant appearance covers emptyness and corruption, he, therefore, will take care, not to be deceived by outward shows. Turning to the next casket, the is repulsed by the silver, the common drudge between man and man. But the pale lead that seems to threaten more than to give precious promises, attracts him. He opens the third chest and finds Portia's portrait. Taking up the scroll he reads it aloud and, according to the allowance contained in the paper, goes up to her to give and to receive a kiss. Portia is quite overwhelmed with her joy and almost unable to control herself. Smilingly, but on the point of bursting into tears, she tells Bassanio that she is nothing but an ignorant girl and delivers herself up to him to be guided and directed.

For his sake she wants to be much wealthier and far more beautiful, though for herself she has no further wishes, her dearest hope being now fulfilled. As a sign of her love she gives Bassanio a ring, saying that if he departs from it, she will consider it as a token that he does not love her auy longer.

Their joy is suddenly interrupted, a messenger arriving from Venice with a letter from Antonio, informing Bassanio that his friend is in great trouble. His bond to the Jew is forfeited; but all his argosies having been shipwrecked he is not able to pay back the loan. Portia sees that Bassanio turns pale, as he reads. Remembering him of her having now the right to share all that concerns him, she begs to be acquainted with the news that can so suddenly make him sad. Bassanio states the case to her, and she understands how it must prey upon his mind to know a friend suffering for his sake. Portia's keen intellect seeks

for a means of helping Antonio and relieving Bassanio from the burden that depresses him so deeply. She asks him to get married to her at once and then to go to Venice; as her husband he might legally make use of all her riches to save Antonio. While he is away, she will remain quietly at Belmont with her waiting-maid till he returns. Bassanio takes her advice and goes to Venice. Later on we hear that Portia also leaves Belmont in disguise to see her husband and save his friend.

M. tf.

4.

Portia is the chief female figure in Shakespeares "The Merchant of Venice", one of his most famous comedies. In Portia Shakespeare depicted his ideal of a woman, on one side gentle and womanly and on the other sagacious and matured by learning and experiences. She is a young rich heiress. Though in most respects very independent, she does not for a moment think of breaking her father's last will, however, strange and disagreable it must seem to her. According to this will, her lovers shall choose between three caskets of gold, silver and lead, one of them containing the portrait of Portia. He who chooses this casket shall win Portia for his wife.

Of course she has many admirers, who come from the most different parts of the world to propose to her and choose between the caskets. None of them has yet succeeded in choosing the right.

Then comes Bassanio, the young prodigal. He had met Partia before and had at once fallen in love with the beautiful young lady and resolved to seek his fortune. To win her would be the more valuable to him as she besides all her good qualities also was rich. Bassanio was poor,

he had lost all his money in adventures and by living a high life.

Though all the choosers must promise never to marry if they should fail iu winning Portia, Bassanio does not for a moment think of the great risk, he is going to play. In order to win all, he will risk all.

From a chat between Portia and Nerissa, her servant, we soon understaud that Portia despised all her lovers except one, namely Bassanio. He is a young adventurer, who is very atractable to her. By and by she begins to love him dearly, and she has a constant fear, that somebody may win her, before Bassanio had chosen. And afterwards, when he was going tho choose, she was afraid, that he might fail in choosing the casket, in which her portrait was.

We cannot wonder therefore that she is struggling hard with her strong emotions not to betray them to Bassanio. She at first tries to prevent him from choosing, to make him wait a while. It would be so dreadful for her, if be was obliged to leave her just now, when she had begun to love him. In order to keep him back, her feelings will not permit her to conceal them. She reveals her most secret emotions and when she afterwards discovers, how far she has gone, she tries to cover what she had betrayed.

Nothing however can keep Bassanio back. He is auxious to know his fortune and will choose at once. The scene is very exciting. The choice is made under music and great festivity. Bassanio waits a while before the gold and a while before the silver casket, but none of them has any attraction to him. He chooses the lead casket, in which he finds the portrait of Portia and a little paper on which a poem was written, a poem containing the reward for not having preferred the precious gold or the white, shining silver for the simple lead. The reward was the permission to marry the lady, whom ho loved and to claim her at once with a kiss.

They were both happy. Now Portia gave herself up to Bassanio with all her estates and money, without consideration. Her love to Bassanio had gained all her senses. Tf.

5.

On "The Merchant of Venice" the conflict stands between hatred and thirst for revenge on one side and selfsacrificing triendship and love on the other. In Portia Shakspeare has depicted a noble type of an ideal, loving woman, beautiful, well disposed and warmhearted. Besides possessing many "wondrous virtues" she is the heiress of a large estate and therefore she is wooed by many suitors even of the highest rank.

manner.

But this attractive lady is to be won in no ordinary Portia's father has determined that fortune is to point out a husband to his daughter through a lottery of three caskets, one of gold, one of silver and one of lead. In the leaden casket there is a portrait of Portia, and he among the many rivals, who chooses this casket is the fortunate one. But in order to diminish the number of the rivals very strict conditions have been imposed. The suitors have engaged themselves not to merry at all, if they fail in the lottery about Portia.

Thus Portia is unable to follow the voice of her heart and she lives in a constant fear, that some one of her many high-ranked suitors will succeed in winning her for his wife.

She has namely fallen in love with a Venetian nobleman Bassanio, a stately and beautiful man. But, like most of his friends among the Venetian noblemen, he has a great debt on account of his lavishness. He has loved Portia from their first acquaintance and therefore it is his intention to try to win her, but he has not the money to furnish himself for his voyage to Belmont to fair Portia.

Univ.- og skoleann. 1907. No. 11.

He therefore borows the sum from a friend of his, Antonio, a rich trader in Venice. Antonio has not, however, the present sum, but his selfsacrificing friendship for Bassanio makes him accept a loan from Schylock, the Jew. The diobolical plan of this man is to take the life of the merchant. They agree to a bond according to which a pound of the merchant's flesh is to be cut off in any part of his body, that the Jew may choose.

Thus Portia through the lavishness of her lover unknowingly is the chief cause of empirelling Antonio's life.

Well, Bassanio goes to Belmont and after some delay he is brought into the room, where the caskets are. He doesn't choose the golden casket. Gold is precious and beautiful, he says, but it deceives the world. Nor does he choose the silver one. The leaden casket, on the contrary, he chooses. He opens it and finds in it a poem and a portrait of Portia. Bassanio has chosen the right casket. The music sounds, and with a "loving kiss" he claims his young, noble bride. Their joy and their satisfaction is deep and fervent. The dream of both is carried into effect. Bassanio has succeeded in winning the beautiful and attractive Portia for his wife.

Tf.

6.

In the days of Elizabeth Shakespeare the worldknown English author, made the gay courtiers and the merry ladies belonging to her court laugh with his comedies and cry with his tragedies. Among his best works was "The Merchant of Venice".

It is a gay and merry comedy and yet it contains the thoughts of a mature mind. It is written, when Shakespeare was on the very top of fame, when he was favoured by Elizabeth and intimate friends with leading men at court such as the Earl of Southampton and the