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 so with griping grieved mind He biddeth them fare-well. Then' all the people prays'd the Lord, 60 **Since the first edition of this book was printed, the Editor hath 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 an Italian Novel, which was first printed at Milan in the year 1554, in a book entitled, Il Pecorone, nel quale si contengono Cinquanta Novelle antiche, &c. republished at Florence about the year 1748, or 9.-The Author was SER. GIOVANNI FIORENTINO, who wrote in 1378; thirty years after the time in which the scene of Boccace's Decameron is laid. (Vid. Manni Istoria del Decamerone di Giov. Boccac. 4to Fior. 1744.) That Shakespeare had his Plot from the Novel itself, is evident from his having some incidents from it, which are not found in the Ballad and I think it will also be found that he borrowed from the Ballad some hints that were not : suggested by the Novel. (See above, pt. 2, ver. 25, &c. where, instead of that spirited description of the whetted blade, &c. the Prose Narrative coldly says, "The Jew "had prepared a razor, &c." See also some other passages in the same piece.) This however is spoken with diffidence, as I have at present before me only the Abridgement of the Novel which Mr. JOHNSON has given us at the End of his Commentary on Shakespeare's Play. The Translation of the Italian Story at large is not easy to be met with, having I believe never been published, though it was printed some years ago with this title," THE NOVEL, from which the Merchant "of Venice written by Shakespeare is taken, translated "from the Italian. To which is added a Translation of a Novel from the Decamerone of Boccacio. London, Printed for M. Cooper, 1755, 8vo." XII. THE XII. THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE. This beautiful sonnet is quoted in the MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, act iii. sc. 1, and bath been usually ascribed (together with the REPLY) to Shakespeare himself by the modern editors of his smaller poems. A copy of this madrigal, containing only four stanzas (the 4th and 6th being wanting), accompanied with the first stanza of the answer, being printed in "THE PASSIONATE PILGRIME, and SONNETS TO SUNDRY NOTES OF MUSICKE, by Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, LOND. printed for W. JAGGARD, 1599." Thus was this sonnet, &c. published as Shakespeare's in his lifetime. " And yet there is good reason to believe that (not Shakespeare, but) CHRISTOPHER MARLOW wrote the song, and Sir WALTER RALEIGH the "Nymph's Reply:" For so we are positively assured by Isaac Walton, a writer of some credit, who has inserted them both in his COMPLEAT ANGLER *, under the character of " that "smooth song, which was made by Kit. Marlow, now at least fifty years ago; and . . . an Answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh in his younger days "... Old-fashioned poetry, but choicely good."also passed for Marlow's in the opinion of his contemporaries; for in the old Poetical Miscellany, entitled ENGLAND'S HELICON, it is printed with the name of Chr. Marlow subjoined to it; and the Reply is signed Ignoto, which is known to have been a signature of Sir Walter -It *First printed in the year 1653, but probably written some Mime before. Raleigh. Raleigh. With the same signature Ignoto, in that col- "COME live with me, and be my dear, Upon the whole I am inclined to attribute them to MARLOW, and RALEIGH; notwithstanding the authority of Shakespeare's Book of Sonnets. For it is well known that as he took no care of his own compositions, so was he utterly regardless what spurious things were fathered upon him. Sir JOHN OLDCASTLE, The LONDON PRODIGAL, and The YORKSHIRE TRAGEDY, were printed with his name at full length in the title-pages, while he was living, which yet were afterwards rejected by his first editors HEMINGE and CONDELL, who were his intimate friends (as he mentions both in his will), and therefore no doubt had good authority for setting them aside *. The following sonnet appears to have been (as it deserved) a great favourite with our earlier poets: for, besides the imitation above mentioned, another is to be found among DONNE'S Poems, entitled "The Bait," beginning thus: "COME live with me, and be my love, As for CHR. MARLOW, who was in high repute for his Dramatic writings, he lost his life by a stab received in a brothel, before the year 1593. See A. Wood, i. 138. *Since the above was written, Mr. MALONE, with his usual discernment, hath rejected the stanzas in question from the other sonnets, &c. of Shakespeare, in his correct edition of the PASSIONATE PILGRIM, &c. See his Shakesp. vol. x. p. 340. COME COME live with me, and be my love, There will we sit upon the rocks, There will I make thee beds of roses With a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Imbrodered all with leaves of nirtle ; A gown made of the finest wool, Which from our pretty lambs we pull; A belt of straw, and ivie buds, With coral clasps, and amber studs : Then live with me, and be my love. The shepherd swains shall dance and sing 5 10 15 20 THE |