Mercy.

Portia. Antonio. Shylock.

Por. OF a strange nature is the suit you follow;

yet in such rule, that the Venetian law

cannot impugn you, as you do proceed.—

you stand within his danger, do you not? (to Ant.) Ant. Aye, so he says.

Por.

Ant. I do.

Por.

Do you confess the bond?

Then must the Jew be merciful.

Shy. On what compulsion must I? Tell me that. Por. The quality of mercy is not strain'd: it droppeth as the gentle dew from heaven upon the place beneath: it is twice bless'd; it blesseth him that gives, and him that takes: 'tis mightiest in the mightiest : it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown: his sceptre shews the force of temporal power, the attribute to awe and majesty,

wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings: but mercy is above this sceptred sway;

it is enthroned in the hearts of kings;

it is an attribute to God himself;

and earthly power doth then shew likest God's,
when mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
though justice be thy plea, consider this,
that, in the course of justice, none of us
should see salvation: we do pray for mercy,

and that same prayer doth teach us all to render
the deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much,
to mitigate the justice of thy plea;

which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there. Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, the penalty and forfeit of my bond.

SHAKESPEARE.

Οἶκτος.

Πορτία. ̓Αντώνιος. Σύλωκος.

Π. Ὑπερφυά τιν ̓ εἰσάγεις ἡμῖν δίκην,

Α.

ἀλλ ̓ ἔννομος γάρ ἐστιν, ἣν στείχεις, ὁδός,
τῆσδ ̓ οὔτι σ ̓ οἷοί τ ̓ εἰργαθεῖν νόμοι πόλεως.—
σὺ δ ̓ ἆρα τῷδ ̓ ὑπόδικος εἶ;

φησίν γ' ὅδε.

Π. καὶ ξυμβολαῖα συμβαλεῖν λέγεις;

A.

λέγω.

Π. τὸν δ ̓ οὖν Ἑβραῖον δεῖ πέλειν οἰκτίρμονα. Σ. τῷ δῆτ ̓ ἀνάγκῃ δεῖ με; τοῦτ ̓ ἐμοὶ φράσον. Π. οὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης οἶκτος, ὡς δ ̓ ἀπ ̓ οὐρανοῦ εἰς τὴν ἔνερθε γῆν φίλη στάζει δρόσος. δὶς δ ̓ ἐστὶ χρηστός, ὠφελεῖ γὰρ ἐξ ἴσου τὸν δόντα τόν θ' εὑρόντα· τοῖς δ ̓ ὑπερτάτοις ὕψιστος ἐμπέφυκεν, εὐθρόνῳ γὰρ οὖν πρέπει τυράννῳ μᾶλλον ἢ κείνου στέφος. σκῆπτρον μὲν ἀρχῆς μαρτυρεῖ θνητῆς κράτη, τιμῇ ξυνίζον παντελεῖ τ ̓ ἐξουσίᾳ, ἐν αἷς ἀνάκτων ἔμφοβον κεῖται σέβας οἶκτος δὲ κρείσσων τῆσδ ̓ ἔφυ σκηπτουχίας, ἐν γὰρ τυράννων καρδίαις ἔχει θρόνον, ξύνεδρος αὐτῷ τ ̓ ἐστὶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς Θεῷ, θείῳ θ ̓ ὁμοῖα θνητὰ φαίνεται κράτη μάλισθ ̓, ὅτ' οἴκτῳ ξυγκεράννυται δίκη. σὺ δ ̓ οὖν, λέγων περ ἔνδικ ̓, εὖ τόδ ̓ ἐννόει, ὁθούνεκ ̓ οὐδεὶς ξὺν δίκῃ σωθήσεται ὅσοιπερ ἔσμεν' τοιγάρ, ὡς οἴκτου τυχεῖν αἰτούμεθ ̓ ἐν λιταῖσιν, αἴδ ̓ ἡμᾶς λιταὶ πάντας διδάσκουσ ̓ οἶκτον ἀλλήλοις νέμειν. εἰπὼν δ ̓ ἐγὼ τοσαῦτα βούλομαι λόγων τῶν σῶν, Ἑβραῖε, τοὔνδικον παρηγορεῖν οἷς ἂν ἐπίσπῃ, τήνδε τὴν σεμνὴν ἕδραν ψῆφον δικαίαν χρὴ κατ ̓ ἐμπόρου φέρειν. Σ. εἰς κρατ ̓ ἐμαυτῷ τἄργα τἀμαυτοῦ πέσοι· τοῦ γὰρ νόμῳ δοθέντος αἰτοῦμαι τυχεῖν τῶν ξυμβολαίων ἐνδίκου τιμήματος.

The Poet's House.

CAPTAIN, or colonel, or knight in arms, whose chance on these defenceless doors may seize, if deed of honour did thee ever please,

guard them, and him within protect from harms. he can requite thee: for he knows the charms that call fame on such gentle acts as these; and he can spread thy name o'er lands and seas, whatever clime the sun's bright circle warms. lift not thy spear against the Muses' bower: the great Emathian conqueror bid spare

the house of Pindarus, when temple and tower went to the ground: and the repeated air of sad Electra's poet had the power

to save the Athenian walls from ruin bare.

MILTON.

Grace and Will.

WITHIN the infant rind of this small flower
poison hath residence and medicine power;
two such opposed foes encamp them still
in men as well as herbs, grace and rude will;
and, where the worser is predominant,
full soon the canker death eats up that plant.

SHAKESPEARE.

Sacri Vates.

TRIBVNE, seu tu, centurio ferox, seu forte inermes impuleris fores, praefecte, si gaudes honestis, límina cum domino tuere

secura fraudis.

non tibi gratiam

nullam rependet, callidus artium

quis fama de caelo uocata

laude pios merita coronat.

quascumque terras et freta feruido sol orbe lustrat, tu quoque uideris hoc uate. Musarum latebras

parce graui temerare ferro.

Pellaeus ipso Martis in impetu
uictor pepercit Pindarico lari
qua templa, qua grandes in hora
turpe solum tetigere turres :

olim et theatro reddita profuit
Euripideae naenia uirginis
ne strata deformi iacerent
moenia Cecropidum ruina.

Intra muros pugnatur.

EN ubi nascentis tenui sub germine floris non sine ui medica dira uenena latent! sic hominum mentes ratioque et bruta libido oppositis certant uiribus utra regat; et, quam deterior uicta meliore gubernat, ut flos, mortifero mens ea felle perit.

The Rose.

Go, lovely rose,

tell her that wastes her time and me,

that now she knows,

when I resemble her to thee,

how sweet and fair she seems to be.

tell her that's young,

and shuns to have her graces spied, that, hadst thou sprung

in deserts where no men abide,

thou must have uncommended died.

small is the worth

of beauty from the light retired : bid her come forth,

suffer herself to be desired,

and not blush so to be admired.

then die that she

the common fate of all things rare

may read in thee;

how small a part of time they share, that are so wondrous sweet and fair.

WALLER.

The Lion and the Unicorn.

THE lion and the unicorn

were fighting for the crown;

the lion beat the unicorn

all round the town.

some gave him white bread; some gave him brown; some gave him plum-cake, and sent him out of town.

GAMMER GURTON.