Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Italy: Vols. XI–XIII. 1876–79. | | | | Venice | | Shylock and Antonio | | William Shakespeare (1564–1616) |
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SIGNIOR Antonio, many a time and oft, | |
| In the Rialto you have rated me | |
| About my monies and my usances: | |
| Still have I borne it with a patient shrug; | |
| For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe; | 5 |
| You call me—misbeliever, cut-throat dog, | |
| And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, | |
| And all for use of that which is mine own. | |
| Well then, it now appears you need my help: | |
| Go to then; you come to me, and you say, | 10 |
| “Shylock, we would have monies”: you say so; | |
| You that did void your rheum upon my beard, | |
| And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur | |
| Over your threshold; monies is your suit; | |
| What should I say to you? should I not say | 15 |
| “Hath a dog money? is it possible | |
| A cur can lend three thousand ducats?” or | |
| Shall I bend low, and in a bondsman’s key, | |
| With ’bated breath, and whispering humbleness, | |
| Say this,— | 20 |
| “Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last: | |
| You spurn’d me such a day; another time | |
| You call’d me—dog; and for these courtesies | |
| I ’ll lend you thus much monies?” | | | | |
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