[ELLEN, blushing, turns to her father, DOUGLAS, gives
him the ring and whispers to MALCOLM.]
JAMES FITZ-JAMES.

Nay, then, my pledge has lost its force,
And stubborn justice holds her course.
Malcolm, come forth!-[and, at the word,
Down kneeled the Grame to Scotland's Lord.]—
For thee, rash youth, no suppliant sues,
From thee may Vengeance claim her dues,
Who, nurtured underneath our smile,
Hast paid our care by treacherous wile,
And sought amid thy faithful clan
A refuge for an outlawed man,
Dishonoring thus thy loyal name.-
Fetters and warder for the Græme!

[Throws chain around MALCOLM's neck and gives the other end of chain to ELLEN.]

CLASS.

EPILOGUE

Harp of the North, farewell!

Hark! as my lingering footsteps slow retire,

Some Spirit of the Air has waked thy string!

And now, 't is silent all!-Enchantress, fare thee well!

THE STORY OF SHAKESPEARE'S

"THE MERCHANT OF VENICE”

Long ago in Venice lived a very rich and generous man by the name of Antonio. Many ships were needed to carry his merchandise to distant lands. Although Antonio was very prosperous, his dearest friend, Bassanio, was very poor.

Now, this Bassanio loved very deeply a lady, both beautiful and rich, named Portia, who lived at a place near Venice called Belmont. He desired to make her his wife but he confessed to Antonio that he dared not approach her to tell her this because he was poor. On hearing this, Antonio, ever ready to help a friend, began to arrange for Bassanio to use some of his gold. Unfortunately, at that time Antonio's ships were all at sea, so that his wealth was on the waters, and for that reason he had no ready money. At length he determined to borrow from an old Jew, Shylock, a regular money-lender. Shylock hated Antonio because he was a Christian and because he had hurt his trade by lending money without interest. At this request to lend money to his enemy, thoughts of revenge passed through the Jew's mind. Who could tell whether the ships of merchandise would ever reach shore? And, if not, then he had Antonio in his power!

Shylock, pretending to jest, lent the money on condition that Antonio would repay it in three months' time, or else would forfeit a pound of his own flesh. Antonio laugh

ingly accepting this strange bargain, received the gold which enabled Bassanio, accompanied by his friend Gratiano, to visit Portia, the rich heiress.

When Portia's father died some time before our story begins, he gave her three caskets:-one of gold, one of silver, and one of lead. On the gold casket was inscribed, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire"; on the silver one, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves"; and on the leaden one, "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath." Inside of one of the caskets was a portrait of Portia, and the suitor who chose that casket was to wed her.

Many came to try their fortune in this strange lottery of love, but it remained for Bassanio to choose the leaden casket and there find the portrait. Portia and her maid Nerissa were overjoyed by his choice.

In the midst of their joy Bassanio receives a letter from Antonio, who says that all his ships are lost, and that Shylock is demanding his pound of flesh. He assures Bassanio of his great love for him and wishes to say farewell to him.

Bassanio told Portia the unhappy story and she bids him hasten to his friend. As soon as he had gone she sent to her cousin, a famous lawyer, Dr. Bellario, to borrow his robes, and with these for herself, and the dress of a lawyer's clerk for Nerissa, Portia and her maid set out for Venice.

Assembled in the Court of Justice were all those interested in the strange case-Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock, Gratiano, the Duke of Venice and many others-when Nerissa, dressed as a lawyer's clerk, entered and read a letter from Dr. Bellario, in which he wrote that he was ill; but his young friend, Dr. Balthasar, from Rome, would

defend the case ably, and that he had never known "so young a body with so old a head." Thus was Portia, disguised as a lawyer, announced.

Portia, in the robes of a Doctor of Laws, now entered, and the Duke having graciously signified his acceptance of her aid, she took her seat beside him. After examining the bond she pleads with Shylock to be merciful. He demands only his pound of flesh. [Court Scene from "Merchant of Venice" follows this account.] At last Portia grants that he is entitled to the pound of flesh, but not the weight of a hair more or less; and moreover he must not take one drop of blood, as that was not mentioned in the bond.

Shylock now seeing where his wickedness has led him begs permission to leave the courtroom, but this is not permitted to him until he has willed his fortune to his daughter Jessica.

Bassanio, delighted at the outcome of the trial, offers the pretended young judge anything that he may ask but is much troubled when a ring which Portia had given him was requested. The lawyer's clerk also asked for Gratiano's ring which Nerissa had given him. These they had promised never to part with.

When Bassanio and Gratiano, in company with Antonio, returned to their wives at Belmont, the rings were instantly missed. After pretending to be very angry Portia and Nerissa show the rings on their own fingers. After a joyous recital of the day's events Portia gives Antonio a letter which states that three of his ships have come safely to port.

ACT FOURTH

SCENE I.-Venice. A court of justice.

DUKE. This letter from Bellario doth commend
A young and learned doctor to our court.
Where is he?

NER.

He attendeth here hard by,

To know your answer, whether you 'll admit him. DUKE. With all my heart. Some three or four of you Go give him courteous conduct to this place. Meantime the court shall hear Bellario's letter.

CLERK. [Reads.] "Your Grace shall understand that at the receipt of your letter I am very sick; but in the instant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young doctor of Rome; his name is Balthasar. I acquainted him with the cause in controversy between the Jew and Antonio the merchant: we turned o'er many books together: he is furnished with my opinion; which, bettered with his own learning, the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend, comes with him, at my importunity, to fill up your Grace's request in my stead. I beseech you, let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation; for I never knew so young a body with so old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his commendation.'

DUKE. You hear the learn'd Bellario, what he writes:
And here, I take it, is the doctor come.

[Enter PORTIA for BALTHASAR.]

Give me your hand. Come you from old Bellario?

POR. I did, my lord.