A Motley Jest SHAKESPEAREAN DIVERSIONS By Oscar Fay Adams AUTHOR OF “A DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN AUTHORS,” “THE STORY OF JANE AUSTEN’S LIFE,” “SICUT PATRIBUS AND OTHER VERSE,” ETC.; AMERICAN EDITOR OF THE HENRY IRVING SHAKESPEARE, ETC. [Illustration: Colophon LEGE QUID LEGAS] BOSTON Sherman, French & Company 1909 Copyright 1909 SHERMAN, FRENCH & COMPANY TO THE OLD CAMBRIDGE SHAKESPEARE ASSOCIATION THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED PREFATORY NOTE The Sixth Act of _The Merchant of Venice_ was first printed in the _Cornhill Booklet_ for March, 1903. The _Shakespearean Fantasy_ now appears for the first time in print. CONTENTS I A SHAKESPEAREAN FANTASY 1 II THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 49 ACT SIXTH. NOTE BY WILLIAM J. ROLFE, LITT.D. 63 I A SHAKESPEAREAN FANTASY A SHAKESPEAREAN FANTASY SCENE I. _An island in the Middle Seas. A cave is seen on the right and before it, under a palm tree_, CALIBAN _is discovered sleeping_. [_Enter_ TRINCULO _and_ STEPHANO, _quarreling_. TRINCULO. Since the day when the old gentleman they call Prospero took it into his bald pate to disappear into air along with a most goodly company beside, there’s not a bottle to be found i’ this isle, as I am a good Christian, and, what is more, a good Christian man’s son. STEPHANO. Bottle me no bottles, Trinculo. Had we ne’er shared a bottle betwixt us we had not been left to bide by ourselves in this whoreson isle in the hard service of the man-monster, Caliban, but might be in fair Naples at this very hour. TRINCULO. Sagely said, Master Stephano. Thou wast ever wise enow i’ the tail o’ the event. An’ thou could’st have looked it thus wisely i’ the mouth, thou hadst been a made man, Stephano, a made man, and a householder, to boot.