[9] In the "Mercatante di Venezia" of Ser. Giovanni, we have the whole story of Antonio and Bassanio, and part of the story but not the character of Portia. The incident of the caskets is from the Gesta Romanorum. [10] In that age, delicate points of law were not determined by the ordinary judges of the provinces, but by doctors of law, who were called from Bologna, Padua, and other places celebrated for their legal colleges. [11] Romeo and Juliet, Act ii. Scene 2 [12] Characters of Shakespeare's Plays. [13] Act iv. Scene 5. [14] _Use_, i. e. usury, interest. [15] In Shakspeare's time, there were people In Ireland, (there may be so still, for aught I know,) who undertook to charm rats to death, by chanting certain verses which acted as a spell. "Rhyme them to death, as they do rats in Ireland," is a line in one of Ben Jonson's comedies; this will explain Rosalind's humorous allusion. [16] Rousseau could describe such a character as Rosalind, but failed to represent it consistently. "N'est-ce pas de ton coeur que viennent les graces de ton enjouement? Tes railleries sont des signes d'interet plus touchants que les compliments d'un autre. Tu caresses quand tu folatres. Tu ris, mais ton rire penetre l'ame; tu ris, mais tu fais pleurer de tendresse et je te vois presque toujours serieuse avec les indifferents" _Heloise._ CHARACTERS OF PASSION AND IMAGINATION. JULIET. O Love! thou teacher'--O Grief! thou tamer--and Time, thou healer of human hearts!--bring hither all your deep and serious revelations!--And ye too, rich fancies of unbruised, unbowed youth--ye visions of long perished hopes--shadows of unborn joys--gay colorings of the dawn of existence! whatever memory hath treasured up of bright and beautiful in nature or in art; all soft and delicate images--all lovely forms--divinest voices and entrancing melodies--gleams of sunnier skies and fairer climes,--Italian moonlights and airs that "breathe of the sweet south,"--now, if it be possible, revive to my imagination--live once more to my heart! Come, thronging around me, all inspirations that wait on passion, on power, on beauty; give me to tread, not bold, and yet unblamed, within the inmost sanctuary of Shakspeare's genius, in Juliet's moonlight bower, and Miranda's enchanted isle! * * * * *