_"Yes; here I tender it for him in the court; Yea, twice the sum,"_ and still appealing to the Duke, says: _"To do a great right, do a little wrong, And curb this cruel devil of his will!"_ Portia says: _"There is no power in Venice can altar a decree established."_ And Shylock, lighting up with joy, replies: _"A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!"_ Preparation is made to cut the pound of flesh from the breast of Antonio; and this brave old Christian merchant says to his dearest friend, Bassanio: _"Fare you well! Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you; For herein fortune shows herself more kind Than is her custom; it is still her use To let the wretched man outlive his wealth, To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow, An age of poverty."_ Portia, speaking to Shylock, says: _"Take thou thy pound of flesh; But, in the cutting, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscated Unto the State of Venice!"_ The Jew finding himself absolutely blocked consents to take the money offered. Yet, Portia tells him that his property and life are now at the mercy of the Duke because he has conspired against the life of a citizen of Venice, and bids him: _"Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke!"_ Then the great Duke, judge of the court, speaks to Shylock: _"That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it; For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's, The other half comes to the general state!"_ Shylock bravely replies: _"Take my life and all, pardon not that; You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life When you do take the means whereby I live!"_ Then Antonio says if the Jew will give up all his property to Lorenzo and his daughter Jessica, and become a Christian, he the "Merchant of Venice," will be content. Portia then triumphantly asks: _"Art thou content, Jew, what dost thou say?"_ And poor old Shylock gasps: _"I am content."_ Thus ends one of the most barefaced swindles of the ages; and my friend William is responsible for the nefarious and systematic machinery of roguery and persecution injected into the play to satisfy Christian hate against the wandering Jew. In looking around the world even to-day, we might truthfully exclaim: "O, Christianity! Christianity! how many crimes are committed in thy name!" The fifth act of the "Merchant of Venice" winds up with harmonious love and prosperity for all concerned. At the beautiful home of "Belmont," Bassanio, Portia, Lorenzo and Jessica, as well as Gratiano and Nerissa are married and living in blissful association. In the moonlit, lovelit conversation between Lorenzo and his Jewish wife, Jessica, Shakspere wings in some of his finest classical allusions, a word banquet for all passion struck lovers.