Cuckoo, cukoo,-O-word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married car!

III.

Winter. When icicles hang by the wall,

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,

And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
To-who;

Tu-whit, to who, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel* the pot.

IV.

When all aloud the wind doth blow,
And coughing drowns the parson's saw,
And birds sits brooding in the snow,
And Marian's nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabst hiss in the bowl.
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
To-who;

Tu-whit, to-who, a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Arm. The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo. You, that way; we, this way.

* Cool.

[Exeunt.

+ Wild apples.

In this play, which all the editors have concurred to censure, and some have rejected as unworthy of our poet, it must be confessed that there are many

passages mean, childish, and vulgar: and some which ought not to have been exhibited, as we are told they were, to a maiden queen. But there are scattered through the whole many sparks of genius; nor is there any play that has more evident marks of the hand of Shakspeare. JOHNSON.

MERCHANT OF VENICE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Duke of Venice.

Prince of Morocco,

Prince of Arragon,

suitors to Portia.

Antonio, the merchant of Venice.

Bassanio, his friend.

Salanio,

Salarino,

Gratiano,

}

friends to Antonio and Bassanio.

Lorenzo, in love with Jessica.

Shylock, a Jew.

Tubal, a Jew, his friend.

Launcelot Gobbo, a clown, servant to Shylock.

Old Gobbo, father to Launcelot.

Salerio, a messenger from Venice.

Leonardo, servant to Bassanio.

Magnificoes of Venice, officers of the court of Justice, jailer, servants, and other attendants.

Scene, partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont, the seat of Portia, on the Continent.