490 LEAVES THEY HAVE TOUCHED. 



among otlier tilings, brought down the rate of interest iii Venice by 

 lending out money gratis. But the expression is echoed by Gratiano, 

 ■further on in the play, when the tables are turned against Shylock. 

 " Now," Gratiano says, " now, infidel, I have thee on the hip." 

 Again, notice some odiou^s traits mentioned by Babington as marking , 

 Laban. " Then said Laban, What shall I give thee f On this 

 Babington observes : " Worldly minds love certainties, for feare 

 anie liberalitie shouide be expected at their hands. When a man 

 knoweth his price, think they, he knoweth his paine, and if I pay 

 that, he can challenge no more. I performe my promise ; but if I 

 leave it uncertaine, and let him stand to my curtesie, happily my 

 credite may be cost-to, for I must content him, &c. Thus earthly 

 and base minds have usually earthly and base conceits. Stil is theii- 

 hand upon their halfe -penny." Have we not here the provident 

 anxiety which Shy lock evinces to have everything written do^vn- "in 

 the bond?" Again, read Babington's language when commenting on 

 the means by which Jacob obtained an extra number of piebald 

 lambs. "By all which you see it appeareth plainlie, that togither 

 with the working power of God, which in this was chiefs and ever 

 is— yet even in nature and reason, this laying of partie-coloured rods 

 to affect the imagination of the females at the time of their heate 

 before their eyes, was effectual to bringing to pass a like colored 

 yoong one to Jacobs gaine, whose bargaine was to have all such, and 

 onely such," And then look at Shy lock's account of the same matter. 

 " Mark what Jacob did," Shylock says, " When Laban and himself 

 were compromised that all the eanlings which were streaked and pied 

 should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes being rank, in end of autumne 

 turned to the rams * '^ the skilful shepherd peeled me cei'tain 

 wands * * and stuck them up before the fulsome ewes, who, 

 then conceiving, did in eaning time fall party-colored lambs, and 

 those were Jacob's. This was the way to thrive." Shylock applaud- 

 ingly exclaims, "And he was blest; and thrift is blessing, if .men 

 steal it not." Pausing only to interpose Antonio's just observation : 

 " Mark you this, Bassanio, the devil can cite sci-ipture for his pur- 

 pose ; an evil soul producing holy witness, is like a villain with a 

 smiling cheek, a goodly apple rotten at the heart : O, what a goodly 

 outside falsehood hath !"— let us note the expression, " party-colored," 

 occurring in both places. Now this expression does not occur in the 

 original narrative on which Babington is commenting. It is not 



