Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/226

202 beauty, not content with the stab her marriage with an enemy would give her poor old father’s heart, broke her filial trust, rifled him of his rarest treasures, some of her dead mother’s jewels, all the gold she could find, and loaded her lover with the booty. They set out hastily from Venice to escape her father’s wrath, and were next heard from at Genoa. This event had terribly embittered the Jew, and made him more than ever long to wreak his vengeance on the Christian race. Therefore, the instant the three months expired, he caused Antonio to be arrested, and demanded from the court a pound of his flesh as the bond had specified.

The Venetians, who were more proud of the unchangeableness than of the justice of their laws, were much moved by this claim of Shylock. By an ancient decree, no Venetian law could ever be repealed, and as Shylock’s demand seemed legal to the court, they knew not how to deny it. The Duke of Venice, however, put off the judgment until word could be sent to Belmont of Antonio’s danger.

Salario, a friend and boon-companion, set out hastily from Venice with letters to Bassanio from the Duke and Antonio. On his way he met the runaway pair, Lorenzo and Jessica, who, at his request, accompanied him to Belmont. The party arrived there in the midst of the rejoicing