Novels, plays, and songs, are named by the well-known commentators on Shakspeare, as the origin of the
fable and incidents of this play. But the "Biographia Dramatica"
furnishes the following extract: The story is built on a real fact, which
happened in some part of Italy,—with this difference indeed, that the
intended cruelty was really on the side of the christian, the jew being the
unhappy delinquent, who fell beneath his rigid and barbarous resentment. Popular
prejudice, however, vindicates our author in the alteration he has made; and the
delightful manner in which he has availed himself of the general character of the
jews, the very quintessence of which he has enriched his Shylock with, makes more than amends for his
deviating from a matter of fact, which he was by no means obliged to adhere
to.²

From whatever ground Shakspeare
took his materials for this drama, he has most dexterously sorted and cemented them
to form one excellent whole.

Probability is, indeed, continually violated in "The Merchant of
Venice;" but so it should ever be in plays, or not at all—one
improbable incident only, among a train of natural occurrences, revolts an audience;
but where all is alike extravagant, comparison is prevented, and extravagance becomes
familiar.b 2

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Boldness of design, strength of character, excellence of dialogue, with
prepossession in favour of the renowned author of this work, shield every fault from
observation, or from producing an ill effect by its intrusion.

Refinement is honourable to our nation; and the delicacy of the English stage at
present is the best characteristic of that elegant propriety, with which the public
shrink from all savage indecorum of principles or manners, however excited by
passions, or by debased sentiments. Yet, with due respect for refined notions, they
would indisputably, in Shakspeare's days, have limited and impaired his mighty genius.

The knife to cut—the scales to weigh—and what? part of an enemy's
body!³

It is worthy a moment's time to figure, in imagination, how a London audience would
receive such a scene, as the most admired one in this comedy, were it now brought
on
the stage for the first time. It is to be feared that the company in the side boxes
would faint, or withdraw; the galleries be in a tumult of hissing; while the pit
would soberly declare—"that though there was great merit in the author's
writing, such things could not be tolerated in action."⁴

Macklin was the soul, which, infused
into Shylock, first animated this favourite
drama—no fiend-like malice, no outrageous cruelty, no diabolical joy in human
misery, seemed too excessive for the nature of mankind, when he depicted those
extraordinary crimes. In the art of representing this character, his person,
features, deportment, and tones of voice, appeared so inar-[Page 5]tificial, they
were so much like those of unaffected man, that his mind seemed human too; and all
uninteresting prodigy was done away.

Dramatic authors of former times have generally encouraged the disobedience and
treachery of children to their parents. Shakspeare, in his "Lear," has most honourably supported a father's cause, and
therefore ought not to receive indiscriminate reproach along with his contemporary
poets, or immediate successors; yet of his gentle Jessica⁵ may be said—she proved in her disposition a strong
resemblance to the wicked Shylock, or, though
she had deserted, she never would have robbed him.

The "Jew of Venice," by Lord
Landsdown, is an alteration of this play, and was acted in 1701.⁶ The noble author made some emendations in the
work, but having made the Jew a comic character, as such he caused more laughter than
detestation, which wholly destroyed the moral designed by the original author.

One of the pleasantries in the "Jew of Venice" is, where, at a feast,
Shylock being placed at a separate table,
in consequence of his separate faith, drinks to his money, as his only friend.

Dr. Johnson has said, of Shakspeare's "Merchant of
Venice:"—