he law, indeed, gave him a pound
of flesh, it did not give him one single drop of blood; and if, in
cutting off the flesh, he shed one drop of Antonio's blood, his
possessions were confiscated by the law to the State of Venice!

A murmur of applause ran through the court at the wise thought of the
young counsellor; for it was clearly impossible for the flesh to be cut
without the shedding of blood, and therefore Antonio was safe.

Shylock then said he would take the money Bassanio had offered; and
Bassanio cried out gladly, "Here it is!" at which Portia stopped him,
saying that the Jew should have nothing but the penalty named in the
bond.

"Give me my money and I will go!" cried Shylock once more; and once
more Bassanio would have given it, had not Portia again interfered.
"Tarry, Jew," she said; "the law hath yet another hold on you." Then
she stated that, for conspiring against the life of a citizen of
Venice, the law compelled him to forfeit all his wealth, and his own
life was at the mercy of the duke.

The duke said he would grant him his life before he asked it; one-half
of his riches only should go to the State, the other half should be
Antonio's.

More merciful of heart than his enemy could expect, Antonio declared
that he did not desire the Jew's property, if he would make it over at
his death to his own daughter, whom he had discarded for marrying a
Christian, to which Shylock reluctantly agreed.

THE AFFLICTED PRINCE.

A TALE OF THE ANCIENT BRITONS.

I.

It is said by some ancient historians, and by those who have bestowed
much pains in examining and comparing old conditions, that several
kings reigned over Britain before Julius Caesar landed in the country.
Lud Hurdebras is supposed to have been the eighth king from Brute, whom
the Bards, and after them, the monkish historians, report to have been
the first monarch of Britain. I am going to tell you a story of Prince
Bladud, the son of this Lud Hurdebras, which, there is reason to
believe, is founded on fact.

Bladud was the only child of the king and queen, and he was not only
tenderly beloved by his parents, but was also considered as a child of
great beauty and promise by the chiefs and the people. It, however,
unfortunately happened that he was attacked with that loathsome
disease, so frequently mentioned in Scripture by the name of leprosy.
The dirty habits and gross feeding of the early natives of Britain, as
well as of all ot