The Ingoldsby Legends or, Mirth and Marvels. By Thomas Ingoldsby [i.e. R. H. Barham] |
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 | The Ingoldsby Legends |  |
When apprised of this flaw, You never yet saw
Such an awfully mark'd elongation of jaw
As in Shylock, who cried, “Plesh ma heart! ish dat law?”—
Off went his three hats, And he look'd as the cats
Do, whenever a mouse has escaped from their claw.
“—Ish't the law?”—why the thing won't admit of a query—
“No doubt of the fact, Only look at the act;
Acto quinto, cap: tertio, Dogi Falieri—
Nay, if, rather than cut, you'd relinquish the debt,
The Law, Master Shy, has a hold on you yet.
See Foscari's “Statutes at large”—‘If a Stranger
A Citizen's life shall, with malice, endanger,
The whole of his property, little or great,
Shall go, on conviction, one half to the State,
And one to the person pursued by his hate;
And, not to create Any farther debate,
The Doge, if he pleases, may cut off his pate.’
So down on your marrowbones, Jew, and ask mercy!
Defendant and Plaintiff are now wisy wersy.”
Such an awfully mark'd elongation of jaw
As in Shylock, who cried, “Plesh ma heart! ish dat law?”—
Off went his three hats, And he look'd as the cats
Do, whenever a mouse has escaped from their claw.
“—Ish't the law?”—why the thing won't admit of a query—
“No doubt of the fact, Only look at the act;
Acto quinto, cap: tertio, Dogi Falieri—
Nay, if, rather than cut, you'd relinquish the debt,
The Law, Master Shy, has a hold on you yet.
See Foscari's “Statutes at large”—‘If a Stranger
A Citizen's life shall, with malice, endanger,
The whole of his property, little or great,
Shall go, on conviction, one half to the State,
And one to the person pursued by his hate;
And, not to create Any farther debate,
The Doge, if he pleases, may cut off his pate.’
So down on your marrowbones, Jew, and ask mercy!
Defendant and Plaintiff are now wisy wersy.”
| The Ingoldsby Legends | |