The Original Shylock

A correspondent of the JewUh ChronirU calla iitrontion to the fact that the original of Shiikespearo'sShviock waa a Ciiristian, aud not a Jew. Ho quotes from tho Lltbbook of Gregorio Loti's Bioeraphy of Sixtus V. in proof of this. A Roman ïnerchant, nained Sechi, heard that Admiral Francis Blake had conquered San Domingo, and conimunicated tho news to a Jowish merebant namod Ceneda. Tlie letter was so confident iu the f ness of tho news that, after repeated prdtestations, he suid, " I bot a pound of my ilili that (he report Í3 untruo." "And I lay a thousaud scudi ajr.iinst it," reioined the Chi-istian, who caused a bond to be drawn up to the efTect that in case tlie report should prove .untiuo, then the Christian merchant, Siaior Paal M. 8echi, i; boundto pay í '. aerchant tbc suin of 1,OÜO seudi ; and, on tho other hand, if the truthof tbis news l; confinaeJ, the Christian cuurehant, Sisnor Paul M. P.-.'ïii, irt j ir.iii ui and omüowered to cut with his owu hands, with a wellnharpeaed knife, a pouod of the Jew's fair llosh, of that part of the body it might please him. Whon the iv.ws proved trae, the Christian insistid on his bond ; but the Gsvernor, havins got wind of the affair, reported to th'j Popa, who condnmned both jew and Cliristiaii to the galleys, from whioh they cpnld only be ransomed by paying a fine of -,000 SOuJS to the hosjata! . igo.'