Gernutus, the Jew of Venice

1. In Venice town not long ago
 a cruel Jew did dwell,
Which lived all on usurȳ*,
 as Italian writers tell.

2. Gernutus callèd was the Jew,
 which never thought to die,
Nor ever yet did any good
 to them in streets that lie.

3. His life was like a barrow hog,
 that liveth manȳ a day,
Yet never ōnce doth anȳ good
 until men will him slay;

4. Or like a filthȳ heap of dung
 that lieth in a hoard;
Which never can do anȳ good,
 till it be spread abroad.

5. So fares it with the usurer,
 he cannot sleep in rest
For fear the thief will him pursue
 to pluck him from his nest.

6. His heart doth think on manȳ a wile
 how to deceive the poor;
His mouth is almost full of muck,
 yet still he gapes for more.

7. Within that citȳ dwelt that time
 a mėrchant of gre͞at fame,
Which, being distressèd in his need,
 unto Gernutus came:

8. Desiring him to stand his friend
 for twelvemonth and a day;
To lend to him a hundred crowns;
 and he for it would pay.

9. Whatsoever he would demand of him,
 and pledges he should hāve:
‘No,’ quoth the Jew, with hearing looks,
 ‘Sir, ask what you will hāve.

10. ‘No pennȳ for the loan of it
 for ōne year you shall pay;
You may do me as good a turn
 before my dying day.

11. ‘But we will hāve a merrȳ jest,
 for to be talkèd long:
You shall make me a band’, quoth he,
 ‘that shall be large and strong.

12. ‘And this shall be the forfeiṯure:
 of your own flesh a pound.
If you agree, make you the band,
 and here is a hundred crowns.’

13. ‘With right good will’, the met chant says,
 and so the band was made.
When twelve month and a day drew on
 that back it should be paid.

14. The mėrchant’s ships were all at sea,
 and mone͞y came not in;
Which way to take, or what to do
 to think he doth begin.

15. And to Gernutus straight he comes
 with cap and bended knee;
And sa͞id to him, ‘Of courtesȳ,
 I pray you bear with me.

16. ‘My day is come, and I hāve not
 the mone͞y for to pay;
And little good the forfeiṯure
 will do you, I dare say.’

17. ‘With all my heart,’ Gernutus sa͞id,
 ‘command it to your mind:
In things of bigger weight than this
 you shall me readȳ find.’

18. He goes his way; the day ōnce past,
 Gernutus doth not slack
To get a sergeant presentlȳ,
 and clapt him on the back.

19. And laid him into prison strong,
 and sued his band withall;
And when the judgment day was come,
 for judgment he did call.

20. The mėrchant’s friends came thither fast
 with manȳ a weeping eye,
For other means they could not find,
 but he that day must die.

21. Some offered for his hundred crowns,
 five hundred for to pay;
And some a thousand, two or three,
 yet still he did deny.

22. And at the last ten thousand crowns
 they offered, him to save:
Gernutus sa͞id, ‘I will no gold,
 my forfeit I will hāve.

23. ‘A pound of flesh is my demand,
 and that shall be my hi͞re.’
Then sa͞id the judge, ‘Yet, good my friend,
 let me of you desi͞re

24. ‘To take the flesh from such a place
 as yet you let him live:
Do so, and lo! an hundred crowns
 to thee here will I give.’

25. ‘No, no,’ quoth he, ‘no, judgment here;
 for this it shall be tried;
For I will hāve my pound of flesh
 from under his right side.’

26. It grieved all the companȳ
 his crueltȳ to see,
For ne͝ither friend nor foe could help,
 but he must spoiled be.

27. The blo͝odȳ Jew now readȳ is
 with whetted blade in hand,
To spoil the blo͝od of innocent
 by forfeit of his band.

28. And as he was about to strike
 in him the deadlȳ blow,
‘Stay,’ quoth the judge, ‘thy crueltȳ;
 I charge thee to do so.

29. ‘Since needs thou wilt thy forfeit hāve,
 which is of flesh a pound,
See that thou shed no drop of blo͝od,
 nor yet the man confound.

30. ‘For if thou do, like murderer
 thou here shalt hangèd be:
Likewise of flesh see that thou cut
 no more than ’longs to thee.

31. ‘For if thou take e͝ither more or less
 to the value of a mite,
Thou shalt be hangèd presentlȳ
 as is both law and right.’

32. Gernutus now waxed frantic mad,
 and wots not what to say;
Quoth he at last, ‘Ten thousand crowns
 I will that he shall pay;

33. ‘And so I grant to set him free.’
 the judge doth answer make;
‘You shall not hāve a pennȳ given;
 your forfeiṯure now take.’

34. At the last he doth demand,
 but for to hāve his own;
‘No,’ quoth the judge, ‘do as you list.
 thy judgment shall be shown.

35. ‘E͝ither take your pound of flesh,’ quoth he,
 ‘or cancel me your band:’
‘O cruel judge,’ then quoth the Jew,
 ‘that doth against me stand!’

36. And so with griping, grieved mind
 he biddeth them farewell:
Then all the people praised the Lord,
 that ever this heard tell.

37. Good people, that do hear this song,
 for truth I dare well say,
That manȳ a wretch as ill as he
 doth live now at this day;

38. That seeketh nothing but the spoil
 of manȳ a wealthȳ man,
And for to trap the innocent
 deviseth what he can.

39. From whom the Lord deliver me,
 and everȳ Christian too,
And send to them like sentence eke
 that meaneth so to do.