"Of the Jews crueltie; setting foorth the mercifulnesse of the Judge towards the Marchant. To the tune of Blacke and Yellow."
Some offered for his hundred crownes
Five hundred for to pay;
And some a thousand, two or three,
Yet still he did denay.[873]
And at the last ten thousand crownes5
They offered, him to save.
Gernutus sayd, I will no gold:
My forfeite I will have.
A pound of fleshe is my demand,
And that shall be my hire.10
Then sayd the judge, Yet, good my friend,
Let me of you desire
To take the flesh from such a place,
As yet you let him live:
Do so, and lo! an hundred crownes15
To thee here will I give.
No: no: quoth he; no: judgment here:
For this it shall be tride,
For I will have my pound of fleshe
From under his right side.20
It grieved all the companie
His crueltie to see,
For neither friend nor foe could helpe
But he must spoyled bee.
The bloudie Jew now ready is25
With whetted blade in hand,[874]
To spoyle the bloud of innocent,
By forfeit of his bond.
And as he was about to strike
In him the deadly blow:30
Stay (quoth the judge) thy crueltie;
I charge thee to do so.