title: The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice)
title_page_title: THE EXCELLENT Historie of the Mer<i>chant of Venice</i>. With the extreme cruelty of <i>Shylocke</i> the Iew towards the saide Merchant, in cut<i>ting  a iust pound of his flesh. And the  obtaining</i> of <i>Portia</i>, by the  choyse of <i>three Caskets</i>.
title_page_author: Written by W. S<small>HAKESPEARE</small>.
title_page_imprint: Printed by <i>J.  Roberts</i>, 1600.
stationer_entries_in_register: Jul 22, 1598: Entered to James Roberts: "a booke of the Marchaunt of Venyce or otherwise called the Iewe of Venyce./ Prouided that yt bee not prynted by the said Iames Robert<i>es</i>; or anye other whatsoeuer w<sup>th</sup>out lycence first had from the Right honorable the lord Chamberlen".<br />Oct 28, 1600: Transferred from James Roberts to Thomas Hayes: "A booke called the booke of the m<i>er</i>chant of Venyce".<br />Jul 8, 1619: Transferred from Thomas Hayes decd. to Lawrence Hayes: "A play Called The Marchant of Venice".<br />Oct 17, 1657: Transferred from the widow of Lawrence Hayes and Jane Graisby to William Leake (2): "the Booke or Copie called The Merchant of Venice a Play written by William Shakespeare Gent<i>leman</i>".
stationer_additional_notes: The imprint is false; the volume was actually printed in 1619 by William Jaggard for Thomas Pavier and apparently intended to form part of Pavier's Shakespeare collection of that year.
transcript_modern_spelling: The excellent history of the merchant of Venice with the extreme cruelty of Shylock the Jew towards the said merchant in cutting a just pound of his flesh and the obtaining of Portia by the choice of three caskets written by W. Shakespeare printed by J. Roberts 1600