>>>> Yeah, this is a pretty good example of someone not really knowing how to read, and holding it against someone who does. . . . . . Of course, if you think ignorance is a virtue, that's fine. Just = don't hold it against those who Know better... In short, Fuck Off Jim =20 >>>> I was not specifically satirizing your comments about the Shylock = character or about the other ideas you posted. My thoughts were intended = to raise the point and highlight the quandary that much of our "historical"= information is quite speculative and uncertain. Then again, my inability to read--especially when confronted by someone = who "Know[s] better" and can articulate a retort with such eloquence--sets = me back in awe. And I must concede how wrong I was. In short, Thank You. Paul