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The forfeit of a merchant's deadly bond after standing surety for a friend's loan was a common tale in England in the late 16th century.^[3] The test of the suitors at Belmont, the merchant's rescue from the "pound of flesh" penalty by his friend's new wife disguised as a lawyer and her demand for the betrothal ring in payment are all present in the 14th-century tale Il Pecorone by Giovanni Fiorentino, which was published in Milan in 1558.^[4] Elements of the trial scene are also found in The Orator by Alexandre Sylvane, published in translation in 1596.^[3]