The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 2 of 39
Shakespeare, William · published 1600 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T6 Money, debt and credit · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
I pray you good Bassanio let me know it, And if it stand as you yourself still do, within the eye of honour, be assured My purse, my person, my extremest means Lie all unlocked to your occasions. In my school days, when I had lost one shaft, I shot his fellow of the self same flight The self same way, with more advised watch To find the other forth, and by adventuring both, I oft found both: I urge this childhood proof Because what follows is pure innocence. I owe you much, and like a wilful youth That which I owe is lost, but if you please To shoot another arrow that self way which you did shoot the first, I do not doubt, As I will watch the aim or to find both, Or bring your latter hazard bake again, And thankfully rest debtor for the first. You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance, And out of doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermost Then if you had made waist of all I have: Then do but say to me what I should do That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am priest unto it: therefore speak. In Belmont is a Lady richly left, And she is fair, and fairer than that word, Of wondrous virtues, sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages: Her name is Portia, nothing undervallewd To Cato's daughter, Brutus Portia, Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, For the four winds blow in from every coast Renowned suitors, and her sunny locks Hang on her temples like a golden fleece, which makes her seat of Belmont Cholchos strand, And many Iasons come in quest of her. O my Anthonio, had I but the means To hold a rival place with one of them, I have a mind presages me such thrift That I should questionless be fortunate. Thou know'st that all my fortunes are at sea, Neither have I money, nor commodity To raise a present sum, therefore go forth Try what my credit can in Venice do, That shall be racked even to the uttermost To furnish thee to Belmont to fair Portia. Go presently inquire and so will I where money is, and I no question make To have it of my trust, or for my sake. By my troth Nerrissa, my little body is awearie of this great world. You would be sweet Madam, if your miseries were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are: and yet for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit with too much, as they that starve with nothing; it is no mean happiness therefore to be seated in the mean, superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. Good sentences, and well pronounced. They would be better if well followed.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I pray you good Baſſanio let me know it, And if it ſtand as you your ſelfe ſtill doe, vvithin the eye of honour, be aſſurd My purſe, my perſon, my extreameſt meanes Lie all vnlockt to your occaſions. In my ſchoole dayes, when I had loſt one ſhaft, I ſhot his fellow of the ſelfe ſame flight The ſelfe ſame way, with more aduiſed watch To finde the other forth, and by aduenturing both, I oft found both: I vrge this child-hood proofe Becauſe what followes is pure innocence. I owe you much, and like a wilfull youth That which I owe is loſt, but if you pleaſe To ſhoote another arrow that ſelfe way vvhich you did ſhoote the firſt, I doe not doubt, As I will watch the ayme or to find both, Or bring your latter hazzard bake againe, And thankfully reſt debter for the firſt. You know me well, and heerein ſpend but time To wind about my loue with circumſtance, And out of doubt you doe me now more wrong In making queſtion of my vttermoſt Then if you had made waſt of all I haue: Then doe but ſay to me what I ſhould doe That in your knowledge may by me be done, And I am preſt vnto it: therefore ſpeake. In Belmont is a Lady richly left, And ſhe is faire, and fairer then that word, Of wondrous vertues, ſometimes from her eyes I did receaue faire ſpeechleſſe meſſages: Her name is Portia, nothing vndervallewd To Catos daughter, Brutus Portia, Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, For the foure winds blow in from euery coaſt Renowned ſutors, and her ſunny locks Hang on her temples like a golden fleece, vvhich makes her ſeat of Belmont Cholchos ſtrond, And many Iaſons come in queſt of her. O my Anthonio, had I but the meanes To hold a riuall place with one of them, I haue a minde preſages me ſuch thrift That I ſhould queſtionleſſe be fortunate. Thou knowſt that all my fortunes are at ſea, Neither haue I money, nor commoditie To raiſe a preſent ſumme, therefore goe forth Try what my credite can in Venice doe, That ſhall be rackt euen to the vttermoſt To furniſh thee to Belmont to faire Portia. Goe preſently enquire and ſo will I vvhere money is, and I no queſtion make To haue it of my truſt, or for my ſake. By my troth Nerriſſa, my little body is awearie of this great world. You would be ſweet Madam, if your miſeries were in the ſame aboundance as your good fortunes are: and yet for ought I ſee, they are as ſicke that ſurfeite with too much, as they that ſtarue with nothing; it is no meane happines therfore to be ſeated in the meane, ſuperfluitie comes ſooner by white haires, but competencie liues longer. Good ſentences, and well pronounc'd. They would be better if well followed.