The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 21 of 39
Shakespeare, William · published 1600 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti typicality 0.88 · 527 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
How all the other passions fleet to air, As doubtful thoughts, and rash embraced despair▪ And shyddring fear, and greene-eyed jealousy. O love be moderate, allay thy ecstasy, In measure rain thy joy, scant this excosse, I feel too much thy blessing, make it less for fear I surfeit. What find I here? Fair Portia's counterfeit. What demi God hath come so near creation? move these eyes? Or whither riding on the balls of mine seem they in motion? here are severed lips parted with sugar breath, so sweet a bar should sunder such sweet friends: here in her hairs the Painter plays the Spider, and hath woven a golden mesh tyntrap the hearts of men faster than gnats in cobwebs, but her eyes how could he see to do them? having made one, me thinks it should have power to steal both his and leave itself unfurnished: Yet look how far the substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow in underprysing it, so far this shadow doth limp behind the substance. here's the scroll, the continent and summary of my fortune. You that choose not by the view Chance as fair, and choose as true; Since this fortune falls to you, Be content, and seek no new. If you be well pleased with this, and hold your fortune for your bliss, Turn you where your Lady is, And claims her with a loving kiss. A gentle scroll: Fair Lady, by your leave, I come by note to give, and to receive, Like one of two contending in a prize That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes: Hearing applause and universal shout, Giddy in spirit, still gazing in a doubt whether those peals of praise be his or no, So thrice fair Lady stand I even so, As doubtful whether what I see be true, Until confirmed, signed, ratified by you. You see me Lord Bassamo where I stand, such as I am; though for myself alone I would not be ambitious in my wish to wish myself much better, yet for you, I would be trebled twenty times myself, a thousand times more fair, ten, thousand times more rich, that only to stand high in your account, I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends exceed account: but the full sum of me is sum of something: which to term in gross, is an vnlessond girl, vnschoold, unpractized, happy in this, she is not yet so old but she may learn: happier than this, she is not bred so dull but she can learn; happiest of all, is that her gentle spirit commits itself to yours to be directed, as from her Lord, her governor, her King. Myself, and what is mine, to you and yours is now converted. But now I was the Lord of this fair mansion, master of my servants, Queen o'er myself: and even now, but now, this house, these servants, and this same myself are yours, my Lords, I give them with this ring, which when you part from, loose, or give away, let it presage the ruin of your love, and be my vantage to exclaim on you.
seed 43: T31 · seed 44: T44 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
How all the other paſſions fleet to ayre, As doubtfull thoughts, and raſh imbrac'd deſpaire▪ And ſhyddring feare, and greene-eyed iealouſie. O loue be moderate, allay thy extaſie, In meaſure raine thy ioy, ſcant this excoſſe, I feele too much thy bleſſing, make it leſſe for feare I ſurfeit. What finde I heere? Faire Portias counterfeit. What demy God hath come ſo neere creation? moue theſe eyes? Or whither riding on the balls of mine ſeeme they in motion? Heere are ſeuerd lips parted with ſuger breath, ſo ſweet a barre ſhould ſunder ſuch ſweet friends: heere in her haires the Paynter playes the Spyder, and hath wouen a golden meſh tyntrap the harts of men faſter then gnats in cobwebs, but her eyes how could he ſee to doe them? hauing made one, me thinkes it ſhould haue power to ſteale both his and leaue it ſelfe vnfurniſht: Yet looke how farre the ſubſtance of my praiſe doth wrong this ſhadow in vnderpryſing it, ſo farre this ſhadow doth limpe behind the ſubſtance. Heeres the ſcroule, the continent and ſummarie of my fortune. You that chooſe not by the view Chaunce as faire, and chooſe as true; Since this fortune falls to you, Be content, and ſeeke no new. If you be well pleaſd with this, and hold your fortune for your bliſſe, Turne you where your Lady is, And claims her with a loving kis. A gentle ſcroule: Faire Lady, by your leaue, I come by note to giue, and to receaue, Like one of two contending in a prize That thinks he hath done well in peoples eyes: Hearing applauſe and vniuerſall ſhoute, Giddy in ſpirit, ſtill gazing in a doubt vvhether thoſe peales of praiſe be his or no, So thrice faire Lady ſtand I euen ſo, As doubtfull whether what I ſee be true, Vntill confirmd, ſignd, ratified by you. You ſee me Lord Baſſamo where I ſtand, ſuch as I am; though for my ſelfe alone I would not be ambitious in my wiſh to wiſh my ſelfe much better, yet for you, I would be trebled twentie times my ſelfe, a thouſand times more faire, tenne, thouſand times more rich, that onely to ſtand high in your account, I might in vertues, beauties, liuings, friends exceede account: but the full ſumme of me is ſume of ſomething: which to terme in groſſe, is an vnleſſond girle, vnſchoold, vnpractized, happy in this, ſhe is not yet ſo old but ſhe may learne: happier then this, ſhee is not bred ſo dull but ſhe can learne; happieſt of all, is that her gentle ſpirit commits it ſelfe to yours to be directed, as from her Lord, her gouernour, her King. My ſelfe, and what is mine, to you and yours is now conuerted. But now I was the Lord of this faire manſion, maiſter of my ſeruants, Queene ore my ſelfe: and euen now, but now, this houſe, theſe ſeruants, and this ſame my ſelfe are yours, my Lords, I giue them with this ring, vvhich when you part from, looſe, or giue away, let it preſage the ruine of your loue, and be my vantage to exclaime on you.