The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 23 of 39
Shakespeare, William · published 1600 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T57 Ships, merchants and pirates typicality 0.79 · 479 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T57: ship, sea, master, sail, home, money, pisaro, life, ships, till.
Nerrissa, cheer yond stranger, bid her welcome. Your hand Salerio, what's the news from Venice? how doth that royal Merchant good Anthonio? I know he will be glad of our success, we are the Iasons, we have won the fleece. I would you had won the fleece that he hath lost. There are some shroud contents in yond same paper that steals the colour from Bassanios' cheek, some dear friend dead, else nothing in the world could turn so much the constitution of any constant man: what worse and worse? With leave Bassanio I am half yourself, and I must freely have the half of any thing that this same paper brings you. O sweet Portia, here are a few of the vnpleasant'st words that ever blotted paper. Gentle Lady when I did first impart my love to you, I freely told you all the wealth I had ran in my veins, I was a gentleman, and then I told you true: and yet dear Lady rating myself at nothing, you shall see how much I was a Braggart, when I told you my state was nothing, I should then have told you that I was worse than nothing; for indeed I have engaged myself to a dear friend, engaged my friend to his mere enemy to feed my means. here is a letter Lady, the paper as the body of my friend, and every word in it a gaping wound issuing life blood. But is it true Salerio hath all his ventures failed, what not one hit, from Tripoli, from Mexico and England, from Lisbon, Barbary, and India, and not one vessel scape the dreadful touch of Merchant-marring rocks? Not one my Lord. Besides, it should appear, that if he had the present money to discharge the Iew, he would not take it: never did I know a creature that did bear the shape of man so keen and greedy to confound a man. He plies the Duke at morning and at night, and doth impeach the freedom of the state if they deny him justice. Twenty Merchants, the Duke himself, and the Magnificoes of greatest port have all persuaded with him, but none can drive him from the envious plea of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond. When I was with him, I have heard him swear to Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen, that he would rather have Antonio's flesh then twenty times the value of the sum that he did owe him: and I know my lord, if law, authority, and power deny not, it will go hard with poor Anthonio. Is it your decree friend that is thus in trouble? The dearest friend to me, the kindest man, the best conditioned and unwearied spirit in doing courtesies: and one in whom the ancient Roman honour more appears then any that draws breath in Italy.
seed 43: T55 · seed 44: T46 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Nerriſſa, cheere yond ſtranger, bid her welcom. Your hand Salerio, what's the newes from Venice? how doth that royall Merchant good Anthonio? I know he will be glad of our ſucceſſe, we are the Iaſons, we haue wone the fleece. I would you had won the fleece that he hath loſt. There are ſome ſhrowd contents in yond ſame paper that ſteales the colour from Baſſanios cheeke, ſome deere friend dead, elſe nothing in the world could turne ſo much the conſtitution of any conſtant man: what worſe and worſe? With leaue Baſſanio I am halfe your ſelfe, and I muſt freely haue the halfe of any thing that this ſame paper brings you. O ſweete Portia, heere are a few of the vnpleaſant'ſt words that euer blotted paper. Gentle Lady when I did firſt impart my loue to you, I freely told you all the wealth I had ranne in my vaines, I was a gentleman, and then I told you true: and yet deere Lady rating my ſelfe at nothing, you ſhall ſee how much I was a Braggart, when I told you my ſtate was nothing, I ſhould then haue told you that I was worſe then nothing; for indeede I haue ingag'd my ſelfe to a deere friend, ingag'd my friend to his meere enemie to feede my meanes. Heere is a letter Lady, the paper as the body of my friend, and euery word in it a gaping wound iſſuing life blood. But is it true Salerio hath all his ventures faild, what not one hit, from Tripolis, from Mexico and England, from Lisbon, Barbary, and India, and not one veſſell ſcape the dreadfull touch of Merchant-marring rocks? Not one my Lord. Beſides, it ſhould appeare, that if he had the preſent money to diſcharge the Iew, hee would not take it: neuer did I know a creature that did beare the ſhape of man ſo keene and greedie to confound a man. He plyes the Duke at morning and at night, and doth impeach the freedome of the ſtate if they deny him iuſtice. Twentie Merchants, the Duke himſelfe, and the Magnificoes of greateſt port haue all perſwaded with him, but none can driue him from the enuious plea of forfaiture, of iuſtice, and his bond. When I was with him, I haue heard him ſweare to Tuball and to Chus, his country-men, that he would rather haue Anthonios fleſh then twentie times the value of the ſumme that he did owe him: and I know my lord, if law, authoritie, and power denie not, it will goe hard with poore Anthonio. Is it your decre friend that is thus in trouble? The deereſt friend to me, the kindeſt man, the beſt conditiond and vnwearied ſpirit in dooing curteſies: and one in whom the auncient Romaine honour more appeares then any that drawes breath in Italie.