The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 28 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 · 480 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
What wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice? I pray you think you question with the Iewe, you may as well go stand upon the Beach and bid the main flood bate his usual height, well use question with the Wolf, the Ewe bleak for the Lamb: You may as well forbid the mountain of Pines to wag their high tops, and to make no noise when they are fretten with the gusts of heaven: You may as well do any thing most hard as seek to soften that then which what's harder: his jewish heart? therefore I do beseech you make no more offers, use no farther means, but will all brief and plain conveniency let me have judgement, and the Iewe his will? For thy three thousand ducats here is six? If every ducat in six thousand ducats were in six parts, and every part a ducat, I would not draw them, I would have my bond? How shalt thou hope for mercy rendering none? What judgement shall I dread doing no wrong? you have among you many a purchased slave, which like your Asses, and your Dogs and Mules you use in abject and in slavish parts, because you bought them, shall I say to you, let them be free, marry them to your heirs? why sweat they under burdens, let their beds be made as soft as yours, and let their palates be seasoned with such viands, you will answer the slaves are ours, so do I answer you: The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought, as mine and I will have it: if you deny me, fie upon your Law, there is no force in the decrees of Venice: I stand for judgement, answer, shall I have it? Upon my power I may dismiss this Court, unless Bellario a learned Doctor, whom I have sent for to determine this Come here to day? My Lord, here stays without a messenger with letters from the Doctor, new come from Padua? Bring us the letters? call the Messenger? Good cheer Anthonio? what man, courage yet: The Iew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all, ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood? I am a tainted weather of the flock, meetest for death, the weakest kind of fruit drops earliest to the ground, and so let me; You cannot better be employed Bassanio, then to live still and write mine Epitaph? Came you from Padua from Bellario? From both? my L. Bellario greets your grace? Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there? Not on thy soul: but on thy soul harsh Iew thou mak'st thy knife keen: but no metal can, no, not the hangman's axe bear halfe the keenenesse of thy sharp envy: can no prayers pierce thee?
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)
What wouldſt thou haue a ſerpent ſting thee twice? I pray you think you queſtion with the Iewe, you may as well goe ſtand vpon the Beach and bid the maine flood bate his vſuall height, vvell vſe queſtion with the Woolfe, the Ewe bleake for the Lambe: You may as well forbid the mountaine of Pines to wag their high tops, and to make no noiſe vvhen they are fretten with the guſts of heauen: You may as well doe any thing moſt hard as ſeeke to ſoften that then which what's harder: his Iewiſh hart? therefore I doe beſeech you make no moe offers, vſe no farther meanes, but will all briefe and plaine conueniencie let me haue iudgement, and the Iewe his will? For thy three thouſand ducats heere is ſixe? If euery ducat in ſixe thouſand ducats vvere in ſixe parts, and euery part a ducat, I would not draw them, I would haue my bond? How ſhalt thou hope for mercy rendring none? What iudgment ſhall I dread doing no wrong? you haue among you many a purchaſt ſlaue, vvhich like your Aſſes, and your Dogs and Mules you vſe in abiect and in ſlauiſh parts, becauſe you bought them, ſhall I ſay to you, let them be free, marry them to your heires? vvhy ſweat they vnder burthens, let their beds be made as ſoft as yours, and let their pallats be ſeaſond with ſuch viands, you will aunſwer the ſlaues are ours, ſo doe I aunſwer you: The pound of fleſh which I demaund of him is deerely bought, as mine and I will haue it: if you deny me, fie vpon your Law, there is no force in the decrees of Venice: I ſtand for iudgement, aunſwer, ſhall I haue it? Vpon my power I may diſmiſſe this Court, vnleſſe Bellario a learned Doctor, whom I haue ſent for to determine this Come heere to day? My Lord, heere ſtayes without a meſſenger with letters from the Doctor, new come from Padua? Bring vs the letters? call the Meſſenger? Good cheere Anthonio? what man, courage yet: The Iew ſhall haue my fleſh, blood, bones and all, ere thou ſhalt looſe for me one drop of blood? I am a tainted vveather of the flocke, meeteſt for death, the weakeſt kind of fruite drops earlieſt to the ground, and ſo let me; You cannot better be imployd Baſſanio, then to liue ſtill and write mine Epitaph? Came you from Padua from Bellario? From both? my L. Bellario greetes your grace? Why dooſt thou whet thy knife ſo earneſtly? To cut the forfaiture from that bankrout there? Not on thy ſoule: but on thy ſoule harſh Iew thou makſt thy knife keene: but no mettell can, no, not the hangmans axe beare halfe the keeneneſſe of thy ſharpe enuie: can no prayers pearce thee?