The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 38 of 39
Shakespeare, William · published 1600 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T32 Rings and jewels as tokens typicality 0.87 · 507 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T32: ring, ti, gave, finger, jewel, lady, lord, love, invisible, away.
Even so void is your false heart of truth. By heaven I will near come in your bed until I see the ring? Nor I in yours till I again see mine? Sweet Portia, if you did know to whom I gave the ring, if you did know for whom I gave the ring, and would conceive for what I gave the ring, and how unwillingly I left the ring, when nought would be accepted but the ring, you would abate the strength of your displeasure? If you had known the virtue of the ring, or half her worthiness that gave the ring, or your own honour to contain the ring, you would not then have parted with the ring: what man is there so much unreasonable if you had pleased to have defended it with any terms of zeal: wanted the modesty to urge the thing held as a ceremony: Nerrissa teaches me what to believe, i'll die for't, but some woman had the ring? No by my honour Madam, by my soul no woman had it, but a civil Doctor, which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, and begged the ring, the which I did deny him, and suffered him to go displeased away, even he that had held up the very life of my dear friend. What should I say sweet Lady, I was enforced to send it after him, I was beset with shame and courtesy, my honour would not let ingratitude so much besmere it: pardon me good Lady, for by these blessed candles of the night, had you been there, I think you would have begged the ring of me to give the worthy Doctor? Let not that Doctor ere come near my house since he hath got the jewel that I loved, and that which you did swear to keep for me, I will become as liberal as you, I'll not deny him any thing I have, no, not my body, nor my husband's bed: Know him I shall, I am well sure of it. Lie not a night from home. Watch me like Argos, if you do not, if I be left alone, now by mine honour which is yet mine own. i'll have that Doctor for mine bedfellow. And I his Clerk: therefore be well advisd how you do leave me to mine own protection. Well do you so: let not me take him then, for if I do, i'll mar the young Clarks pen. I am th'unhappy subject of these quarrels. Sir, grieve not you, you are welcome notwithstanding. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong, and in the hearing of these many friends I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes wherein I see myself. Mark you but that? In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: In each eye one, swear by your double self, and there's an oath of credit. Nay, but hear me. Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear I never more will break an oath with thee.
nodes 1786–1849 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 38 of 39 in this edition
Length
507 words · 616 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T32 — Rings and jewels as tokenscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.873 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T33 · seed 44: T32 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Euen ſo voyd is your falſe hart of truth. By heauen I will nere come in your bed vntill I ſee the ring? Nor I in yours till I againe ſee mine? Sweet Portia, if you did know to whom I gaue the ring, if you did know for whom I gaue the ring, and would conceaue for what I gaue the ring, and how vnwillingly I left the ring, vvhen naught would be accepted but the ring, you would abate the ſtrength of your diſpleaſure? If you had knowne the vertue of the ring, or halfe her worthines that gaue the ring, or your owne honour to containe the ring, you would not then haue parted with the ring: vvhat man is there ſo much vnreaſonable if you had pleaſd to haue defended it vvith any termes of zeale: wanted the modeſty to vrge the thing held as a ceremonie: Nerriſſa teaches me what to beleeue, ile die for't, but ſome woman had the ring? No by my honour Madam, by my ſoule no woman had it, but a ciuill Doctor, vvhich did refuſe three thouſand ducats of me, and begd the ring, the which I did denie him, and ſufferd him to goe diſpleaſd away, euen he that had held vp the very life of my deere friend. What ſhould I ſay ſweet Lady, I was inforc'd to ſend it after him, I was beſet with ſhame and curteſie, my honour would not let ingratitude ſo much beſmere it: pardon me good Lady, for by theſe bleſſed candels of the night, had you been there, I think you would haue begd the ring of me to giue the worthy Doctor? Let not that Doctor ere come neere my houſe ſince he hath got the iewell that I loued, and that which you did ſweare to keepe for me, I will become as liberall as you, Ile not deny him any thing I haue, no, not my body, nor my husbands bed: Know him I ſhall, I am well ſure of it. Lie not a night from home. Watch me like Argos, if you doe not, if I be left alone, now by mine honour which is yet mine owne. ile haue that Doctor for mine bedfellow. And I his Clark: therefore be well aduiſd how you doe leaue me to mine owne protection. Well doe you ſo: let not me take him then, for if I doe, ile mar the young Clarks pen. I am th'vnhappy ſubiect of theſe quarrells. Sir, greeue not you, you are welcome notwithſtanding. Portia, forgiue me this enforced wrong, and in the hearing of theſe many friends I ſweare to thee, euen by thine owne faire eyes vvherein I ſee my ſelfe. Marke you but that? In both my eyes he doubly ſees himſelfe: In each eye one, ſweare by your double ſelfe, and there's an oath of credite. Nay, but heare me. Pardon this fault, and by my ſoule I ſweare I neuer more will breake an oath with thee.