The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 4 of 43
Shakespeare, William · published 1619 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 466 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
By my troth Nerrissa, my little body is a weary 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 statue 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. If to do, were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been Churches, and poor men's cottages, Princes palaces; it is a good divine that follows his own instructions: I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, then to be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching: the brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps over a cold decree, such a hare is madness the youth, to skip over the meshes of good counsel the cripple; but this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me a husband; O me, the word choose, I may neither choose who I would, nor refuse who I dislike, so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father: is it not hard Nerissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none. Your father was ever virtuous, and holy men at their death have good inspirations, therefore the lottry that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver, and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, no doubt you will never be chosen by any rightly, but one who shall rightly love: But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these Princely suitors that are already come? I prithee ouer-name them, and as thou namest them, I will describe them, and according to my description, level at my affection. First, there is the Neapolitan Prince. I that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse, and he makes it a great appropriation unto his own good parts, that he can shoe himself: I am much afeard my Lady his Mother played false with a smith. Then there is the County Palatine. He doth nothing but frown (as who should say, if you will not have me, choose; he hears merry tales and smiles not, I fear he will prove the weeping Philosopher when he grows old, being so full of unmannerly sadness in his youth.) I had rather be married to a death's head with a bone in his mouth, then to either of these: God defend me from these two. How say you by the French Lord, monsieur le boon?
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)
By my troth Nerriſſa, my little body is a wearie 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 ought I ſee, they are as ſick that ſurfet with too much, as they that ſtatue with nothing; it is no meane happineſſe therefore to be ſeated in the meane, ſuperfluity comes ſooner by white haires, but competency liues, longer. Good ſentences, and well pronounced. They would be better, if well followed. If to do, were as eaſie as to know what were good to do, Chappels had beene Churches, and poore mens cottages, Princes Pallaces; it is a good diuine that followes his owne inſtructions: I can eaſier teach twenty what were good to bee done, then to be one of the twenty to follow mine owne teaching: the braine may deuiſe lawes for the blood, but a hot temper leapes ore a colde decree, ſuch a hare is madneſſe the youth, to skip ore the meſhes of good counſell the cripple; but this reaſoning is not in the faſhion to chooſe me a husband; O me, the word chooſe, I may neyther chooſe who I would, nor refuſe who I diſlike, ſo is the will of a liuing daughter curbd by the will of a dead father: is it not hard Neriſſa, that I cannot chooſe one, nor refuſe none. Your father was euer vertuous, and holy men at their death haue good inſpirations, therefore the lottry that he hath deuiſed in theſe three cheſts of gold, ſiluer, and leade, whereof who chooſes his meaning chooſes you, no doubt you wil neuer be choſen by any rightly, but one who ſhall rightly loue: But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of theſe Princely ſuters that are already come? I prethee ouer-name them, and as thou nameſt them, I will deſcribe them, and according to my deſcription, leuell at my affection. Firſt, there is the Neapolitane Prince. I that's a colt indeed, for hee doth nothing but talke of his horſe, and he makes it a great appropriation vnto his owne good parts, that he can ſhoo himſelfe: I am much afeard my Lady his Mother plaid falſe with a ſmith. Then there is the County Palatine. He doth nothing but frowne (as who ſhould ſay, if you will not haue me, chooſe; he heares merry tales and ſmiles not, I feare he will prooue the weeping Philoſopher whē he growes old, being ſo full of vnmannerly ſadneſſe in his youth.) I had rather be married to a deaths head with a bone in his mouth, then to eyther of theſe: God defend me from theſe two. How ſay you by the French Lord, Mounſier le Boune?