The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 32 of 43
Shakespeare, William · published 1619 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T6 Money, debt and credit · 487 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
I am not bound to please thee with my answer. Do all men kill the things they do not love? Hates any man the thing he would not kill? Every offence is not a hate at first. What wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice? I pray you think you question with the Jew, You may as well go stand upon the Beach, And bid the main flood bate his usual height, You may as well use question with the wolf, Why he hath made the Ewe bleak for the lamb: You may as well forbidden 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, than which what's harder: His Jewish heart? therefore I do beseech you Make no more offers, use no farther means, But with all brief and plain conveniency Let me have judgement, and the Jew 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, tendering 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, 'tis 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 Jew 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
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)
I am not bound to pleaſe thee with my anſwere. Do all men kill the things they do not loue? Hates any man the thing he would not kill? Euery offence is not a hate at firſt. What wouldſt thou haue a ſerpent ſting thee twice? I pray you thinke you queſtion with the Iew, You may as well go ſtand vpon the Beach, And bid the maine flood bate his vſuall height, You may as well vſe queſtion with the Wolfe, Why he hath made 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 When they are fretten with the guſts of heauen: You may as well do any thing moſt hard, As ſeeke to ſoften that, then which what's harder: His Iewiſh heart? therefore I do beſeech you Make no moe offers, vſe no farther meanes, But with all briefe and plaine conueniency Let me haue iudgement, and the Iew his will. For thy three thouſand ducats here is ſixe. If euery ducat in ſix thouſand ducats Were in ſixe parts, and euery part a ducat, I would not draw them, I would haue my bond. How ſhalt thou hope for mercy, tendring none? What iudgment ſhall I dread, doing no wrong? You haue among you many a purchaſt ſlaue, Which 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? Why ſweat they vnder burthens, let their beds Be made as ſoft as yours, and let their pallats Be ſeaſon'd with ſuch viands; you will anſwer, The ſlaues are ours, ſo do I anſwer you; The pound of fleſh which I demand of him, Is deerely bought, tis 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, anſwer, 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 loſe for me one drop of blood. I am a tainted weather of the flocke, Meeteſt for death, the weakeſt kinde 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 doſt thou whet thy knife ſo earneſtly? To cut the forfeiture from that bankrout there