The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 35 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 · 480 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.
Most hearty I do beseech the Court To give the judgement. Why then thus it is, You must prepare your bosom for his knife. O noble judge, O excellent young man. For the intent and purpose of the Law, Hath full relation to the penalty. Which here appeareth due upon the bond. 'tis very true: O wise and upright judge, How much more elder art thou then thy looks. Therefore lay bare your bosom. I, his breast, So says the bond, doth it not noble judge? Nearest his heart, those are the very words. It is so, are there balance here to weigh the flesh? I have them ready. Have by some Surgeon Shylocke on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death. Is it so nominated in the bond? It is not so expressed, but what of that? 'ttwere good you do so much for charity. I cannot find it, 'tis not in the bond. You Merchant, have you any thing to say? But little; I am armed and well prepared, Give me your hand Bassanio, far you well, Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you: For herein Fortune shows herself more kind Than is her custom: it is still her use To let the wretched man outlive his wealth, To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow, An age of poverty: from which lingering penance Of such misery doth she cut me off. Commend me to your honourable wife, Tell her the process of Antonio's end, Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death, And when the tale is told, bid her be judge, Whether Bassanio had not once a love: Repent but you that you shall lose your friend, And he reputes not that he pays your debt. For if the Jew do cut but deep enough, I'll pay it presently with all my heart. Anthonio, I am married to a wife, Which is as dear to me as life itself, But life itself, my wife, and all the world, Are not with me esteemed above thy life. I would lose all, I sacrifice them all Hear to this devil, to deliver you. Your wife would give you little thanks for that If she were by to hear you make the offer. I have a wife, who I protest I love, I would she were in heaven, so she could Entreat some power to change this currish Jew, 'tis well you offer it behind her back, The wish would make else an unquiet house. These be the christian husbands, I have a daughter, Would any of the stock of Barrabas Had been her husband, rather than a Christian. We trifle time, I pray thee pursue sentence. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine, The Court awards it, and the law doth give it. Most rightful judge.
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)
Moſt heartily I do beſeech the Court To giue the iudgement. Why then thus it is, You muſt prepare your boſome for his knife. O noble iudge, O excellent young man. For the intent and purpoſe of the Law, Hath full relation to the penalty. Which heere appeareth due vpon the bond. Tis very true: O wiſe and vpright iudge, How much more elder art thou then thy lookes. Therefore lay bare your boſome. I, his breaſt, So ſayes the bond, doth it not noble Iudge? Neereſt his heart, thoſe are the very words. It is ſo, are there ballance here to weigh the fleſh? I haue them ready. Haue by ſome Surgeon Shylocke on your charge, To ſtop his wounds, leaſt he do bleed to death. Is it ſo nominated in the bond? It is not ſo expreſt, but what of that? Twere good you do ſo much for charity. I cannot finde it, tis not in the bond. You Merchant, haue you any thing to ſay? But little; I am arm'd and well prepar'd, Giue me your hand Baſſanio, far you well, Greeue not that I am falne to this for you: For heerein Fortune ſhewes her ſelfe more kinde Then is her cuſtome: it is ſtill her vſe To let the wretched man out-liue his wealth, To view with hollow eye and wrinckled brow, An age of pouerty: from which lingring pennance Of ſuch miſery doth ſhe cut me off. Commend me to your honourable wife, Tell her the proceſſe of Anthonios ende, Say how I lou'd you, ſpeake me faire in death▪ And when the tale is told, bid her be iudge, Whether Baſſanio had not once a loue: Repent but you that you ſhall loſe your friend, And he repents not that he payes your debt. For if the Iew do cut but deepe enough, Ile pay it preſently with all my heart. Anthonio, I am married to a wife, Which is as deare to me as life it ſelfe, But life it ſelfe, my wife, and all the world, Are not with me eſteem'd aboue thy life. I would loſe all, I ſacrifize them all Heere to this diuell, to deliuer you. Your wife would giue you little thanks for that If ſhe were by to heare you make the offer. I haue a wife, who I proteſt I loue, I would ſhe were in heauen, ſo ſhe could Entreate ſome power to change this curriſh Iew, Tis well you offer it behinde her backe, The wiſh would make elſe an vnquiet houſe. Theſe be the chriſtian husbands, I haue a daughter, Would any of the ſtocke of Barrabas Had bene her husband, rather then a Chriſtian. We trifle time, I pray thee purſue ſentence. A pound of that ſame Merchants fleſh is thine, The Court awards it, and the law doth giue it. Moſt rightfull Iudge.