The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 36 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 · 489 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.
And you must cut this flesh from off his breast, The Law allows it, and the Court awards it. Most learned judge, a sentence, come prepare. Tarry a little, there is something else, This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood, The words expressly are a pound of flesh: Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh, But in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are by the laws of Venice, confiscate Unto the State of Venice. O upright judge, Mark Iew, O learned judge. Is that the Law? Thyself shalt see the Act: For as thee urgest justice, be assured Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest. O learned judge, mark Jew, a learned judge. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. Hear is the money. Soft, the Jew shall have all justice, soft no hast He shall have nothing but the penalty. O Jew, an upright judge, a learned judge. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh, Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more, But just a pound of flesh: if thou cuttest more Or less than a just pound, be it but so much As makes it light or heavy in the substance, Or the division of the twentieth part Of one poor scruple; nay, if the scale do turn But in the estimation of a hair, Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. A second Daniel, a Daniel Jew, Now infidel I have you on the hip. Why doth the Jew pause, take thy forfeiture. Give me my principal, and let me go. I have it ready for thee, here it is. He hath refused it in the open Court, And shall have merely justice and his bond. A Daniel still say I, a second Daniel, I thank thee Jew for teaching me that word. Shall I not have barely my principal? Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, To be so taken at thy peril jew. Why then the devil give him good of it: I'll stay no longer here in question. Tarry Jew, The Law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be proved against any alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts, He seek the life of any Citizen, The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive, Shall seize on half his goods; the other halfe Comes to the privy coster of the State, And the offender's life lies in the mercy Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice, In which predicament I say, thou stand'st: For it appears by manifest proceeding. That indirectly, and directly to Thou hast contrived 'gainst the very life Of the defendant: and thou hast incurred The danger formerly by me rehearsed. Down therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.
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)
And you muſt cut this fleſh from off his breaſt, The Law allowes it, and the Court awards it. Moſt learned Iudge, a ſentence, come prepare. Tarry a little, there is ſomething elſe, This bond doth giue thee here no iote of blood, The words expreſly are a pound of fleſh: Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of fleſh, But in the cutting it, if thou doſt ſhed One drop of Chriſtian blood, thy lands and goods Are by the lawes of Venice, confiſcate Vnto the State of Venice. O vpright Iudge, Marke Iew▪ O learned Iudge. Is that the Law? Thy ſelfe ſhalt ſee the Act: For as the vrgeſt iuſtice, be aſſur'd Thou ſhalt haue iuſtice, more then thou deſireſt. O learned Iudge, marke Iew, a learned Iudge. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice, And let the Chriſtian go. Heere is the money. Soft, the Iew ſhall haue all iuſtice, ſoft no haſt He ſhall haue nothing but the penalty. O Iew, an vpright iudge, a learned iudge. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the fleſh, Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou leſſe nor more, But iuſt a pound of fleſh: if thou cutſt more Or leſſe then a iuſt pound, be it but ſo much As makes it light or heauy in the ſubſtance, Or the diuiſion of the twentith part Of one poore ſcruple; nay, if the ſcale do turne But in the eſtimation of a haire, Thou dyeſt, and all thy goods are confiſcate. A ſecond Daniel, a Daniel Iew, Now infidell I haue you on the hip. Why doth the Iew pauſe, take thy forfeyture. Giue me my principall, and let me go. I haue it ready for thee, heere it is. He hath refuſd it in the open Court, And ſhall haue meerely iuſtice and his bond. A Daniel ſtill ſay I, a ſecond Daniel, I thanke thee Iew for teaching me that word. Shall I not haue barely my principall? Thou ſhalt haue nothing but the forfeyture, To be ſo taken at thy perill Iew. Why then the deuill giue him good of it: Ile ſtay no longer heere in queſtion. Tarry Iew, The Law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the lawes of Venice, If it be proued againſt any alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts, He ſeeke the life of any Citizen, The party gainſt the which he doth contriue, Shall ſeize on halfe his goods; the other halfe Comes to the priuy coſter of the State, And the offenders life lies in the mercy Of the Duke onely, gainſt all other voyce, In which predicament I ſay, thou ſtandſt: For it appeares by manifeſt proceeding. That indirectly, and directly to Thou haſt contriued gainſt the very life Of the defendant: and thou haſt incurd The danger formerly by me rehearſt. Downe therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.