The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 4 of 42
Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 551 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.
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 starve with nothing; it is no small 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 Pallaees: it is a good Divine that follows his own instructions; I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, then be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching: the brain may device 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 reason is not in fashion to choose me a husband: O me, the word choose, I may neither choose whom I would, nor refuse whom I dislike, so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father: it is not hard Nerrissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none. Your father was ever virtuous, and holy men at their death have good inspirations, therefore the lottery that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver, and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning, chooses you, will no doubt never be chosen by any rightly, but one who you shall rightly love: but what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these Princely suitors that are already come? I pray thee 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 Neopolitan Prince. I that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse, and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts that he can shoe him himself: I am much afraid my Lady his mother played false with a Smyth. Than is there the County Palentine. He doth nothing but frown (as who should say, and 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 to 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? God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man, in truth I know it is a sin to be a mocker, but he, why he hath a horse better than the Neopolitans, a better bad habit of frowning then the Count Palentine, he is every man in no man, if a Trassell sing, he falls strait a capering, he will fence with his own shadow. If I should marry him, I should marry twenty husbands: if he would despise me, I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness, I should never requite him.
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)
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 ſicke that ſurfet with too much, as they that ſtarue with nothing; it is no ſmal happineſſe therefore to bee ſeated in the meane, ſuperfluitie comes ſooner by white haires, but competencie liues longer. Good ſentences, and well pronounc'd. They would be better if well followed. If to doe were as eaſie as to know what were good to doe, Chappels had beene Churches, and poore mens cottages Princes Pallaees: it is a good Diuine that followes his owne inſtructions; I can eaſier teach twentie what were good to be done, then be one of the twentie 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 counſaile the cripple; but this reaſon is not in faſhion to chooſe me a husband: O mee, the word chooſe, I may neither chooſe whom I would, nor refuſe whom I diſlike, ſo is the wil of a liuing daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father: it is not hard Nerriſſa, that I cannot chooſe one, nor refuſe none. Your father was euer vertuous, and holy men at their death haue good inſpirations, therefore the lotterie that hee hath deuiſ in theſe three cheſts of gold, ſiluer, and leade, whereof who chooſes his meaning, chooſes you, wil no doubt neuer be choſen by any rightly, but one who you ſhall rightly loue: but what warmth is there in your affection towards any of theſe Princely ſuters that are already come? I pray thee 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 Neopolitane Prince. I that's a colt indeede, for he doth nothing but talke of his horſe, and hee makes it a great appropriation to his owne good parts that he can ſhoo him himſelfe: I am much afraid my Ladie his mother plaid falſe with a Smyth. Than is there the Countie Palentine. He doth nothing but frowne (as who ſhould ſay, and you will not haue me, chooſe: he heares merrie tales and ſmiles not, I feare hee will proue the weeping Phyloſopher when he growes old, being ſo full of vnmannerly ſadneſſe in his youth.) I had rather to be married to a deaths 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, Mounſier Le Boune? God made him, and therefore let him paſſe for a man, in truth I know it is a ſinne to be a mocker, but he, why he hath a horſe better then the Neopolitans, a better bad habite of frowning then the Count Palentine, he is euery man in no man, if a Traſſell ſing, he fals ſtraight a capring, he will fence with his own ſhadow. If I ſhould marry him, I ſhould marry twentie husbands: if hee would deſpiſe me, I would forgiue him, for if he loue me to madneſſe, I ſhould neuer requite him.