The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 16 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 · 507 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.
Some God direct my judgement, let me see, I will survey the inscriptions, back again: What says this leaden casket? Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath. Must give, for what? for lead, hazard forlead? This casket threatens men that hazard all Do it in hope of fair advantages: A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross, I'll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead. What says the Silver with her virgin hue? Who chooseth me, shall get as much as he deserves. As much as he deserves; pause there Morocho, And weigh thy value with an even hand, If thou beestrated by thy estimation Thou dost deserve enough, and yet enough May not extend so far as to the Lady: And yet to be afeard of my deserving, Were but a weak disabling of myself. As much as I deserve, why that's the Lady. I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes, In graces, and in qualities of breeding: But more than these, in love I do deserve. What if I strayed no farther, but chose here? Let's see once more this saying graved in gold. Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire: Why that's the Lady, all the world desires her: From the four corners of the earth they come To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing Saint. The Hircanion deserts, and the vast wilds Of wide Arabia are as through fares now For Princes to come view fair Portia. The watery Kingdom, whose ambitious head Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar To stop the foreign spirits, but they come As o'er a brook to see fair Portia. One of these three contains her heavenly picture. Is't like that Lead contains her? 'twere damnation To think so base a thought, it were too gross To rib her searecloath in the obscure grave: Or shall I think in Silver she's immured Being ten times undervalued to tried gold; O sinful thought, never so rich a gem Was set in worse than gold! They have in England A coin that bears the figure of an Angel Stamped in gold, but that's insculpt upon: But here an Angel in a golden bed Lies all within. Deliver me the key: Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may. There take it Prince, and if my form lie there Then I am yours. O hell! what have we here, a carrion death, Within whose empty eye there is a written scroll; I'll read the writing. All that glisters is not gold, Often have you heard that cold; Many a man his life hath sold But my outside to behold; Guilded timber do worms enfold: Had you been as wise as bold, Young in limbs, in judgement old, Your answer had not been inscrold, Far you well, your suit is cold, Cold indeed, and labour lost, Then farewell heat, and welcome frost: Portia adieu, I have too grieved a heart To take a tedious leave: thus loser's part.
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)
Some God direct my iudgement, let me ſee, I will ſuruay the inſcriptions, backe againe: What ſaies this leaden casket? Who chooſeth me, muſt giue and hazard all he hath. Muſt giue, for what? for lead, hazard for-lead? This casket threatens men that hazard all Doe it in hope of faire aduantages: A golden minde ſtoopes not to ſhowes of droſſe, Ile then nor giue nor hazard ought for lead. What ſaies the Siluer with her virgin hue? Who chooſeth me, ſhall get as much as he deſerues. As much as he deſerues; pauſe there Morocho, And weigh thy value with an euen hand, If thou beeſtrated by thy eſtimation Thou dooſt deſerue enough, and yet enough May not extend ſo farre as to the Ladie: And yet to be afeard of my deſeruing, Were but a weake diſabling of my ſelfe. As much as I deſerue, why that's the Lady. I doe in birth deſerue her, and in fortunes, In graces, and in qualities of breeding: But more then theſe, in loue I doe deſerue. What if I ſtrai'd no farther, but choſe here? Let's ſee once more this ſaying grau'd in gold. Who chooſeth me ſhall gaine what many men deſire: Why that's the Lady, all the world deſires her: From the foure corners of the earth they come To kiſſe this ſhrine, this mortall breathing Saint. The Hircanion deſerts, and the vaſte wildes Of wide Arabia are as through fares now For Princes to come view faire Portia. The waterie Kingdome, whoſe ambitious head Spets in the face of heauen, is no barre To ſtop the forraine ſpirits, but they come As ore a brooke to ſee faire Portia. One of theſe three containes her heauenly picture. Is't like that Lead containes her? 'twere damnation To thinke ſo baſe a thought, it were too groſe To rib her ſearecloath in the obſcure graue: Or ſhall I thinke in Siluer ſhe's immur'd Being ten times vndervalued to tride gold; O ſinfull thought, neuer ſo rich a Iem Was ſet in worſe then gold! They haue in England A coyne that beares the figure of an Angell Stampt in gold, but that's inſculpt vpon: But here an Angell in a golden bed Lies all within. Deliuer me the key: Here doe I chooſe, and thriue I as I may. There take it Prince, and if my forme lye there Then I am yours. O hell! what haue we here, a carrion death, Within whoſe emptie eye there is a written ſcroule; Ile reade the writing. All that gliſters is not gold, Often haue you heard that cold; Many a man his life hath ſold But my outſide to behold; Guilded timber doe wormes infold: Had you beene as wiſe as bold, Yong in limbs, in iudgement old, Your anſwere had not beene inſcrold, Fare you well, your ſuite is cold, Cold indeede, and labour loſt, Then farewell heate, and welcome froſt: Portia adew, I haue too grieu'd a heart To take a tedious leaue: thus looſers part.