The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 34 of 42
Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1596 [1596-1598] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T6 Money, debt and credit · 469 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.
Come 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 fall'n 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 Anthonio'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 not you that you shall lose your friend, And he reputes not that he pays your debt. For if the Iew do cut but deep enough, I'll pay it instantly, 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 here 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 whom I protest I love, I would she were in heaven, so she could Entreat some power to change this currish Iew. '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. 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: Then take 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 thou urgest justice, be assured Thou shalt have justice more than thou desirest. O learned judge, mark Iew, a learned judge. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. here is the money.
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)
Come Merchant, haue you any thing to ſay? But little: I am arm'd and well prepar'd. Giue me your hand Baſſanio, fare 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 wrinkled brow An age of pouerty. From which lingring penance Of ſuch miſerie, doth ſhe cut me off: Commend me to your honourable Wife, Tell her the proceſſe of Anthonio's end: 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 not you that you ſhall looſe your friend, And he repents not that he payes your debt. For if the Iew do cut but deepe enough, Ile pay it inſtantly, with all my heart. Anthonio, I am married to a wife, Which is as deere 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 looſe all, I ſacrifice them all Heere to this deuill, 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 whom I proteſt I loue, I would ſhe were in heauen, ſo ſhe could Intreat 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 beene her husband, rather then a Chriſtian. We trifle time, I pray thee purſue ſentence. A pound of that ſame marchants fleſh is thine, The Court awards it, and the law doth giue it. Moſt rightfull Iudge. 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 heere no iot of bloud, The words expreſly are a pound of fleſh: Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of fleſh, But in the cutting it, if thou doſt ſhed One drop of Chriſtian bloud, thy lands and goods Are by the Lawes of Venice confiſcate Vnto the ſtate of Venice. O vpright Iudge, Marke Iew, ô learned Iudge. Is that the law? Thy ſelfe ſhalt ſee the Act: For as thou vrgeſt iuſtice, be aſſur'd Thou ſhalt haue iuſtice more then thou deſireſt. O learned Iudge, mark Iew, a learned Iudge. I take this offer then, pay the bond thrice, And let the Chriſtian goe. Heere is the money.