The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) · chunk 35 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 · 472 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.
Soft, the Iew shall have all justice, soft, no haste, He shall have nothing but the penalty. O Iew, 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 tak'st more Or less than a just pound, be it 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 Iew, Now infidel I have thee on the hip. Why doth the Iew 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, He shall have merely justice and his bond. A Daniel still say I, a second Daniel, I thank thee Iew for teaching me that word. Shall I not have barely my principal? Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, To be taken so at thy peril Iew. Why then the Devil give him good of it: I'll stay no longer question. Tarry Iew, The Law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the Laws of Venice, If it be proved against an Alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts He seek the life of any Citizen, The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive, Shall seize one half his goods, the other halfe Comes to the privy coffer 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 against the very life Of the defendant: and thou hast incurred The danger formerly by me rehearsed. down therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke. Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang thyself, And yet thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Thou hast not left the value of a cord, Therefore thou must be hanged at the slates charge. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it: For half thy wealth, it is Anthonio's, The other half comes to the general state, Which humbleness may drive unto a fine. I for the state, not for Anthonio. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that, You take my house, when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house: you take my life When you do take the means whereby I live. What mercy can you render him Anthonio? A halter gratis, nothing else for God's sake.
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)
Soft, the Iew ſhall haue all iuſtice, ſoft, no haſte, 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 bloud, nor cut thou leſſe nor more But iuſt a pound of fleſh: if thou tak'ſt more Or leſſe then a iuſt pound, be it ſo much As makes it light or heauy in the ſubſtance, Or the deuiſion of the twentieth part Of one poore ſcruple, nay if the ſcale doe turne But in the eſtimation of a hayre, Thou dieſt, and all thy goods are confiſcate. A ſecond Daniel, a Daniel Iew, Now infidell I haue thee on the hip. Why doth the Iew pauſe, take thy forfeiture. Giue me my principall, and let me goe. I haue it ready for thee, heere it is. He hath refus'd, it in the open Court, He ſhall haue meerly 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 nothihg but the forfeiture, To be taken ſo at thy perill Iew. Why then the Deuill giue him good of it: Ile ſtay no longer queſtion. Tarry Iew, The Law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the Lawes of Venice, If it be proued againſt an Alien, That by direct, or indirect attempts He ſeeke the life of any Citizen, The party gainſt the which he doth contriue, Shall ſeaze one halfe his goods, the other halfe Comes to the priuie coffer of the State, And the offenders life lies in the mercy Of the Duke onely, gainſt all other voice. In which predicament I ſay thou ſtandſt: For it appeares by manifeſt proceeding, That indirectly, and directly to, Thou haſt contriu'd againſt the very life Of the defendant: and thou haſt incur'd The danger formerly by me rehearſt. Downe therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke. Beg that thou maiſt haue leaue to hang thy ſelfe, And yet thy wealth being forfeit to the ſtate, Thou haſt not left the value of a cord, Therefore thou muſt be hang'd at the ſlates charge. That thou ſhalt ſee the difference of our ſpirit, I pardon thee thy life before thou aske it: For halfe thy wealth, it is Anthonio's, The other halfe comes to the generall ſtate, Which humbleneſſe may driue vnto a fine. I for the ſtate, not for Anthonio. Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that, You take my houſe, when you do take the prop That doth ſuſtaine my houſe: you take my life When you doe take the meanes whereby I liue. What mercy can you render him Anthonio? A halter gratis, nothing elſe for Gods ſake.