Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1592 [c.1590-1593] (Annals) comedy · Pembroke's Men (?) unassigned nearest T57 Ships, merchants and pirates · 525 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T57: ship, sea, master, sail, home, money, pisaro, life, ships, till.
PRoceed Solinus to procure my fall, And by the doom of death end woes and all. Merchant of Siracusa, plead no more. I am not partial to infringe our Laws; The enmity and discord which of late Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your Duke, To Merchants our well-dealing Countrymen, Who wanting gilders to redeem their lives, Have sealed his rigorous statutes with their bloods, Excludes all pity from our threatening looks: For since the mortal and intestine jars Twixt thy seditious Countrymen and us, It hath in solemn Synods been decreed, Both by the Siracusians and ourselves, To admit no traffic to our adverse towns: Nay more, if any borne at Ephesus Be seen at any Syracusan Marts and Fairs: Again, if any Syracusan borne Come to the Bay of Ephesus, he dies: His goods confiscate to the Duke's dispose, Unless a thousand marks be levied To quit the penalty, and to ransom him: Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, Cannot amount unto a hundred Marks, Therefore by Law thou art condemned to die. Yet this my comfort, when your words are done, My woes end likewise with the evening Son. Well Syracusan; say in brief the cause Why thou departedst from thy native home? And for what cause thou cam'st to Ephesus. A heavier task could not have been imposed, Then I to speak my griefs unspeakable: Yet that the world may witness that my end Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence, I'll utter what my sorrow gives me leave. In Syracuse was I borne, and wed Unto a woman, happy but for me, And by me; had not our hap been bad: With her I lived in joy, our wealth increased By prosperous voyages I often made To Epidamnum, till my factors death, And he great care of goods at random left, Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse; From whom my absence was not six months old, Before herself (almost at fainting under The pleasing punishment that women bear) Had made provision for her following me, And soon, and safe, arrived where I was: There had she not been long, but she became A joyful mother of two goodly sons: And, which was strange, the one so like the other, As could not be distinguished but by names. That very hour, and in the selfsame Inn, A mean woman was delivered Of such a burden Male, twins both alike: Those, for their parents were exceeding poor, I bought, and brought up to attend my sons. My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys, Made daily motions for our home return: Unwilling I agreed, alas, too soon we came aboard. A league from Epidamnum had we sailed Before the always winde-obeying deep Gave any Tragic Instance of our harm: But longer did we not retain much hope; For what obscured light the heavens did grant, Did but convey unto our fearful minds A doubtful warrant of immediate death, Which though myself would gladly have embraced, Yet the incessant weep of my wife, Weeping before for what she saw must come, And piteous plainings of the pretty babes
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)
PRoceed Solinus to procure my fall, And by the doome of death end woes and all. Merchant of Siracuſa, plead no more. I am not partiall to infringe our Lawes; The enmity and diſcord which of late Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your Duke, To Merchants our well-dealing Countrimen, Who wanting gilders to redeeme their liues, Haue ſeal'd his rigorous ſtatutes with their blouds, Excludes all pitty from our threatning lookes: For ſince the mortall and inteſtine iarres Twixt thy ſeditious Countrimen and vs, It hath in ſolemne Synodes beene decreed, Both by the Siracuſians and our ſelues, To admit no trafficke to our aduerſe townes: Nay more, if any borne at Epheſus Be ſeene at any Siracuſian Marts and Fayres: Againe, if any Siracuſian borne Come to the Bay of Epheſus, he dies: His goods confiſcate to the Dukes diſpoſe, Vnleſſe a thouſand markes be leuied To quit the penalty, and to ranſome him: Thy ſubſtance, valued at the higheſt rate, Cannot amount vnto a hundred Markes, Therefore by Law thou art condemn'd to die. Yet this my comfort, when your words are done, My woes end likewiſe with the euening Sonne. Well Siracuſian; ſay in briefe the cauſe Why thou departedſt from thy natiue home? And for what cauſe thou cam'ſt to Epheſus. A heauier taske could not haue beene impos'd, Then I to ſpeake my griefes vnſpeakeable: Yet that the world may witneſſe that my end Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence, Ile vtter what my ſorrow giues me leaue. In Syracuſa was I borne, and wedde Vnto a woman, happy but for me, And by me; had not our hap beene bad: With her I liu'd in ioy, our wealth increaſt By proſperous voyages I often made To Epidamium, till my factors death, And he great care of goods at randone left, Drew me from kinde embracements of my ſpouſe; From whom my abſence was not ſixe moneths olde, Before her ſelfe (almoſt at fainting vnder The pleaſing puniſhment that women beare) Had made prouiſion for her following me, And ſoone, and ſafe, arriued where I was: There had ſhe not beene long, but ſhe became A ioyfull mother of two goodly ſonnes: And, which was ſtrange, the one ſo like the other, As could not be diſtinguiſh'd but by names. That very howre, and in the ſelfe-ſame Inne, A meane woman was deliuered Of ſuch a burthen Male, twins both alike: Thoſe, for their parents were exceeding poore, I bought, and brought vp to attend my ſonnes. My wife, not meanely prowd of two ſuch boyes, Made daily motions for our home returne: Vnwilling I agreed, alas, too ſoone wee came aboord. A league from Epidamium had we ſaild Before the alwaies winde-obeying deepe Gaue any Tragicke Inſtance of our harme: But longer did we not retaine much hope; For what obſcured light the heauens did grant, Did but conuay vnto our fearefull mindes A doubtfull warrant of immediate death, Which though my ſelfe would gladly haue imbrac'd, Yet the inceſſant weepings of my wife, Weeping before for what ſhe ſaw muſt come, And pitteous playnings of the prettie babes