Mojo, The Bard, & Me

And, in a word, but even now worth this,

And now worth nothing? 


-Salarino         



The Merchant Of Venice                    Act I, scene i, line 35



To re-state that into the way we would probably say it today, ‘One minute worth something, and the next minute worth nothing.’ This is the beginning of the play. Antonio, the titular merchant, starts out with his famous ‘I know not why I am so sad’ bit, and the first thing that his buddies Salarino and Solanio come up with is that he’s sad because he’s worrying too much about the ships he has out at sea. 
Salarino talks about that fact that if he had all his money risked in his ships out at sea then he wouldn’t be able to blow on his hot soup without thinking of the winds blowing up a storm and wrecking his ships. And he goes on. 

Here’s Salarino’s whole passage. It’s worth a read. I mean, really, any day you spend a few minutes with a handful of Will’s lines is a better day for it, n’est pas? I think I need to turn that into a saying, but it’s gotta be worded a little better than that. In  the meantime, here you go.



                                                My wind cooling my broth,

Would blow me to an ague, when I thought

What harm a wind too great might do at sea.

I should not see the sandy hour-glass run,

But I should think of shallows and of flats;

And see my wealthy Andrew dockt in sand,

Vailing her high-top lower than her ribs,

To kiss her burial. Should I go to church,

And see the holy edifice of stone,

And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks,

Which touching but my gentle vessel’s side,

Would scatter all her spices on the stream;

Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks;

And, in a word, but even now worth this,

And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought

To think on this; and shall I lack the thought,

That such a thing bechanced would make me sad?

But tell me not; I know Antonio

Is sad to think upon his merchandise.

Well that passage was a little longer than I thought, and my typing skills aren’t all that. I think my favorite line is the bit about Enrobing the roaring waters with my silks. Anyway, there it is, so…enjoy.

Here is Nina standing in front of one very famous holy edifice of stone. I couldn't come up with any pictures of my silks enrobing the roaring waters. In fact, I don't think I have any pictures of my silks. In fact, fact I don't have any silks. Quel dommage!