surfeit

surfeit [ˈsɜrfɪt] n.

1.) Excess, superfluity; excessive amount or supply of something.
2.) Excessive taking of food or drink; gluttonous indulgence in eating or drinking. Also in fig. context.

surfeit v. t.

1.) To fill or supply to excess; to oppress or disgust with over-abundance of something.
2.) To feed to excess or satiety; to sicken or disorder by overfeeding or by unwholesome food (Oxford English Dictionary 2nd Ed.).

Etymology: Middle English surfeten, from surfait, excess, from Old French, from past participle of surfaire, to overdo : sur-, sur- + faire, to do (from Latin facere).

"— Portia: How all the other passions fleet to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair,
And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy! O love,
Be moderate; allay thy ecstasy,
In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.
I feel too much thy blessing: make it less,
For fear I surfeit" (The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare, ~1597).

(Portia and Shylock, Thomas Sully, 1835) ____________________________________________________

Hi readers, I'm finally back. The trip took longer than I expected, but it was pretty good (about as good as a trip with just you and your parents could be). We went to: Bath, Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Salisbury, Glastonbury, Shrewsbury, the Royal Air Force Museum, Conwy, Anglesey, Bolton Abbey, York, Edinburgh, Loch Lomond, Fort William, Dove Cottage, and Stratford-Upon-Avon. Saw Jean-Luc Picard as Shylock at the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre last night (hence the quote).