Status Updates From Asimov's Guide to Shakespea...

He is speaking to his friends, Salerio and Solanio, not Bassiano. He thinks he was simply born to be sad. They think the chaos of business in worrying about his ships in dangerous waters and petty traffickers that he deals with weighs him down. They think about having to peer at maps and lose sleep over ships that are delayed at returning to port. My dh is retired exec, so yes, business can weigh a person down.

Merchant of Venice - Asimov gives a thumbnail sketch of the history of Venice and where this great city stood during Shakespeare's time.

MoV A1S1 Antonio is the merchant in the title. He tells two close friends that he is sad, but he does not say why. Asimov, a man grounded in the horizontal, gives a silly, psychological reason why. Ug. His friend (Bassiano) is planning to court Portia.