Ford, John · published 1633 · first performed or written 1630 [c.1630-1633] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars unassigned nearest T52 Prodigals, portions and poor kin · 533 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T52: brother, father, uncle, cousin, son, poor, bread, old, given, master.
Speak, I enjoy it. Vouchsafe then to be my Exria, And take that trouble of 'ee, to dispose Such Legacies, as I bequeath impartially I have not much to give, the pains are easy, Heaven will reward your piety, and thank it When I am dead; for sure I must not live, I hope I cannot. Now beshrew thy sadness; Thou turn'st me too much woman. Her fair eyes Melt into passion; Then I have assurance Encouraging my boldness.— In this paper My Will was Charactered; which you, with pardon, Shall now know from mine own mouth. Talk on, prithee, It is a pretty earnest. I have left me But three poor jewels to bequeath; The first is My youth; for though I am much old in griefs, In years I am a child. To whom that? To Virgin wives, such as abuse not wedlock By freedom of desires, but covet chiefly The pledges of chaste beds, for ties of love, Rather than ranging of their blood And next To married maids, such as prefer the number Of honourable issue in their virtues, Before the flattery of delights by marriage, May those be ever young. A second jewel You mean to part with. 'Tis my Fame, I trust, By scandal yet untouched; this I bequeath To memory, and Times old daughter Truth: If ever my unhappy name find mention When I am fall'n to dust, may it deserve Be seeming charity without dishonour. How handsomely thou play'st with harmless sport Of mere imagination; speak the last, I strangely like thy will. This jewel, Madam, Is dearly precious to me; you must use The best of your discretion to employ This gift as I intend it. Do not doubt me. 'Tis long ago since first I lost my heart, Long I have lived without it, else for certain I should haue Of it, to great Calantha, Sparta's heir, By service bound, and by affection vowed, I do bequeath in holy rites of love Mine only brother Ithocles. What saidst thou? Impute not, heaven-blessed Lady, to ambition, A faith as humbly perfect as the prayers Of a devoted suppliant can endow it? Look on him, Princess, with an eye of pity; How like the ghost of what he late appeared A' moves before you. Shall I answer here, Or lend my eare too grffely? First, his heart Shall fall in Cinders, scorched by your disdain, ere he will dare, poor man; to ope an eye On these divine looks, but with low-bent thoughts Accusing such presumption; as for words, A' dares not utter any but of service: Yet this lost creature loves 'ee.— Be a princess In sweetness as in blood; give him his doom, Or raise him up to comfort. What new change Appeares in my behauiour, that th Tempt my displeasure? I must leave the world To revel Elysium, and 'tis just To wish my brother some advantage here: Yet by my best hopes, Ithocles is ignorant Of this pursuit. But if you please to kill him, Lend him one angry look, or one harsh word, And you shall soon conclude how wrong a power Your absolute authority holds His life and end.
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)
Speake, I enioy it. Vouchsafe then to be my Exria, And take that trouble o 'ee, to dispose Such Legacies, as I bequeath impartially I haue not much to giue, the paines are easie, Heauen will reward your piety, and thanke it When I am dead; for sure I must not liue, I hope I cannot. Now beshrew thy sadnesse; Thou turn'st me too much woman. Her faire eyes Melt into passion; Then I haue assurance Encouraging my boldnesse. — In this paper My Will was Character'd; which you, with pardon, Shall now know from mine owne mouth. Talke on, prethe, It is a pretty earnest. I haue left me But three poore Iewels to bequeath; The first is My youth; for though I am much old in griefes, In yeares I am a child. To whom that? To Virgin wiues, such as abuse not wedlocke By freedome of desires, but couet chiefly The pledges of chast beds, for tyes of loue, Rather than ranging of their blood And next To married maids, such as preferre the number Of honorable issue in their vertues, Before the flattery of delights by marriage, May those be euer young. A second Iewell You meane to part with. 'Tis my Fame, I trust, By scandall yet vnouch'd; this I bequeath To memory, and Times old dughter Truth If euer my vnhappy name find mention When I am falne to dust, may it deserue Be seeming charity without dishonour. How handsomely thou playst with harmlesse sport Of meere imagination; speake the last, I strangely like thy will. This Iewell, Madam, Is dearely precious to me; you must vse The best of your discretion to imploy This gift as I entend it. Doe not doubt me. 'Tis long agon since first I lost my heart, Long I haue liu'd without it, else for certain I should haue Of it, to great Calantha, By seruice bound, and by affection vow'd, I doe bequeath in holiefe rites of loue Mine onely brother Ithocles. What saydst thou? Impute not, heauen-blest Lady, to ambition, A faith as humbly perfect as the prayers Of a deuoted suppliant indow it? Looke on him, Princesse, with an eye of pitty; How like the ghost of what he apper'd A' moues before you. Shall I answer here, Or lend my eare too grffely? First, his hear Shall fall in Cynders, scorch'd by your disdaine, E're e will dare, poore man; t pe an eye On these diuine lookes, but with low-bet thoughts Accusing such presumption; as for word, A' dares not vtter any but Yet this lost creature loes'. — Be a In sweetnesse as in blood; giue him his doe, Or raise him vp to comfort. What new change Appeares in my behauiour, that th Tempt my displeasure? I the world To reuell Elizium, and 'tis To wish my brother some aduantage her Yet by my best hopes, Ithocles is ignorant Of this pursuit. But if you please to kill him, Lend him one angry looke, or one sh wrd, And you shall soone conclude how rong a power Your absolute authority hld His life and end.