Edwards, Richard · published 1571 · first performed or written 1564 [1564-1568] (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.77 · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
A true friend, a false Traitor that so breaketh his oath, Thou shalt loose thy life, though thou be never so loath. I am not loath to do what so ever I said, Ne at this present pinch of death am I dismayed: The Gods now I know, have heard my fervent prayer, That they have reserved me to this passing great honour, To die for my friend, whose faith, even now, I do not mistrust: My friend Damon is no false traitor, he is true and just: But sith he is no God but a man, he must do as he may, The wind may be contrary, sickness may let him, or some misadventure by the way, Which the eternal Gods turn all to my glory, That Fame may resound how Pythias for Damon did die: e breaketh no oh, which doth as much as he can, His mind is hear, he hath some let, he is but a man. That he might not return, of all the Gods I did require, Which now to my joy, doth grant my desire: But why do I stay any longer, seeing that one man's death, May suffice O king, to pacify thy wrath? O thou minister of justice, do thine office by and by, Let not thy hand tremble, for I remble not to die: Stephano the right patron, of true fidelity, Commend me to thy master my sweet Damon, & of him crave liberty When I am dead in my name, for thy trusty services, Hath well deserved a gift far better than this, O my Damon farewell now for ever, a true friend to me most dear Whiles life doth last, my mouth shall still talk of thee, And when I am dead my simple ghost true witness of amity: Shall hover about the place wheresoever thou be, Eubulus, This gear is strange, and yet because, Damon hath falst his faith, Pythias shall have the law: Gronnoo, despoil him, and eke dispatch him quickly. It shall be done: since you came into this place, I might have strooken of seven heads in this space: Ber lady here are good garments, these are mine by the rood, It is an evil wind that bloweth no man good: Now Pythias kneel down, ask me blessing like a pretty boy, And with a trise thy head from thy shoulders I will convey. Stay, stay, stay, for the kings advantage stay, O mighty king, mine appointed time is not yet fully passed, Within the compass of mine hour lo, here, I come at last: A life I own, a life I will you pay: O my Pythias, my noble pledge, my constant friend, Ah woe is me for Damon's sake, how near were thou to thy end: give place to me, this room is mine, on this stage must I play, Damon is the man, none aught but he to Dionysius his blood to pay.
nodes 1595–1639 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 33 of 37 in this edition
Length
492 words · 636 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.775 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
A true frend, a false Traytor that so breaketh his oh, Thou shalt lose thy life, though thou be neuer so loth. I am not loth to doo what so euer I sayde, Ne at this present pinch of death am I dismayde: The Gods now I know, haue heard my feruent prayer, That they haue reserued me to this passynge great honour, To die for my frind, whose faith, euen now, I doo not mistruste: My frinde Damon is no false traytour, he is true and iuste: But fith he is no God but a man, he must doo as he may, The winde may be contrary, sicknes may let him, or som misaduēture by the way, Which the eternall Gods tourne al to my glorie, That Fame may resound how Pithias for Damon did die: e breaketh no oh, which doth as much as he can, His minde is heare, he hath some let, he is but a man. That he might not retourne, of all the Gods I did require, Which now to my ioy, doth graunt my desire: But why do I stay any longer, seing that one mans death, May suffise O king, to pacifie thy wrath? O thou minister of iustice, doo thyne office by and by, Let not thy hand tremble, for I remble not to die: Stephano the right patrone, of true fidelitie, Commend me to thy master my swéet Damon, & of him craue libertie When I am dead in my name, for thy trustie seruices, Hath well deserued a gift farre beter then this, Oh my Damon farewell now for euer, a true friend to me most deare Whyles lyfe doth laste, my mouth shall styll talke of thee, And when I am dead my simple ghost true witnes of amitie: Shall hoouer about the place wheresoeuer thou bée, Eubulus, This geare is straunge, and yet because, Damon hath falst his faith, Pithias shall haue the lawe: Gronnoo, dispoyle hym, and eke dispatch him quickly. It shal be done: since you came into this place, I might haue stroken of seauen heads in this space: Ber lady here are good garments, these are myne by the roode, It is an euyll wynde that bloweth no man good: Now Pithias knéele downe, aske me blessyng like a pretie boy, And with a trise thy head from thy shoulders I wyll conuay. Stay, stay, stay, for the kinges aduantage stay, O mightie kyng, myne appoynted time is not yet fully past, Within the compasse of myne houre loe, here, I come at last: A life I owe, a life I wyll you pay: Oh my Pithias, my noble pledge, my constant friende, Ah w is me for Damons sake, how neare were thou to thy ende: Geue place to me, this rowme is myne, on this stage must I play, Damon is the man, none ought but he to Dionisius his blood to pay.