Edwards, Richard · published 1571 · first performed or written 1564 [1564-1568] (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) · before the Court unassigned nearest T38 Death, parting and grief at court · 503 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T38: queen, king, death, dead, heart, life, die, lord, royal, news.
And other precious things do fade, friendship will never decay: Have friends in store therefore, so shall you safely sleep, Have friends at home of foreign foes, so need you take no keep: Abandon flattering tongues, whose clackes truth never tells, Abase the ill, advance the good, in whom dame virtue dwells: Let them your play fellows be, but O you earthly kings, Your sure defence and strongest guard, stands chiefly in faithful friend Then get you friends by liberal deeds, and here I make an end, Accept this counsel mighty King of Damon Pythias friend: O my Pythias, now farewell for ever, let me kiss thee or I die, My soul shall honour thee, thy constant faith above the heavens shall fly Come Gronno do thine office now, why is thy colour so dead? My neck is so is short, that thou wilt never have honesty in striking of this head Eubulus, my spirits are suddenly appalled, my limbs wax weak This strange friendship amasseth me so, that I can scarce speak. O mighty king, let some pity your noble heart mean, You require but one man's death, take Pythias, let Damon live. O unspeakable friendship. Not so, he hath not offended, there is no cause why? My constant friend my Pythias, for Damon's sake should die? Alas he is but young, he may do good to many, Thou coward minister, why dost thou not let me die? My hand with sudden fear quivereth. O noble king, show mercy on Damon, let pithias die, Stay Gronno, my flesh trembleth, Eubulus, what shall I do? Were there ever such friends on earth as were these two? What heart is so cruel that would divide them asunder? O noble friendship, I must yield, at thy force I wonder: My heart, this rare friendship hath pierced to the root, And quenched all my fury, this sight hath brought this about: Which thy grave counsel Eubulus, and learned persuasion could never do: noble gentlemen, the immortal Gods above, hath made you play this Tragedy, I think for my behove: Before this day I never knew what perfect friendship meant, y cruell mind to blouddy déedes, was full and wholy bente: y fearefull life, I thought with terrour to defende, But now I see there is no guard unto a faithful friend: Which will not spare his life at time of present need, happy kings within your courts have two such friends in deed: honour friendship now, which that you may plainly see, Damon, have thou thy life, from death I pardon thee: For which good turn, I crave this honour do me lend? O friendly heart? let me link with you, to you make me the third friend y courte is yours, dwell here with mée, by my commission large, y selfe, my realme, my welth, my health, I commit to your charge: Make me a third friend, more shall I joy in that thing, Then to be called as I am, Dionysius the mighty king.
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)
And other precious thinges doo fade, frindship wyll neuer decay: Haue friendes in store therfore, so shall you safely sleape, Haue friendes at home of forraine foes, so neede you take no kéepe: Abandon flatring tounges, whose clackes truth neuer tels, Abase the yll, aduance the good, in whome dame vertue dwels: Let them your play felowes be, but O you earthly kinges, Your sure defence and strongest garde, sandes chifely in faithfull friēd Then get you friends by liberall déedes, and here I make an ende, Accept this counsell mightie Kinge of Damon Pithias friende: Oh my Pithias, now farewel for euer, let me kisse thée or I die, My soule shall honour thée, thy constant faith aboue the heauens shall fli Come Gronno doo thine office now, why is thy colour so dead? My neck is so is short, that thou wylt neuer haue honestie in striking o this hea Eubulus, my spirites are sodenly appauled, my limes waxe weake This straunge friendship amaseth me so, that I can scarse speake. O mightie kinge, let some pittie your noble harte méene, You require but one mans death, take Pithias, let Damon liue. O vnspeakeable frindship. Not so, he hath not offended, there is no cause why? My constant frind my Pithias, for Damons sake should die▪ Alas he is but young, he may doo good to many, Thou coward minister, why doest thou not let me die? My hand with soden feare quiuereth. O noble kinge, shewe mercy on Damon, let pithias die, Stay Gronno, my flesh trembleth, Eubulus, what shall I doo▪ Were there euer such frindes on earth as were these two? What harte is so cruell that would deuide them asunder? O noble friendship, I must yeld, at thy force I wonder: My hart, this rare frindship hath pearst to the roote, And quenched all my fury, this sight hath brought this aboute: Which thy graue counsell Eubulus, and learned perswasion could neuer doo: noble gentlemen, the immortall Gods aboue, ath made you play this Tragidie, I thinke for my behoue: efore this day I neuer knew what perfect friendship ment, y cruell mind to blouddy déedes, was full and wholy bente: y fearefull life, I thought with terrour to defende, ut now I sée there is no garde vnto a faithfull riend: Which wyll not spare his lyfe at time of present néede, happie kinges within your courtes haue twoo such frinds in déed: honour friendship now, which that you may playnly sée, amon, haue thou thy lyfe, from death I pardon thée: or which good tourne, I craue this honour doo me lend? Oh frindly harte? let me linke with you, to you make me ye third friēde y courte is yours, dwell here with mée, by my commission large, y selfe, my realme, my welth, my health, I commit to your charge: ake me a thirde friend, more shall I ioye in that thing, Then to be called as I am, Dionisius the mightie kinge.