Massinger, Philip · published 1636 · first performed or written 1627 [licensed for stage, Jul 5] (Annals) comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.77 · 480 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
All you speak Sir I hear as Oracles, nor will digress From your directions. So shall you keep Your fame untainted. As I would my life Sir. LEave the horses with my Grooms; but be you careful With your best diligence, and speed to find out The Prince, and humbly in my name entreat him I may exchange some private conference with him Before the great Duke know of my arrival. I haste my Lord. Here I'll attend his coming, And see you keep yourself as much as may be Concealed from all men else. To serve your Lordship I wish I were invisible. I am driven Into a desperate straight, and cannot steer A middle course; and of the two extremes Which I must make election of, I know not Which is more full of horror. Never servant Stood more engaged to a magnificent Master Than I to Cozimo. And all those honours And glories by his Grace conferred upon me, Or by my prosperous services deserved, If now I should deceive his trust, and make A shipwreck of my loyalty, are ruined. And on the other side, if I discover Lydia's divine perfections, all my hopes In her are sunk, never to be buoy up: For 'tis impossible, but as soon as seen She must with adoration be sued to. A Hermit at his beads, but looking on her, Or the cold cynic, whom Corinthian Lais, Not moved with her lust's blandishments, called a stone, At this object would take fire. Nor is the Duke Such an Hippolytus, but that this Phaedra But seen, must force him to forsake the Groves And Diane's huntsmanship, proud to serve under Venus' soft Ensigns. No, there is no way For me to hope fruition of my ends, But to conceal her beauties; and how that May be effected, is as hard a task As with a veil to cover the sun's beams, Or comfortable light. Three years the Prince Lived in her company, and Contarino The Secretary, hath possessed the Duke What a rare piece she is. But he's my creature, And may with ease be frighted to deny What he hath said. And if my long experience With some strong reasons I have thought upon, Cannot o'erreach a youth, my practice yields me But little profit. You are well returned Sir. Leave us. When that your Grace shall know the motives That forced me to invite you to this trouble, You will excuse my manners. Sir, there needs not This circumstance between us. You are ever My noble friend. You shall have further cause To assure you of my faith and zeal to serve you. And when I have committed to your trust (Presuming still on your retentive silence) A secret of no less importance, than My honour, nay my head, it will confirm What value you hold with me.
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)
All you speake Sir I heare as Oracles, nor will digresse From your directions. So shall you keepe Your fame untainted. As I would my life Sir. LEave the horses with my Groomes; but be you carefull With your best diligence, and speed to finde out The Prince, and humbly in my name entreat him I may exchange some private conference with him Before the great Duke know of my arrivall. I hast my Lord. Here I'll attend his comming, And see you keepe your selfe as much as may be Conceal'd from all men else. To serve your Lordship I wish I were invisible. I am driven Into a desperate streight, and cannot steere A middle course; and of the two extreames Which I must make election of, I know not Which is more full of horror. Never servant Stood more ingag'd to a magnificent Master Then I to Cozimo. And all those honors And glories by his Grace conferr'd upon me, Or by my prosperous services deserv'd, If now I should deceive his trust, and make A shipwrack of my loyalty, are ruin'd. And on the other side, if I discover Lidias divine perfections, all my hopes In her are sunke, never to be boy'd up: For 'tis impossible, but assoone as seene She must with adoration be su'd to. A Hermit at his beades, but looking on her, Or the cold Cinique, whom Corinthian Lais, Not mov'd with her lusts blandishments, call'd a stone, At this object would take fire. Nor is the Duke Such an Hippolitus, but that this Phaedra But seene, must force him to forsake the Groves And Dians Huntmanship, proud to serve under Venus soft Ensignes. No, there is no way For me to hope fruition of my ends, But to conceale her beauties; and how that May be effected, is as hard a taske As with a vayle to cover the Sunnes beames, Or comfortable light. Three yeares the Prince Liv'd in her company, and Contarino The Secretary, hath possess'd the Duke What a rare peece she is. But he's my creature, And may with ease be frighted to denie What he hath said. And if my long experience With some strong reasons I have thought upon, Cannot o're-reach a youth, my practise yeelds me But little profit. You are well return'd Sir. Leave us. When that your Grace shall know the motives That forc'd me to invite you to this trouble, You will excuse my manners. Sir, there needs not This circumstance betweene us. You are ever My noble friend. You shall have further cause To assure you of my faith and zeale to serve you. And when I have committed to your trust (Presuming still on your retentive silence) A secret of no lesse importance, then My honor, nay my head, it will confirme What value you hold with me.