The Royal King and the Loyal Subject · chunk 37 of 39
Heywood, Thomas · published 1637 · first performed or written 1602 [1602-1618] (Annals) romance · Unknown T14 Royal love, favour and dynastic relation typicality 0.85 · 511 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T14: prince, princess, love, king, lord, queen, madam, grace, lady, life.
With reverence to the State 'fore which I stand, That you my Lord of Chester appear shallow, To think my actions can disgrace the Kings, As if the luster of a petty Star Should with the Moon compare: Alas, my deeds Conferred with his, are like a candle's light To outshine the midday's glory. Can the King The glorious mirror of all gratitude, Condemn that virtue in another's bosom, Which in his own shines so transparently? Oh pardon me, mere virtue is my end, Whose pitch the King doth many times transcend. To tax you more succinctly, you have first Abused the King in sending to the Court Your daughter less fair, and the least beloved. And that includes contempt most barbarous, Which you in that unsubject-like expressed: Your former emulations we omit. As things that may find tolerable excuse, And are indeed not matters capital: But to the best and greatest, when the King, Out of his bounty and magnificence Vouchsafed to style thee with the name of son, Being but a subject, with contorted brows And looks of scorn you took his courtesy, And in contempt sent back the Princess dower. Most true; a grounded proposition To question you of life. My life my lords? It pleases me, that the King in person deigns To grace my cause with his Majestic ear: You plead for me in this, and speak my excuse. I have but two in all, He sent for one, and he received them both, With them a sweet and lovely Prince to boot; whoever lost, I am sure the King hath won At once, a wife, a daughter, and a son. 'Tis true my Lord, we all can witness it. He that my discontent objects to me, With the fair Princess speaks uncertainly. The man judicious such for fools allows, As have their inward hearts drawn in their brows: Is there in all that bench a man so honest That can in this be discontent with me? I charge you all; those favours I receive From his high Majesty, I swallow not With greedy appetite, perhaps like you: When I am graced, it comes with awe and fear, Lest I offend that Prince that holds me dear. That for my brow. But for your scornful sending Of the fair Princess dower back to th' King, How can you answer that? Why Chester thus: I am a man, though subject; if the meanest Lord o'er his wife; why should that privilege Be only bar me? should I wive an Empress, And take her dowerless, should we love, or hate, In that my bounty equals her estate. Witness that judge above you, I esteem The Princess dearly, and yet married her But as my wife, for which I am infinitely Bound to the King: why should I grow engaged Above my power, since this my Lords you know, The less we run in debt, the less we owe. Give me my thoughts, and score you on I pray, I wish no more than I have means to pay.
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)
With reverence to the State 'fore which I stand, That you my Lord of Chester appeare shallow, To thinke my actions can disgrace the Kings, As if the luster of a petty Starre Should with the Moone compare: Alas, my deeds Conferr'd with his, are like a Candles light To out-shine the mid-dayes glory. Can the King The glorious mirrour of all gratitude, Condemne that vertue in anothers bosome, Which in his owne shines so transparantly? Oh pardon me, meere vertue is my end, Whose pitch the King doth many times transcend. To taxe you more succinctly, you have first Abus'd the King in sending to the Court Your daughter lesse faire, and the least belov'd. And that includes contempt most barbarous, Which you in that unsubject-like exprest: Your former emulations we omit. As things that may finde tolerable excuse, And are indeed not matters capitall: But to the best and greatest, when the King, Out of his bounty and magnificence Voucsaft to stile thee with the name of sonne, Being but a subject, with contorted browes And lookes of scorne you tooke his courtesie, And in contempt sent back the Princesse dower. Most true; a grounded proposition To question you of life. My life my lords? It pleases me, that the King in person daines To grace my cause with his Majesticke eare: You plead for me in this, and speake my excuse. I have but two in all, He sent for one, and he receiv'd them both, With them a sweete and lovely Prince to boote; Who ever lost, I am sure the King hath wonne At once, a wife, a daughter, and a sonne. 'Tis true my Lord, we all can witnesse it. He that my discontent objects to me, With the faire Princesse speakes uncertainly. The man judicious such for fooles allowes, As have their inward hearts drawne in their browes: Is there in all that bench a man so honest That can in this be discontent with me? I charge you all; those favours I receive From his high Majesty, I swallow not With greedy appetite, perhaps like you: When I am grac't, it comes with awe and feare, Lest I offend that Prince that holds me deare. That for my brow. But for your scornfull sending Of the faire Princesse dower backe to th' King, How can you answer that? Why Chester thus: I am a man, though subject; if the meanest Lord or'e his wife; why should that priviledge Be onely bard me? should I wive an Empresse, And take her dowerlesse, should we love, or hate, In that my bounty equalls her estate. Witnesse that Iudge above you, I esteeme The Princesse dearely, and yet married her But as my wife, for which I am infinitely Bound to the King: why should I grow ingag'd Above my power, since this my Lords you know, The lesse we runne in debt, the lesse we owe. Give me my thoughts, and score you on I pray, I wish no more than I have meanes to pay.