Shirley, James · published 1640 · first performed or written 1631 [licensed for stage, Nov 14] (Annals) tragedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.74 · 511 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Bring a Fiddlestick, come you do not know what it is to be a Duke's Mistress, to enjoy the pleasures o'the Court to have all heads bare, the knees bow to you, every door fly open as you tread, with your breath to raise this Gentleman, pull down that Lord, and new mould the t'other Lady, wear upon a tire the wealth of a province, have all the fashions brought first to you, all Courtiers sue to you, Tilts and Tournaments for you; to have the air you live in, nay your very breath perfumed, the pavement you tread upon kissed, nay your Dog, or monkey, not saluted without an officious leg, and some title of reverence. Are you Melancholy? a Mask is prepared, and Music to charm Orpheus himself into a stone, numbers presented to your ear that shall speak the soul of the immortal English Ionson, a scene to take your eye with wonder, now to see a forest move, and the pride of summer brought into a walking wood, in the instant as if the sea had swallowed up the earth, to see waves capering about tall ships, Arion upon a rock playing to the Dolphins, the Tritons calling up the sea-nymphs to dance before you: in the height of this rapture a tempest so artificial and sudden in the clouds, with a general darkness and thunder so seeming made to threaten, that you would cry out with the Mariners in the work, you cannot scape drowning, in the turning of an eye, these waters ravish into a heaven, glorious and angelical shapes presented, the stars distinctly with their motion and music so enchanting you, that you would wish to be drowned indeed, to dwell in such a happiness Fine painted blessings! Will you feast, the water shall be summoned to bring in her finny and shell inhabitants, the air shall be unpeopled, and the birds come singing to their sacrifice, Banquets shall spread like wildernesses, and present more variety than men can possibly take in surfeits. Are you sick? all the Court shall take physic for you, if but your finger ache, the Lords shall put on nightcaps, and happiest that Courtier that can first betray how much he suffers with you. Doth not this Palace please, the Court removes tomorrow: doth the Situation distaste, new places are built, and pyramids to put down the Egyptians: will you hunt today? the game is provided and taught news to delight you: will you take the pleasure of the River? the Barge attends, Music and the mermaids go along, Swans die a long the shores and sing their own dirges: will you spend? the Exchequer is yours all honour and offices yours, and which is the crown of all, the Duke himself is yours, whose ambition shall be to make those pleasures lasting, and every day create new ones to delight his Mistress. And yet I think you would not give away Your right hand for all these, much less present A poniard to your heart and stab yourself.
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Bring a Fiddlestick, come you do not know what it is to be a Dukes Mistresse, to enjoy the pleasures o'the Court to have all heads bare, the knees bow to you, every doore fly open as you tread, with your breath to raise this Gentleman, pull downe that Lord, and new mold the tother Lady, weare upon a tire the wealth of a province, have all the fashions brought first to you, all Courtiers sue to you, Tilts and Turnaments for you; to have the aire you live in, nay your very breath perfumd, the pavement you tread upon kisst, nay your Dog, or Munkey, not saluted without an officious leg, and some title of reverence. Are you Melancholy? a Maske is prepared, and Musicke to charme Orpheus himselfe into a stone, numbers presented to your eare that shall speake the soule of the immortall English Ionson, a scene to take your eye with wonder, now to see a forrest move, and the pride of summer brought into a walking wood, in the instant as if the sea had swallowed up the earth, to see waves capering about tall ships, Arion upon a rocke playing to the Dolphins, the Tritons calling up the sea-Nimphes to dance before you: in the height of this rapture a tempest so artificiall and suddaine in the clouds, with a generall darkenes and thunder so seeming made to threaten, that you would cry out with the Marriners in the worke, you cannot scape drowning, in the turning of an eye, these waters ravish into a heaven, glorious and angelicall shapes presented, the starres distinctly with their motion and musick so inchanting you, that you would wish to be drowned indeed, to dwell in such a happinesse Fine painted blessings! Will you feast, the water shall be summond to bring in her finny and shell inhabitants, the aire shall be unpeopled, and the birds come singing to their sacrifice, Banquets shall spread like wildernesses, and present more variety then men can possibly take in surfets. Are you sicke? all the Court shall take phisick for you, if but your finger ake, the Lords shall put on night-caps, and happiest that Courtier that can first betray how much he suffers with you. Doth not this Pallace please, the Court remoues to morrow: doth the Scituation distast, new places are built, and piramids to put downe the Egyptians: will you hunt to day? the game is provided and taught newes to delight you: will you take the pleasure of the River? the Barge attends, Musicke and the Marmaides go a long, Swannes dy a long the shores and sing their owne dirges: will you spend? the Exchequer is yours all honor and offices yours, and which is the crowne of all, the Duke himselfe is yours, whose ambition shall be to make those pleasures lasting, and every day create new ones to delight his Mistresse. And yet I thinke you would not give away Your right hand for all these, much lesse present A poniard to your heart and stab your selfe.