Shirley, James · published 1640 · first performed or written 1634 [licensed for stage, Nov 29] (Annals) comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.84 · 490 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
But tell me signior, nay we are pleased You should be free, upon what confidence Knowing your guilt, and danger to reward it Durst you return to Urbin. I was more fortunate Than I have reason for, and yet my country And friends were precious madam, nor could life In such a wilderness abroad, where none Durst own me, be a benefit; there was A blessing in my fate to meet your mercy That gave me boldness. Cunningly dissembled, You met no Lady then in all your travel, I mean none whom you called mistress, with Her loving magic to lay charms upon you And forced your stay. None Madam, I was not Worth any lady's thought, none were so lost To their own judgements to imagine me More than a walking shadow, or if any Had cherished better thought of me a stranger, They quickly found, they had not placed it right, On so much barrenness which left their charity To pay itself. You do not promise such A hard and horrid composition, But love may find a shift to enter more Than skin deep in your bosom, but perhaps You left your heart at home, and could not then Dispense with new engagements, it was so, And for her sake you willingly forgot Your danger to return, nay be not troubled, Confession will not injure you, I like You should prefer the beauties of your country. It Cannot be thought flattery, if I Acknowledge with the narrowest observation My eyes could take, no place hath been more fruitful In beauty than your own, and it doth hold Proportion with your excellence, all should Be fair and imitate your first example. I see you can be when you lift a Courtier, But this confirms your love is planted here; And since we are fall'n by accident upon This subject, we'll pursue't a little further; Come I must know your Mistress, do not doubt I shall disturb the progress of your loves. What answer shall I frame, things are not ripe Yet for discovery, so please your highness You would be modest, and excuse, be wiser And apprehend my meaning to advance Your wishes, 'tis within my power to effect As much as your ambition can aim at: Who is it if her heart be stubborn, we Can make it soft; if great above your fortune, We can raise you to her equality, Or bring her down to your level, since we ha' promised In hope not to repent: either declare The mistress of your thoughts, and find them prosper, We are not used to express such bounteous language, But be the proudest, greatest in our Duchy, Without all limitation, she shall carry No birth or state here, to despise the service You fairly mean her: if we fail in this, We will not think our strength worth the preserving If I have any wit. Madam the Duke. What Duke?
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)
But tell me signior, nay we are pleas'd You should be free, upon what confidence Knowing your guilt, and danger to reward it Durst you returne to Urbin. I was more fortunate Then I have reason for, and yet my country And friends were pretious madam, nor could life In such a wildernesse abroad, where none Durst owne me, be a benifit; there was A bessing in my fate to meete your mercy That gave me boldnesse. Cunningly dissembled, You met no Lady then in all your travell, I meane none whom you cald mistresse, with Her loving magicke to lay charmes upon you And forc'd your stay. None Madam, I was not Worth any Ladies thought, none were so lost To their owne Iudgements to imagine me More then a walking shaddow, or if any Had cherish'd better thought of me a stranger, They quickly found, they had not plac'd it right, On so much barrennesse which left their charity To pay it selfe. You doe not promise such A hard and horrid composition, But love may finde a shift to enter more Then skinne deepe in your bosome, but perhaps You left your heart at home, and could not then Dispence with new ingagements, it was so, And for her sake you willingly forgot Your danger to returne, nay be not troubled, Confession will not injure you, I like You should preferre the beauties of your country. It Cannot be thought flattery, if I Acknowledge with the narrowest observation My eyes could take, no place hath beene more fruitfull In beautie then your owne, and it doth hold Proportion with your excellence, all should Be faire and imitate your first example. I see you can be when you lift a Courtier, But this confirmes your love is planted here; And since we are falne by accident upon This subject, wee'l pursui't a little further; Come I must know your Mistris, doe not doubt I shall disturbe the progresse of your loves. What answer shall I frame, things are not ripe Yet for discovery, so please your highnesse You would be modest, and excuse, be wiser And apprehend my meaning to advance Your wishes, tis within my power to effect As much as your ambition can ayme at: Who is it if her heart be stubborne, we Can make it soft; if great above your fortune, We can raise you to her equality, Or bring her downe to your levell, since we ha' promist In hope not to repent: either declare The mistresse of your thoughts, and finde them prosper, We are not us'd to expresse such bounteous language, But be the proudest, greatest in our Dutchy▪ Without all limitation, she shall carry No birth or state here, to despise the service You fairely meane her▪ if we faile in this, We will not thinke our strength worth the preserving If I have any wit. Madam the Duke. What Duke?