1 The Troublesome Reign of King John · chunk 23 of 29
Anonymous · published 1611 · first performed or written 1591 (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men T15 Friars and holy orders in plot typicality 0.88 · 477 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T15: friar, lord, holy, friars, robin, peggy, lacie, angelo, love, nun.
My masters, stay at the towns end for me, I'll come to you all anon: I must dispatch some business with a Friar, and then I'll read your fortunes. How now, a prophet! sir prophet whence are ye? I am of the world and in the world, but live not as others, by the world: what I am I know, and what thou wilt be I know. If thou knowest me now, be answered: if not, inquire no more what I am. Sir, I know you will be a dissembling knave, that deludes the people with blind prophecies: you are he I look for, you shall away with me: bring away all the rabble, and you Friar Laurence, remember your ransom a hundred pound, and a pardon for yourself, and the rest; come on sir prophet, you shall with me, to receive a prophet's reward. My masters, I have showed you what warrant I have for this attempt; I perceive by your heavy countenances, you had rather be otherwise employed, and for my own part, I would the King had made choice of some other executioner: only this is my comfort, that a king commands, whose precepts neglected or omitted, threateneth torture for the default. Therefore in brief, leave me, and be ready to attend the adventure: stay within that entry, and when you hear me cry, God save the King, issue suddenly forth, lay hands on Arthur, set him in this chair, wherein (once fast bound) leave him with me to finish the rest. We go, though loath. My Lord, will it please your Honour to take the benefit of the fair evening? Gramercy Hubert for thy care of me, In or to whom restraint is newly known, The joy of walking is small benefit, Yet will I take thy offer with small thanks, I would not lose the pleasure of the eye. But tell me courteous Keeper if thou can, How long the King will have me tarry here. I know not Prince, but as I guess, not long. God send you freedom, and God save the King. Why how now sirs, what may this outrage mean? O help me Hubert, gentle Keeper help: God send this sudden mutinous approach Tend not to reave a wretched guiltless life. So sirs, depart, and leave the rest for me. Then Arthur yield, death frowneth in thy face, What meaneth this? good Hubert plead the case. Patience young Lord, and listen words of woe, Harmful and harsh, hell's horror to be heard: A dismal tale fit for a fury's tongue. I faint to tell, deep sorrow is the sound. What, must I die? No news of death, but tidings of more hate, A wrathful doom, and most unlucky fate: Death's dish were dainty at so fell a feast, Be deaf, hear not, its hell to tell the rest.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 1214–1245 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 23 of 29 in this edition
Length
477 words · 619 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T15 — Friars and holy orders in plotcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.884 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T19 · seed 44: T20 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
My maſters, ſtay at the townes end for me, Ile come to you all anone: I muſt diſpatch ſome buſines with a Frier, and then Ile reade your fortunes. How now, a prophet! ſir prophet whence are ye? I am of the world and in the world, but liue not as others, by the world: what I am I know, and what thou wilt be I know. If thou knoweſt me now, be anſwered: if not, enquire no more what I am. Sir, I know you will be a diſſembling knaue, that deludes the people with blinde prophecies: you are hee I look for, you ſhal away with me: bring away all the rable, and you Frier Laurence, remember your raunſome a hundred pound, and a pardon for your ſelfe, and the reſt; come on ſir prophet, you ſhall with me, to receiue a prophets rewarde. My maſters, I haue ſhewed you what warrant I haue for this attempt; I perceiue by your heauy countenances, you had rather be otherwiſe imployed, and for my owne part, I would the King had made choice of ſome other executioner: only this is my comfort, that a king commaunds, whoſe precepts neglected or omitted, threatneth torture for the default. Therefore in briefe, leaue me, and be ready to attend the aduenture: ſtay within that entry, and when you heare me crie, God ſaue the King, iſſue ſodainely forth, lay hands on Arthur, ſet him in this chaire, wherein (once faſt bound) leaue him with me to finiſh the reſt. We goe, though loath. My Lord, will it pleaſe your Honor to take the benefit of the faire euening? Gramercie Hubert for thy care of me, In or to whom reſtraint is newly knowne, The ioy of walking is ſmall benefit, Yet will I take thy offer with ſmall thanks, I would not looſe the pleaſure of the eie. But tell me curteous Keeper if thou can, How long the King will haue me tarrie heere. I know not Prince, but as I geſſe, not long. God ſend you freedome, and God ſaue the King. Why how now ſirs, what may this outrage meane? O help me Hubert, gentle Keeper help: God ſend this ſodaine mutinous approach Tend not to reaue a wretched guiltles life. So ſirs, depart, and leaue the reſt for me. Then Arthur yeeld, death frowneth in thy face, What meaneth this? good Hubert pleade the caſe. Patience yong Lord, and liſten words of woe, Harmefull and harſh, hells horror to be heard: A diſmall tale fit for a furies tongue. I faint to tell, deepe ſorrow is the ſound. What, muſt I die? No newes of death, but tidings of more hate, A wrathfull doome, and moſt vnluckie fate: Deaths diſh were daintie at ſo fell a feaſt, Be deafe, heare not, its hell to tell the reſt.