Peele, George / Shakespeare, William · published 1594 · first performed or written 1594 [Jan 23 (24); poss. written 1590-1592] (Annals) tragedy · Pembroke's Men (?) unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 524 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Say on, and if it please me which thou speakst, Thy child shall live, and I will see it nourished. And if it please thee? why assure thee Lucius, 'twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak: For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, Acts of black night, abominable deeds, Complots of mischief, treason, villainies, Ruthful to hear, yet piteously performed, And this shall all be buried in my death, Unless thou swear to me my child shall live. Tell on thy mind, I say thy child shall live. Swear that he shall, and then I will begin. Who should I swear by, thou believest no God, That granted, how canst thou believe an oath. What if I do not, as indeed I do not, Yet for I know thou art religious, And hast a thing within thee called conscience, With twenty popish tricks and ceremonies, Which I have seen thee careful to observe, Therefore I urge thy oath, for that I know, An idiot holds his bauble for a God, And keeps the oath which by that God he swears, To that i'll urge him, therefore thou shalt vow, By that same God, what God so ere it be That thou adorest, and hast in reverence, To save my boy, to nourish and bring him up, Or else I will discover nought to thee. Even by my God I swear to thee I will. First know thou, I begot him on the Empress. Oh most insatiate and luxurious woman. Tut Lucius, this was but a deed of charity, To that which thou shalt hear of me anon, TTwas her two sons that murdered Bassianus, They cut thy Sister's tongue, and ravished her, And cut her hands, and trimmed her as thou sawest. Oh detestable villain, callst thou that trimming. Why she was washed, and cut, and trimmed, And ttwas trim sport for them which had the doing of it. Oh barbarous beastly villains like thyself. Indeed I was their tutor to instruct them, That codding spirit had they from their mother, As sure a card as ever won the set: That bloody mind I think they learned of me, As true a Dog as ever fought at head: Well let my deeds be witness of my worth, I trained thy brethren to that guileful hole, where the dead corpses of Bassianus lay: I wrote the letter that thy Father found, And hide the gold within that letter mentioned, Confederate with the Queen and her two sons. And what not done, that thou hast cause to rue, wherein I had no stroke of mischief in it, I played the cheater for thy father's hand, And when I had it drew myself a part, And almost broke my heart with extreme laughter, I pried me through the crevice of a wall, when for his hand he had his two sons heads, Beheld his tears and laughed so heartily, That both mine eyes were rainy like to his: And when I told the Empress of this sport, She sounded almost at my pleasing tale, And for my tidings gave me twenty kisses.
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)
Say on, and if it please me which thou speakst Thy child shall liue, and I will see it nourisht. And if it please thee? why assure thee Lucius, Twill vexe thy soule to heare what I shall speake: For I must talke of murthers, rapes, and massakers, Acts of black night, abhominable deeds, Complots of mischiefe, treason, villanies, Ruthfull to heare, yet pitteously performde, And this shall all be buried in my death, Vnlesse thou sweare to me my child shall liue. Tell on thy minde, I say thy child shall liue. Sweare that he shall, and then I will begin. VVho should I sweare by, thou beleeuest no God, That graunted, how canst thou beleeue an oath. VVhat if I doe not, as indeed I do not, Yet for I know thou art religious, And hast a thing within thee called conscience, VVith twenty popish tricks and ceremonies, VVhich I haue seene thee carefull to obserue, Therefore I vrge thy oath, for that I know, An ideot holds his bauble for a God, And keepes the oath which by that God he sweares, To that ile vrge him, therefore thou shalt vow, By that same God, what God so ere it be That thou adorest, and hast in reuerence, To saue my boy, to nourish and bring him vp, Or else I will discouer nought to thee. Euen by my God I sweare to thee I will. First know thou, I begot him on the Empresse. Oh most insatiate and luxurious woman. ut Lucius, this was but a deed of charitie, To that which thou shalt heare of me anon, Twas her two sonnes that murdered Bassianus, They cut thy Sisters tongue, and rauisht her, And cut her hands, and trimd her as thou sawest. Oh detestable villaine, callst thou that trimming. VVhy she was washt, and cut, and trimd, And twas trim sport for them which had the doing of it. Oh barberous beastlie villaines like thy selfe. Indeed I was their tutor to instruct them, That codding spirit had they from their mother, As sure a card as euer wonne the set: That bloodie minde I thinke they learnd of me, As true a Dog as euer fought at head: VVell let my deeds be witnes of my worth, I traind thy brethren to that guilefull hole, where the dead corpes of Bassianus laie: I wrote the letter that thy Father found, And hid the gold within that letter mentioned, Confederate with the Queene and her two sonnes. And what not done, that thou hast cause to ue, wherein I had no stroke of mischiefe in it, I plaid the cheater for thy fathers hand, And when I had it drew my selfe a part, And almost broke my hart with extreame laughter, I pried me through the creuice of a wall, when for his hand he had his two sonnes heads, Beheld his teares and laught so hartelie, That both mine eyes were raynie like to his: And when I tolde the Empresse of this sport, Shee sounded almost at my pleasing tale, And for my tidings gaue me twentie kisses.