Peele, George / Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1594 [Jan 23 (24); poss. written 1590-1592] (Annals) tragedy · Pembroke's Men (?) unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 504 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
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 Blacke-night, abominable Deeds, Complots of Mischief, Treason, Villainies Ruthful to hear, yet piteously preformed, And this shall all be buried by 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, over else I will discover nought to thee. Even by my God I swear to to thee I will. First know thou, I be got him on the Empress. Oh most Insatiate luxurious woman! Tut Lucius, this was but a deed of Charity, To that which thou shalt hear of me anon, 'Twas her two Sons that murdered Bassianus, They cut thy Sister's tongue, and ravished her, And cut her hands off, and trimmed her as thou saw'st. Oh detestable villain! Call'st thou that Trimming? Why she was washed, and cut, and trimmed, And 'twas trim sport for them that 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 Corpse of Bassianus lay: I wrote the Letter, that thy Father found, And hide the Gold within the 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 apart, 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: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
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 Maſſacres, Acts of Blacke-night, abhominable Deeds, Complots of Miſchiefe, Treaſon, Villanies Ruthfull to heare, yet pittiouſly preform'd, And this ſhall all be buried by my death, Vnleſſe thou ſweare to me my Childe ſhall liue. Tell on thy minde, I ſay thy Childe ſhall liue. Sweare that he ſhall, and then I will begin. Who ſhould I ſweare by, Thou beleeueſt no God, That graunted, how can'ſt thou beleeue 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 trickes and Ceremonies, Which 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, Ore elſe I will diſcouer nought to thee. Euen by my God I ſweare to to thee I will. Firſt know thou, I be got him on the Empreſſe. Oh moſt Inſatiate luxurious woman! Tut 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 off, and trim'd her as thou ſaw'ſt. Oh deteſtable villaine! Call'ſt thou that Trimming? Why ſhe was waſht, and cut, and trim'd, And 'twas trim ſport for them that had the doing of it. Oh barbarous beaſtly villaines like thy ſelfe! Indeede, 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 bloody minde I thinke they learn'd of me, As true a Dog as euer fought at head. Well, let my Deeds be witneſſe of my worth: I trayn'd thy Bretheren to that guilefull Hole, Where the dead Corps of Baſſianus lay: I wrote the Letter, that thy Father found, And hid the Gold within the Letter mention'd. Confederate with the Queene, and her two Sonnes, And what not done, that thou haſt cauſe to rue, Wherein I had no ſtroke of Miſcheife in it. I play'd the Cheater for thy Fathers hand, And when I had it, drew my ſelfe apart, And almoſt broke my heart 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 hartily, That both mine eyes were rainie like to his: And when I told the Empreſſe of this ſport, She ſounded almoſt at my pleaſing tale, And for my tydings, gaue me twenty kiſſes.