2 Henry the Sixth (The First Part of the Contention betwixt the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster) · chunk 29 of 49
Anonymous / Marlowe, Christopher / Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written c.1590 (Annals) history · Pembroke's Men (?) unassigned nearest T53 The crown: kingship claimed, resigned an · 460 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T53: crown, king, state, life, lord, lords, live, queen, tullia, prince.
An answer from the King, my Lord of Salisbury. 'Tis like the Commons, rude unpolisht Hinds, Can send such Message to their Sovereign: But you, my Lord, were glad to be employed, To show how quaint an Orator you are. But all the Honour Salisbury hath won, Is, that he was the Lord Ambassador, Sent from a sort of Tinkers to the King. An answer from the King, or we will all break in. Go Salisbury, and tell them all from me, I thank them for their tender loving care; And had I not been cited so by them, Yet did I purpose as they do entreat: For sure, my thoughts do hourly prophesy, Mischance unto my State by Suffolk's means. And therefore by his Majesty I swear, Whose farre-unworthie Deputy I am, He shall not breathe infection in this air, But three days longer, on the pain of death. Oh Henry, let me plead for gentle Suffolk. Ungentle Queen, to call him gentle Suffolk. No more I sayd if thou dost plead for him, Thou wilt but add increase unto my Wrath. Had I but said, I would have kept my Word; But when I swear, it is irrevocable: If after three days space thou here be'st found, On any ground that I am Ruler of, The World shall not be Ransom for thy Life. Come Warwick, come good Warwick, go with me, I have great matters to impart to thee. Mischance and Sorrow go along with you, Heart's Discontent, and sour Affliction, Be playfellows to keep you company: There's two of you, the Devil make a third, And threefold Vengeance tend upon your steps. Cease, gentle Queen, these Execrations, And let thy Suffolk take his heavy leave. Fie Coward woman, and soft hearted wretch, Hast thou not spirit to curse thine enemy. A plague upon them: wherefore should I curse them? Would curses kill, as doth the Mandrake's groan, I would invent as bitter searching terms, As cursed, as harsh, and horrible to hear, Delivered strongly through my fixed teeth, With full as many fignes of deadly hate, As lean-faced envy in her loathsome cave. My tongue should stumble in mine earnest words, Mine eyes should sparkle like the beaten Flint, Mine hair be fixed an end, as one distracted: I, every joint should seem to curse and ban, And even now my burdened heart would break Should I not curse them. Poison be their drink. Gall, worse than Gall, the daintiest that they taste: Their sweetest shade, a grove of Cypress Trees: Their chiefest Prospect, murdering Basilisks: Their softest Touch, as smart as Lyzards stings: Their Music, frightful as the Serpent's hiss, And boding Screech-owls, make the Consort full. All the foul terrors in dark seated hell—
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)
An anſwer from the King, my Lord of Salisbury. 'Tis like the Commons, rude vnpoliſht Hindes, Could ſend ſuch Meſſage to their Soueraigne: But you, my Lord, were glad to be imploy'd, To ſhew how queint an Orator you are. But all the Honor Salisbury hath wonne, Is, that he was the Lord Embaſſador, Sent from a ſort of Tinkers to the King. An anſwer from the King, or wee will all breake in. Goe Salisbury▪ and tell them all from me, I thanke them for their tender louing care; And had I not beene cited ſo by them, Yet did I purpoſe as they doe entreat: For ſure, my thoughts doe hourely prophecie, Miſchance vnto my State by Suffolkes meanes. And therefore by his Maieſtie I ſweare, Whoſe farre-vnworthie Deputie I am, He ſhall not breathe infection in this ayre, But three dayes longer, on the paine of death. Oh Henry, let me pleade for gentle Suffolke. Vngentle Queene, to call him gentle Suffolke. No more I ſay if thou do'ſt pleade for him, Thou wilt but adde encreaſe vnto my Wrath. Had I but ſayd, I would haue kept my Word; But when I ſweare, it is irreuocable: If after three dayes ſpace thou here bee'ſt found, On any ground that I am Ruler of, The World ſhall not be Ranſome for thy Life. Come Warwicke▪ come good Warwicke, goe with mee, I haue great matters to impart to thee. Miſchance and Sorrow goe along with you, Hearts Diſcontent, and ſowre Affliction, Be play-fellowes to keepe you companie: There's two of you, the Deuill make a third, And three-fold Vengeance tend vpon your ſteps. Ceaſe, gentle Queene, theſe Execrations, And let thy Suffolke take his heauie leaue. Fye Coward woman, and ſoft hared wretch, Haſt thou not ſpirit to curſe thine enemy. A plague vpon them: wherefore ſhould I curſſe them? Would curſes kill, as doth the Mandrakes grone, I would inuent as bitter ſearching termes, As curſt, as harſh, and horrible to heare, Deliuer'd ſtrongly through my fixed teeth, With full as many fignes of deadly hate, As leane-fac'd enuy in her loathſome caue. My tongue ſhould ſtumble in mine earneſt words, Mine eyes ſhould ſparkle like the beaten Flint, Mine haire be fixt an end, as one diſtract: I, euery ioynt ſhould ſeeme to curſe and ban, And euen now my burthen'd heart would breake Should I not curſe them. Poyſon be their drinke. Gall, worſe then Gall, the daintieſt that they taſte: Their ſweeteſt ſhade, a groue of Cypreſſe Trees: Their cheefeſt Proſpect, murd'ring Baſiliskes: Their ſofteſt Touch, as ſmart as Lyzards ſtings: Their Muſicke, frightfull as the Serpents hiſſe, And boading Screech-Owles, make the Conſort full. All the foule terrors in darke ſeated hell—