The True Tragedy of Richard the Third · chunk 32 of 40
Anonymous · published 1594 · first performed or written 1591 [1588-1594] (Annals) tragedy; history · Queen Elizabeth's Men unassigned nearest T18 Rebels, barons and the king's wars at ho · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T18: king, lord, wallace, earl, edward, england, scotland, rebels, bruce, english.
Well my friend, take this for thy good news, And commend me to our mother and the rest. Thus my Lords, you see God still provides for us: But now my Lords touching the placing of our battle best, And how we may be least endangered, Because I will be foremost in this fight, To encounter with that bloody murderer, myself will lead the vaward of our troup, My Lord of Oxford, you as our second self, Shall hall have the happy leading of the rear, A place I know which you will well deserve, And Captain Blunt, Peter Landoyse and you, Shall by in quarters, as our battles scouts, Provided, thus your bowmen Captain Blunt, Must scatter here and there to gall their horse, As also when that our promised friends do come, Then must you hold hard skirmish with our foes, Till I by cast of a counter march, Have joined our power with those that come to us, Then casting close, as wings on either side, We will give a new pravado on the foe, Therefore let us towards Aderstoe amain, Where we this night God-willing will encamp, From thence towards Lichfield, we will march next day, And nearer London, bid King Richard play. Where shall I find a place to sigh my fill, And wail the grief of our sore troubled King? For now he hath obtained the Diadem, But with such great discomfort to his mind, That he had better lived a private man, his looks are ghastly, Hideous to behold, and from the privy sentire of his heart, There comes such deep fetched sighs and fearful cries, That being with him in his chamber oft, He moves me weep and sigh for company, For if he hear one stir he riseth up, And claps his hand upon his dagger straight, Ready to stab him, whatsoe'er he be, But he must think this is the just revenge, The heavens have powered upon him for his sins, Those Peers which he unkindly murdered, Doth cry for justice at the hands of God, And he in justice sends continual fear, For to affright him both at bed and board, But stay, what noise is this, who have we here? Why to Earl Richmond's Camp to serve with him, For we have left to serve King Richard now. Why comes there any more? A number more. Why these are the villains my Lord would have put his life into their hands. A Richard, now do my eyes witness that thy end is at hand, For thy commons make no more account of thee then of a private man, yet will I as duty binds, give thee advertisements of their unjust proceedings. My master hath lifted out many, and yet hath left one to lift him out of all, not only of his Crown, but also of his life. But I will in, to tell my Lord of what is happened.
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)
Well my friend, take this for thy good newes, And commend me to our mother and the reſt. Thus my Lords, you ſee God ſtill prouides for vs: But now my Lords touching the placing of our battell beſt, And how we may be leaſt indangered, Becauſe I will be foremoſt in this fight, To incounter with that bloodie murtherer, My ſelfe wil lead the vaward of our troope, My Lord of Oxford, you as our ſecond ſelfe, Shall hall haue the happie leading of the reare, A place I know which you will well deſerue, And Captaine Blunt, Peter Landoyſe and you, Shall by in quarters, as our battels ſcowtes, Prouided, thus your bow-men Captaine Blunt, Muſt ſcatter here and there to gaull their horſe, As alſo when that our promiſed friends do come, Then muſt you hold hard skirmiſh with our foes, Till I by caſt of a counter march, Haue ioynd our power with thoſe that come to vs, Then caſting cloſe, as wings on either ſide, We will giue a new prauado on the foe, Therefore let vs towards Aderſtoe amaine, Where we this night God-willing will incampe, From thence towards Lichfield, we will march next day, And neerer London, bid King Richard play. Where ſhall I finde a place to ſigh my fill, And waile the griefe of our ſore troubled King? For now he hath obtaind the Diademe, But with ſuch great diſcomfort to his minde, That he had better liued a priuate man, his lookes are gaſtly, Hidious to behold, and from the priuie ſentire of his heart, There comes ſuch deepe fetcht ſighes and fearefull cries, That being with him in his chamber oft, He mooues me weepe and ſigh for company, For if he heare one ſtirre he riſeth vp, And claps his hand vpon his dagger ſtraight, Readie to ſtab him, what ſo ere he be, But he muſt thinke this is the iuſt reuenge, The heauens haue powred vpon him for his ſinnes, Thoſe Peeres which he vnkindly murthered, Doth crie for iuſtice at the hands of God, And he in iuſtice ſends continuall feare, For to afright him both at bed and boord, But ſtaie, what noyſe is this, who haue we here? Why to Earle Richmonds Camp to ſerue with him, For we haue left to ſerue King Richard now. Why comes there any more? A number more. Why theſe are the villaines my Lord would haue put his life into their hands. A Richard, now do my eyes witneſſe that thy end is at hand, For thy commons make no more account of thee then of a priuate man, yet will I as dutie bindes, giue thee aduertiſements of their vniuſt proceedings. My maiſter hath lifted out many, and yet hath left one to lift him out of all, not onely of his Crowne, but alſo of his life. But I will in, to tell my Lord of what is happened.