3 Henry the Sixth (The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York and the Good King Henry the Sixth) · chunk 26 of 47
Anonymous / Marlowe, Christopher / Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written c.1591 (Annals) history · Pembroke's Men T53 The crown: kingship claimed, resigned an typicality 0.85 · 490 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T53: crown, king, state, life, lord, lords, live, queen, tullia, prince.
And deck my Body in gay Ornaments, And ' witch sweet Ladies with my Words and Looks. Oh miserable Thought! and more unlikely, Than to accomplish twenty Golden Crowns. Why Love forswore me in my Mother's Womb: And for I should not deal in her soft Laws, She did corrupt frail Nature with some Bribe, To shrink mine Arm up like a withered Shrub, To make an envious Mountain on my Back, Where sits Deformity to mock my Body; To shape my Legs of an unequal size, To dis-proportion me in every part: Like to a Chaos, or an unlicked Bear-whelp, That carries no impression like the Dam. And am I then a man to be beloved? Oh monstrous fault, to harbour such a thought. Then since this Earth affords no joy to me, But to command, to check, to o'erbear such, As are of better Person than myself: I'll make my Heaven, to dream upon the Crown, And whiles I live, t'account this World but Hell, Until my mis-shaped Trunk, that bears this Head, Be round impaled with a glorious Crown. And yet I know not how to get the Crown, For many Lives stand between me and home: And I, like one lost in a Thorny Wood, That rends the Thorns, and is rend with the Thorns, Seeking a way, and straying from the way, Not knowing how to find the open Air, But toiling desperately to find it out, Torment myself, to catch the English Crown: And from that torment I will free myself, Or hue my way out with a bloody Axe. Why I can smile, and murder whiles I smile, And cry, Content, to that which grieves my Heart, And wet my Cheeks with artificial Tears, And frame my Face to all occasions. I'll drown more Sailors than the Mermaid shall, I'll slay more gazers than the Basilisk, I'll play the Orator as well as Nestor, Deceive more slyly than Ulysses could, And like a Sinon, take another Troy. I can add Colours to the Chameleon, Change shapes with Proteus, for advantages, And set the murderous Machevill to School. Can I do this, and cannot get a Crown? Tut, were it farther off, I'll pluck it down. Fair Queen of England, worthy Margaret, Sat down with us: it ill befits thy State, And Birth, that thou shouldst stand, while Lewis doth sit. No, mighty King of France: now Margaret Must strike her sail, and learn a while to serve, Where Kings command. I was (I must confess) Great Albion's Queen, in former Golden days: But now mischance hath trod my Title down, And with dishonour laid me on the ground, Where I must take like Seat unto my fortune, And to my humble Seat conform myself. Why say, fair Queen, whence springs this deep despair? From such a cause, as fills mine eyes with tears, And stops my tongue, while heart is drowned in cares.
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)
And decke my Body in gay Ornaments, And 'witch ſweet Ladies with my Words and Lookes. Oh miſerable Thought! and more vnlikely▪ Then to accompliſh twentie Golden Crownes. Why Loue forſwore me in my Mothers Wombe: And for I ſhould not deale in her ſoft Lawes, Shee did corrupt frayle Nature with ſome Bribe, To ſhrinke mine Arme vp like a wither'd Shrub, To make an enuious Mountaine on my Back, Where ſits Deformitie to mocke my Body; To ſhape my Legges of an vnequall ſize, To diſ-proportion me in euery part: Like to a Chaos, or an vn-lick'd Beare-whelpe, That carryes no impreſſion like the Damme. And am I then a man to be belou'd? Oh monſtrous fault, to harbour ſuch a thought. Then ſince this Earth affoords no Ioy to me, But to command, to check, to o're-beare ſuch, As are of better Perſon then my ſelfe: Ile make my Heauen, to dreame vpon the Crowne, And whiles I liue, t'account this World but Hell, Vntill my mis-ſhap'd Trunke, that beares this Head, Be round impaled with a glorious Crowne. And yet I know not how to get the Crowne, For many Liues ſtand betweene me and home: And I, like one loſt in a Thornie Wood, That rents the Thornes, and is rent with the Thornes, Seeking a way, and ſtraying from the way, Not knowing how to finde the open Ayre, But toyling deſperately to finde it out, Torment my ſelfe, to catch the Engliſh Crowne: And from that torment I will free my ſelfe, Or hew my way out with a bloody Axe. Why I can ſmile, and murther whiles I ſmile, And cry, Content, to that which grieues my Heart, And wet my Cheekes with artificiall Teares, And frame my Face to all occaſions. Ile drowne more Saylers then the Mermaid ſhall, Ile ſlay more gazers then the Baſiliske, Ile play the Orator as well as Neſtor, Deceiue more ſlyly then Vliſſes could, And like a Synon, take another Troy. I can adde Colours to the Camelion, Change ſhapes with Proteus, for aduantages, And ſet the murtherous Macheuill to Schoole. Can I doe this, and cannot get a Crowne? Tut, were it farther off, Ile plucke it downe. Faire Queene of England, worthy Margaret, Sit downe with vs: it ill befits thy State, And Birth, that thou ſhould'ſt ſtand, while Lewis doth ſit. No, mightie King of France: now Margaret Muſt ſtrike her ſayle, and learne a while to ſerue, Where Kings command. I was (I muſt confeſſe) Great Albions Queene, in former Golden dayes: But now miſchance hath trod my Title downe, And with diſ-honor layd me on the ground, Where I muſt take like Seat vnto my fortune, And to my humble Seat conforme my ſelfe. Why ſay, faire Queene, whence ſprings this deepe deſpaire? From ſuch a cauſe, as fills mine eyes with teares, And ſtops my tongue, while heart is drown'd in cares.