3 Henry the Sixth (The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York and the Good King Henry the Sixth) · chunk 46 of 47
Anonymous / Marlowe, Christopher / Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written c.1591 (Annals) history · Pembroke's Men T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm typicality 0.78 · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
The Bird that hath been limed in a bush, With trembling wings misdoubteth every bush; And I the hapless Male to one sweet Bird, Have now the fatal Object in my eye, Where my poor young was limned, was caught, and killed. Why what a peevish Fool was that of Crete, That taught his Son the office of a Fowl, And yet for all his wings, the Fool was drowned. I Dedaius, my poor Boy Icarus, Thy Father Minos, that denied our course, The Sun that seared the wings of my sweet Boy. Thy Brother Edward, and thyself, the Sea Whose envious Gulf did swallow up his life: Ah, kill me with thy Weapon, not with words, My breast can better brook thy Dagger's point, Then can my ears that Tragic History. But wherefore dost thou come? Is't for my Life? Thinkest thou I am an Executioner? A Persecutor I am sure thou art, If murdering Innocents be Executing. Why then thou art an Executioner. Thy Son I killed for his presumption. Hadst thou been killed, when first thou didst presume, Thou hadst not lived to kill a Son of mine: And thus I prophesy, that many a thousand, Which now mistrust no parcel of my fear, And many an old man's sigh, and many a Widows, And many an Orphan's water-standing-eye, Men for their Sons, Wives for their Husbands, Orphans, for their Parents timeless death, Shall rue the hour that ever thou was't borne. The Owl shrieked at thy birth, an evil sign, The Night-Crow cried, aboding luckless time, Dogs howled, and hideous Tempest shook down Trees: The Raven rooked her on the Chimney's top, And chattering Pies in dismal Discords sung: Thy Mother felt more than a Mother's pain, And yet brought forth less than a Mother's hope, To wit, an indigested and deformed lump, Not like the fruit of such a goodly Tree. Teeth hadst thou in thy head, when thou was't borne, To signify, thou cam'st to bite the world: And if the rest be true, which I have heard, Thou cam'st— I'll hear no more: die Prophet in thy speech, For this (amongst the rest) was I ordained. I, and for much more slaughter after this, O God forgive my sins, and pardon thee. What? will the aspiring blood of Lancaster Sink in the ground? I thought it would have mounted. See how my sword weeps for the poor King's death. O may such purple tears be always shed From those that wish the downfall of our house. If any spark of Life be yet remaining, down, down to hell, and say I sent thee thither. I that have neither pity, love, nor fear, Indeed 'tis true that Henry told me of: For I have often heard my Mother say, I came into the world with my Legs forward. Had I not reason (think ye) to make haste, And seek their Ruin, that usurped our Right? The Midwife wondered, and the Women cried O Iesus bless us, he is borne with teeth, And so I was, which plainly signified,
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)
The Bird that hath bin limed in a buſh, With trembling wings miſdoubteth euery buſh; And I the hapleſſe Male to one ſweet Bird, Haue now the fatall Obiect in my eye, Where my poore yong was lim'd, was caught, and kill'd. Why what a peeuiſh Foole was that of Creet, That taught his Sonne the office of a Fowle, And yet for all his wings, the Foole was drown'd. I Dedaius, my poore Boy Icarus, Thy Father Minos, that deni'de our courſe, The Sunne that ſear'd the wings of my ſweet Boy. Thy Brother Edward, and thy Selfe, the Sea Whoſe enuious Gulfe did ſwallow vp his life: Ah, kill me with thy Weapon, not with words, My breſt can better brooke thy Daggers point, Then can my eares that Tragicke Hiſtory. But wherefore doſt thou come? Is't for my Life? Think'ſt thou I am an Executioner? A Perſecutor I am ſure thou art, If murthering Innocents be Executing. Why then thou art an Executioner. Thy Son I kill'd for his preſumption. Hadſt thou bin kill'd, when firſt yu didſt preſume, Thou had'ſt not liu'd to kill a Sonne of mine: And thus I propheſie, that many a thouſand, Which now miſtruſt no parcell of my feare, And many an old mans ſighe, and many a Widdowes, And many an Orphans water-ſtanding-eye, Men for their Sonnes, Wiues for their Husbands, Orphans, for their Parents timeles death, Shall rue the houre that euer thou was't borne. The Owle ſhriek'd at thy birth, an euill ſigne, The Night-Crow cry'de, aboding luckleſſe time, Dogs howl'd, and hiddeous Tempeſt ſhook down Trees: The Rauen rook'd her on the Chimnies top, And chatt'ring Pies in diſmall Diſcords ſung: Thy Mother felt more then a Mothers paine, And yet brought forth leſſe then a Mothers hope, To wit, an indigeſted and deformed lumpe, Not like the fruit of ſuch a goodly Tree. Teeth had'ſt thou in thy head, when thou was't borne, To ſignifie, thou cam'ſt to bite the world: And if the reſt be true, which I haue heard, Thou cam'ſt— Ile heare no more: Dye Prophet in thy ſpeech, For this (among'ſt the reſt) was I ordain'd. I, and for much more ſlaughter after this, O God forgiue my ſinnes, and pardon thee. What? will the aſpiring blood of Lancaſter Sinke in the ground? I thought it would haue mounted. See how my ſword weepes for the poore Kings death. O may ſuch purple teares be alway ſhed From thoſe that wiſh the downfall of our houſe. If any ſparke of Life be yet remaining, Downe, downe to hell, and ſay I ſent thee thither. I that haue neyther pitty, loue, nor feare, Indeed 'tis true that Henrie told me of: For I haue often heard my Mother ſay, I came into the world with my Legges forward. Had I not reaſon (thinke ye) to make haſt, And ſeeke their Ruine, that vſurp'd our Right? The Midwife wonder'd, and the Women cri'de O Ieſus bleſſe vs, he is borne with teeth, And ſo I was, which plainly ſignified,