The Reign of King Edward the Third · chunk 22 of 39
Anonymous / Shakespeare, William · published 1596 · first performed or written 1590 [c.1590-1595] (Annals) history · Derby's (Strange's) Men (?) T10 England and France: war, embassy and pea typicality 0.81 · 493 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T10: france, french, england, king, lord, english, edward, talbot, peace, lords.
If gall or wormwood have a pleasant taste, Then is thy salutation honey sweet, But as the one hath no such property, So is the other most satirical: Yet wot how I regard thy worthless taunts, If thou have uttered them to foil my fame, Or dim the reputation of my birth, Know that thy wolvish barking cannot hurt, If slily to insinuate with the world, And with a strumpet's artificial line, To paint thy vicious and deformed cause, be well assured the counterfeit will fade, And in the end thy foul defects be seen, But if thou didst it to provoke me on, As who should say I were but timorous, Or coldly negligent did need a spur, Bethink thyself how slack I was at sea, Now since my landing I have won no towns, Entered no further but upon the coast, And there have ever since securely slept, But if I have been other wise employed, Imagine Valois whether I intend To skirmish, not for pillage but for the Crown, Which thou dost wear and that I vow to have, Or one of us shall fall in to this grave, Look not for cross invectives at our hands, Or railing execrations of despite, Let creeping serpents hide in hollow banks, Sting with their tongues; we have remorseless swords, And they shall plead for us and our affairs, Yet thus much briefly by my father's leave, As all the immodest poison of thy throat, Is scandalous and most notorious lies, And our pretended quarrel is truly just, So end the battle when we meet to day, May either of us prosper and prevail, Or luckless cursed, receive eternal shame. That needs no further question, and I know His conscience witnesseth it is my right, Therefore Valois say, wilt thou yet resign, Before the sickles thrust into the Corn, Or that enkindled fury, turn to flame: Edward I know what right thou hast in France, And ere I basely will resign my Crown, This Champion field shallbe a pool of blood, And all our prospect as a slaughter house, I that approves thee tyrant what thou art, No father, king, or shepherd of thy realm, But one that tears her entrails with thy hands, And like a thirsty tiger suckest her blood. You peers of France, why do you follow him, That is so prodigal to spend your lives? Whom should they follow, aged impotent, But he that is their true born sovereign? upbraid'st thou him, because within his face, Time hath engraved deep characters of age: Know that these grave scholars of experience, Like stiff grown oaks, will stand unmovable, When whirl wind quickly turns up younger trees. Was ever any of thy father's house king, But thyself, before this present time, Edward's great lineage by the mother's side, Five hundred years hath held the sceptre up, judge then conspirators by this descent, Which is the true borne sovereign this or that.
seed 43: T8 · seed 44: T8 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
If gall or wormwood haue a pleaſant taſt, Then is thy ſallutation hony ſweete, But as the one hath no ſuch propertie, So is the other moſt ſatiricall: Yet wot how I regarde thy worthles tants, If thou haue vttred them to foile my fame, Or dym the reputation of my birth, Know that thy woluiſh barking cannot hurt, If ſlylie to inſinuate with the worlde, And with a ſtrumpets artifitiall line, To painte thy vitious and deformed cauſe, Bee well aſſured the counterfeit will fade, And in the end thy fowle defects be ſeene, But if thou didſt it to prouoke me on, As who ſhould ſaie I were but timerous, Or coldly negligent did need a ſpurre, Bethinke thy ſelfe howe ſlacke I was at ſea, Now ſince my landing I haue wonn no townes, Entered no further but vpon the coaſt, And there haue euer ſince ſecurelie ſlept, But if I haue bin other wiſe imployd, Imagin Valoys whether I intende Toſkirmiſh, not for pillage but for the Crowne, Which thou doſt weare and that I vowe to haue, Or one of vs ſhall fall in to this graue, Looke not for croſſe inuectiues at our hands, Or rayling execrations of deſpight, Let creeping ſerpents hide in hollow banckes, Sting with theyr tongues; we haue remorſeles ſwordes, And they ſhall pleade for vs and our affaires, Yet thus much breefly by my fathers leaue, As all the immodeſt poyſon of thy throat, Is ſcandalous and moſt notorious lyes, And our pretended quarell is truly iuſt, So end the battaile when we meet to daie, May eyther of vs proſper and preuaile, Or luckles curſt, receue eternall ſhame. That needs no further queſtion, and I knowe His conſcience witneſſeth it is my right, Therfore Valoys ſay, wilt thou yet reſigne, Before the ſickles thruſt into the Corne, Or that inkindled fury, turne to flame: Edward I know what right thou haſt in France, And ere I baſely will reſigne my Crowne, This Champion field ſhallbe a poole of bloode, And all our proſpect as a ſlaughter houſe, I that approues thee tyrant what thou art, No father, king, or ſhepheard of thy realme, But one that teares her entrailes with thy handes, And like a thirſtie tyger ſuckſt her bloud. You peeres of France, why do you follow him, That is ſo prodigall to ſpend your liues? Whom ſhould they follow, aged impotent, But he that is their true borne ſoueraigne? Obraidſt thou him, becauſe within his face, Time hath ingraud deep caracters of age: Know that theſe graue ſchollers of experience, Like ſtiffe growen oakes, will ſtand unmouable, When whirle wind quickly turnes vp yonger trees. Was euer anie of thy fathers houſe king, But thy ſelfe, before this preſent time, Edwards great linage by the mothers ſide, Fiue hundred yeeres hath helde the ſcepter vp, Iudge then conſpiratours by this deſcent, Which is the true borne ſoueraigne this or that.