The Reign of King Edward the Third · chunk 31 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 0.88 · 522 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T10: france, french, england, king, lord, english, edward, talbot, peace, lords.
The king of France my sovereign Lord and master, Greets by me his foe, the Prince of Walls, If thou call forth a hundred men of name Of Lords, Knights, Esquires and English gentlemen, And with thyself and those kneel at his feet, He straight will fold his bloody colours up, And ransom shall redeem lives forfeited: If not, this day shall drink more English blood, Then ere was buried in our British earth, What is the answer to his proffered mercy? This heaven that covers France contains the mercy That draws from me submissive orisons, That such base breath should vanish from my lips To urge the plea of mercy to a man, The Lord forbid, return and tell the king, My tongue is made of steel, and it shall beg My mercy on his coward burgonet. Tell him my colours are as red as his, My men as bold, our English arms as strong, return him my defiance in his face. I go. What news with thee? I he Duke of Normandie my Lord & master Pitying thy youth is so ingirt with peril, By me hath sent a nimble jointed jennet, As swift as ever yet thou didst bestride, And therewithal he counsel thee to fly, Else death himself hath sworn that thou shalt die. Back with the beast unto the beast that sent him Tell him I cannot sit a coward's horse, Bid him to day bestride the jade himself, For I will stain my horse quite over with blood, And double guild my spurs, but I will catch him, So tell the capering boy, and get thee gone. Edward of Wales, Philip the second son To the most mighty christian king of France, Seeing thy bodies living date expired, All full of charity and christian love, Commends this book full fraught with prayers, To thy fair hand, and for thy hour of life, entreats thee that thou meditate therein, And arm thy soul for her long journey towards. Thus have I done his bidding, and return. Herald of Philip greet thy Lord from me, All good that he can send I can receive, But thinkst thou not the unadvised boy, Hath wronged himself in this far tendering me, Happily he cannot pray without the book, I think him no divine extemporal, Then render back this common place of prayer, To do himself good in adversity, Besides, he knows not my sins quality, and therefore knows no prayers for my avail, Ere night his prayer may be to pray to God, To put it in my heart to hear his prayer, So tell the courtly wanton, and be gone. I go. How confident their strength and number makes them, Now Audley sound those silver wings of thine, And let those milk white messengers of time, Show thy times learning in this dangerous time, thyself art busy, and bit with many broils, And stratagems sore passed with iron pens, Are texted in thine honourable face, Thou art a married man in this distress. But danger woos me as a blushing maid, Teach me an answer to this perilous time.
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)
The king of Fraunce my ſoueraigne Lord and maſter, Greets by me his fo, the Prince of Wals, If thou call forth a hundred men of name Of Lords, Knights, Eſquires and Engliſh gentlemen, And with thy ſelfe and thoſe kneele at his feete, He ſtraight will fold his bloody collours vp, And ranſome ſhall redeeme liues forfeited: If not, this day ſhall drinke more Engliſh blood, Then ere was buried in our Bryttiſh earth, What is the anſwere to his profered mercy? This heauen that couers Fraunce containes the mercy That drawes from me ſubmiſſiue orizons, That ſuch baſe breath ſhould vaniſh from my lips To vrge the plea of mercie to a man, The Lord forbid, returne and tell the king, My tongue is made of ſteele, and it ſhall beg My mercie on his coward burgonet. Tell him my colours are as red as his, My men as bold, our Engliſh armes as ſtrong, returne him my defiance in his face. I go. What newes with thee? I he Duke of Normandie my Lord & maſter Pittying thy youth is ſo ingirt with perill, By me hath ſent a nimble ioynted iennet, As ſwift as euer yet thou didſt beſtride, And therewithall he counſels thee to flie, Els death himſelf hath ſworne that thou ſhalt die. Back with the beaſt vnto the beaſt that ſent him Tell him I cannot ſit a cowards horſe, Bid him to daie beſtride the iade himſelfe, For I will ſtaine my horſe quite ore with bloud, And double guild my ſpurs, but I will catch him, So tell the capring boy, and get thee gone. Edward of Wales, Phillip the ſecond ſonne To the moſt mightie chriſtian king of France, Seeing thy bodies liuing date expird, All full of charitie and chriſtian loue, Commends this booke full fraught with prayers, To thy faire hand, and for thy houre of lyfe, Intreats thee that thou meditate therein, And arme thy ſoule for hir long iourney towards. Thus haue I done his bidding, and returne. Herald of Phillip greet thy Lord from me, All good that he can ſend I can receiue, But thinkſt thou not the vnaduiſed boy, Hath wrongd himſelfe in this far tendering me, Happily he cannot praie without the booke, I thinke him no diuine extemporall, Then render backe this common place of prayer, To do himſelfe good in aduerſitie, Beſides, he knows not my ſinnes qualitie, and therefore knowes no praiers for my auaile, Ere night his praier may be to praie to God, To put it in my heart to heare his praier, So tell the courtly wanton, and be gone. I go. How confident their ſtrength and number makes them, Now Audley ſound thoſe ſiluer winges of thine, And let thoſe milke white meſſengers of time, Shew thy times learning in this dangerous time, Thy ſelfe art buſie, and bit with many broiles, And ſtratagems ſore paſt with yron pens, Are texted in thine honorable face, Thou art a married man in this diſtreſſe. But danger wooes me as a bluſhing maide, Teach me an anſwere to this perillous time.