Shakespeare, William · published 1597 · first performed or written 1595 (Annals) tragedy; history · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T53 The crown: kingship claimed, resigned an · 487 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T53: crown, king, state, life, lord, lords, live, queen, tullia, prince.
Come my old son, I pray God make thee new. Didst thou not mark the K▪ what words he spoke? Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear? Was it not so? These were his very words. Have I no friend quoth hethe? he spake it twice. And urged it twice together, did he not? He did. And speaking it, he wishtly looked on me, As who should say, I would thou wert the man, That would divorce this terror from my heart, Meaning the king at Pomfret. Come let's go, I am the king's friend, and will rid his foe. I have been studying how I may compare This prison where I live, unto the world: And forbecause the world is populous, And here is not a creature but myself, I cannot do it: yet I'll hammer it out, My brain I'll prove, the female to my soul, My soul the father, and these two beget A generation of still-breeding thoughts: And these same thoughts people this little world, In humours like the people of this world: For no thought is contented: the better sort, As thoughts of things divine are intermixed With scruples, and do set the word itself Against the word, as thus: Come little ones, & then again It is as hard to come, as for a Camel To thread the postern of a small needle's eye: Thoughts tending to ambition they do plot, Unlikely wonders: how these vain weak nails May tear a passage thorough the flinty ribs Of this hard world my ragged prison walls: And for they cannot die in their own pride, Thoughts tending to content flatter themselves, That they are not the first of fortune's slaves, Nor shall not be the last like silly beggars, Who sitting in the stocks refuge their shame, That many have, and others must set there. And in this thought they find a kind of ease, Bearing their own misfortunes on the back Of such as have before endured the like. Thus play I in one person many people, And none contented; sometimes am I King, Then treasons make me wish myself a beggar, And so I am: then crushing penury Persuades me I was better when a king, Then am I kinged again, and by and by, Think that I am vnkingd, by Bullingbrooke, And straight am nothing. But what ere I be, Nor I, nor any man, that but man is, With nothing shall be pleased, till he be eased, With being nothing. Music do I hear, Ha ha keep time, how sour sweet Music is When time is broke, and no proportion kept, So is it in the music of men's lives: And here have I the daintiness of ear To check time broke in a disordered string: But for the concord of my state and time, Had not an ear to hear my true time broke,
seed 43: T25 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Come my olde sonne, I pray God make thee new. Didst thou not make the K▪ what words he spake? Haue I no friend will rid me of this liuing feare? Was it not so? These were his very words. Haue I no friend quoth hehe spake it twice. And vrgde it twice togither, did he not? He did. And speaking it, he wishtly lookt on me, As who should say, I would thou wert the man, That would diuorce this terrour from my heart, Meaning the king at Pomfret. Come lets go, I am the kings friend, and will rid his foe. I haue beene studying how I may compare This prison where I liue, vnto the world: And forbecause the world is populous, And here is not a creature but my selfe, I cannot do it: yet Ile hammer it out, My braine Ile prooue, the female to my soule, My soule the father, and these two beget A generation of still-breeding thoughts: And these same thoughts people this little world, In humors like the people of this world: For no thought is contented: the better sort, As thoughts of things diuine are intermixt With scruples, and do set the word it selfe Against the word, as thus: Come little ones, & then againe It is as hard to come, as for a Cammell To threed the posterne of a small needles eie: Thoughts tending to ambition they do plot, Vnlikely wonders: how these vaine weake nailes May teare a passage thorow the flinty ribs Of this hard world my ragged prison walles: And for they cannot die in their owne pride, Thoughts tending to content flatter themselues, That they are not the first of fortunes slaues, Nor shall not be the last like seely beggars, Who itting in the stockes refuge their shame, That many haue, and others must set there. And in this thought they find a kind of ease, Bearing their owne misfortunes on the backe Of such as haue before indurde the like. Thus play I in one peson many people, And none contented; sometimes am I King, Then treasons make me wish my selfe a beggar, And so I am: then crushing penurie Perswades me I was better when a king, Then am I kingd againe, and by and by, Thinke that I am vnkingd, by Bullingbrooke, And strait am nothing. But what ere I be, Nor I, nor any man, that but man is, With nothing shall be pleasde, till he be easde, With being nothing. Musicke do I heare, Ha ha keepe time, how sowre sweete Musicke is When time is broke, and no proportion kept, So is it in the musike of mens liues: And here haue I the daintinesse of eare To checke time broke in a disordered string: But for the concord of my state and time, Had not an eare to heare my true time broke,