Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1599 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 481 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
What curses breath these men! how have my deeds Made my looks differ from another man's, That they should thus detest, and loathe my life! Out on my wretched humour, it is that Makes me thus monstrous in true human eyes. Pardon me (gentle friends) I'll make fair mends For my foul errors passed, and twentyfold Restore to all men, what with wrong I robbed them: My barns, and garners shall stand open still To all the poor that come, and my best grain Be made alms-bread, to feed half-famished mouths. Though hither to amongst you I have lived, Like an unsavourie muckhill to myself, Yet now, my gathered heaps being spread abroad, Shall turn to better, and more fruitful uses. Bless then this man, curse him no more for saving My life, and soul together. O, how deeply The bitter curses of the poor do pierce! I am by wonder changed; come in with me And witness my repentance: now I prove, No life is blessed, that is not graced with love. O miracle! see when a man has grace! Haded not been pity, so good a man should have been cast away? Well, I'll get our clerk put his conversion in the Acts, and Monuments. Do, for I warrant him he's a Martyr. O god, how he wept, if you marked it! did you see how the tears trilled? Yes, believe me, like master vicar's bowls upon the green, for all the world. O neighbour, god's blessing o' your heart, neighbour, 'twas a good grateful deed. How now, MITIS? what's that you consider so seriously? Troth, that which doth essentially please me, the warping condition of this green, and foggy multitude: but in good saith, signor, your author hath largely outstripped my expectation in this Scene, I will liberally confess it. For, when I saw SORDIDO so desperately intended, I thought I had had a hand of him, then. What? you supposed he should have hung himself, indeed? I did, and had framed my objection to it ready, which may yet be very fitly urged, and with some necessity: for though his purposed violence lost th' effect, and extended not to death, yet the intent and horror of the object, was more than the nature of a Comedy will in any sort admit. I? what think you of PLAUTUS, in his Comedy, called Cistellaria, there? where he brings in ALCESIMARCHUS with a drawn sword ready to kill himself, and as he is e'en fixing his breast upon it, to be restrained from his resolved outrage, by SILENIUM, and the bawd: is not his authority of power to give our Scene approbation? Sir, I have this only evasion left me, to say, I think it be so indeed, your memory is happier than mine: but I wonder, what engine he will use to bring the rest out of their humours!
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T30 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
What curses breathe these men! how haue my deeds Made my lookes differ from another mans, That they should thus detest, and lothe my life! Out on my wretched humour, it is that Makes me thus monstrous in true humane eyes. Pardon me (gentle friends) I'le make faire mends For my foule errors past, and twenty-fold Restore to all men, vvhat with vvrong I rob'd them: My barnes, and garners shall stand open still To all the poore that come, and my best graine Be made almes-bread, to feed halfe-famisht mouthes. Though hither to amongst you I haue liu'd, Like an unsauourie muck-hill to my selfe, Yet now, my gather'd heapes being spread abroad, Shall turne to better, and more fruitfull vses. Blesse then this man, curse him no more for sauing My life, and soule together. O, how deeply The bitter curses of the poore doe pierce! I am by wonder chang'd; come in with me And witnesse my repentance: now I proue, "No life is blest, that is not grac't with loue. O miracle! see vvhen a man ha's grace! Had't not beene pitty, so good a man should haue beene cast away? Well, I'le get our clarke put his conuersion in the Acts, and Monuments. Doe, for I warrant him hee's a Martyr. O god, how he wept, if you mark't it! did you see how the teares trill'd? Yes, beleeue me, like master vicars bowles vpon the greene, for all the world. O neighbour, god's blessing o' your heart, neighbour, 'twas a good gratefull deed. How now, MITIS? what's that you consider so seriously? Troth, that which doth essentially please me, the vvarping condition of this greene, and soggy multitude: but in good saith, signior, your author hath largely out-stript my expectation in this Scene, I will liberally confesse it. For, when I saw SORDIDO so desperately intended, I thought I had had a hand of him, then. What? you suppos'd he should haue hung himselfe, indeed? I did, and had fram'd my obiection to it ready, which may yet be very fitly vrg'd, and with some necessity: for though his purpos'd violence lost th' effect, and extended not to death, yet the intent and horror of the obiect, was more then the nature of a Comoedie vvill in any sort admit. I? vvhat thinke you of PLAVTVS, in his Comoedie, called Cistellaria, there? vvhere he brings in ALCESIMARCHVS vvith a drawne sword ready to kill himselfe, and as hee is e'ne fixing his brest vpon it, to bee restrain'd from his resolu'd outrage, by SILENIVM, and the bawd: is not his authoritie of power to giue our Scene approbation? Sir, I haue this only euasion left me, to say, I thinke it bee so indeed, your memorie is happier then mine: but I wonder, what engine hee vvill vse to bring the rest out of their humours!