Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1598 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 532 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.
They know that do accuse me, I know none: If I know more of any man alive Then that which maiden modesty doth warrant, Let all my sins lack mercy. O my Father, Prove you that any man with me conversed, At hours unmeet, or that I yesternight Maintained the change of words with any creature, Refuse me, hate me, torture me to death. There is some strange misprision in the Princes. Two of them have the very bend of honour, And if their wisdoms be misled in this: The practice of it lives in Iohn the bastard, Whose spirits toil in frame of villainies. I know not: if they speak but truth of her, These hands shall tear her: If they wrong her honour, The proudest of them shall well hear of it. Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor Fortune made such havoc of my means, Nor my bad life rest me so much of friends, But they shall find, awaked in such a kind, Both strength of limb, and policy of mind, Ability in means, and choice of friends, To quit me of them throughly. Pause awhile: And let my counsel sway you in this case, Your daughter here the Princess (left for dead) Let her awhile be secretly kept in, And publish it, that she is dead indeed: Maintain a mourning ostentation, And on your Families old monument, Hang mournful Epitaphs, and do all rites, That appertain unto a burial. What shall become of this? What will this do? Marry this well carried, shall on her behalf, Change slander to remorse, that is some good, But not for that dream I on this strange course, But on this travail look for greater birth: She dying, as it must be so maintained, Upon the instant that she was accused, Shall be lamented, pitied, and excused Of every hearer: for it so falls out, That what we have, we prise not to the worth, Whiles we enjoy it; but being lacked and lost, Why then we rack the value, than we find The virtue that possession would not show us Whiles it was ours, so will it far with Claudio: When he shall hear she died upon his words, Th' Idea of her life shall sweetly creep Into his study of imagination. And every lovely Organ of her life, Shall come appareled in more precious habit: More moving delicate, and full of life, Into the eye and prospect of his soul Then when she lived indeed: then shall he mourn, If ever Love had interest in his Liver, And wish he had not so accused her: No, though he thought his accusation true: Let this be so, and doubt not but success Will fashion the event in better shape, Then I can lay it down in likelihood. But if all aim but this be levelled false, The supposition of the Lady's death, Will quench the wonder of her infamy. And if it sort not well, you may conceal her, As best befits her wounded reputation, In some reclusive and religious life, Out of all eyes, tongues, minds and injuries.
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)
They know that do accuſe me, I know none: If I know more of any man aliue Then that which maiden modeſtie doth warrant, Let all my ſinnes lacke mercy. O my Father, Proue you that any man with me conuerſt, At houres vnmeete, or that I yeſternight Maintain'd the change of words with any creature, Refuſe me, hate me, torture me to death. There is ſome ſtrange miſpriſion in the Princes. Two of them haue the verie bent of honor, And if their wiſedomes be miſled in this: The practiſe of it liues in Iohn the baſtard, Whoſe ſpirits toile in frame of villanies. I know not: if they ſpeake but truth of her, Theſe hands ſhall teare her: If they wrong her honour, The proudeſt of them ſhall wel heare of it. Time hath not yet ſo dried this bloud of mine, Nor age ſo eate vp my inuention, Nor Fortune made ſuch hauocke of my meanes, Nor my bad life reſt me ſo much of friends, But they ſhall finde, awak'd in ſuch a kinde, Both ſtrength of limbe, and policie of minde, Ability in meanes, and choiſe of friends, To quit me of them throughly. Pauſe awhile: And let my counſell ſway you in this caſe, Your daughter heere the Princeſſe (left for dead) Let her awhile be ſecretly kept in, And publiſh it, that ſhe is dead indeed: Maintaine a mourning oſtentation, And on your Families old monument, Hang mournfull Epitaphes, and do all rites, That appertaine vnto a buriall. What ſhall become of this? What wil this do? Marry this wel carried, ſhall on her behalfe, Change ſlander to remorſe, that is ſome good, But not for that dreame I on this ſtrange courſe, But on this trauaile looke for greater birth: She dying, as it muſt be ſo maintain'd, Vpon the inſtant that ſhe was accus'd, Shal be lamented, pittied, and excus'd Of euery hearer: for it ſo fals out, That what we haue, we prize not to the worth, Whiles we enioy it; but being lack'd and loſt, Why then we racke the value, then we finde The vertue that poſſeſsion would not ſhew vs Whiles it was ours, ſo will it fare with Claudio: When he ſhal heare ſhe dyed vpon his words, Th' Idea of her life ſhal ſweetly creepe Into his ſtudy of imagination. And euery louely Organ of her life, Shall come apparel'd in more precious habite: More mouing delicate, and ful of life, Into the eye and proſpect of his ſoule Then when ſhe liu'd indeed: then ſhal he mourne, If euer Loue had intereſt in his Liuer, And wiſh he had not ſo accuſed her: No, though he thought his accuſation true: Let this be ſo, and doubt not but ſucceſſe Wil faſhion the euent in better ſhape, Then I can lay it downe in likelihood. But if all ayme but this be leuelld falſe, The ſuppoſition of the Ladies death, Will quench the wonder of her infamie. And if it ſort not well, you may conceale her, As beſt befits her wounded reputation, In ſome recluſiue and religious life, Out of all eyes, tongues, mindes and iniuries.