The True Chronicle of King Leir (King Lear and his Three Daughters) · chunk 6 of 43
Anonymous · published 1605 · first performed or written 1590 [c.1588-1594] (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) unassigned nearest T14 Royal love, favour and dynastic relation · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T14: prince, princess, love, king, lord, queen, madam, grace, lady, life.
Peace, bastard Imp, no issue of King Leir, I will not hear thee speak one tittle more. Call not me father, if thou love thy life, Nor these thy sisters once presume to name: Look for no help henceforth from me nor mine; Shift as thou wilt, and trust unto thyself: My Kingdom will I equally divide Twixt thy two sisters to their royal dower, And will bestow them worthy their deserts: This done, because thou shalt not have the hope, To have a child's part in the time to come, I presently will dispossess myself, And set up these upon my princely throne. I ever thought that pride would have a fall. Plain dealing, sister: your beauty is so sheen, You need no dowry, to make you be a Queen. Now whither, poor forsaken, shall I go, When mine own sisters triumph in my woe: But unto him which doth protect the just, In him will poor Cordella put her trust. These hands shall labour, for to get my spending; And so i'll live until my days have ending. Oh, how I grieve, to see my Lord thus fond, To dote so much upon vain flattering words. Ah, if he but with good advice had weighed, The hidden tenor of her humble speech, Reason to rage should not have given place, Nor poor Cordella suffer such disgrace. Dissuade me not, my Lords, I am resolved, This next fair wind to sail for Brittany, In some disguise, to see if flying fame Be not too prodigal in the wondrous praise Of these three Nymphs, the daughters of King Leir. If present view do answer absent praise, And eyes allow of what our ears have heard, And Venus stand auspicious to my vows, And Fortune favour what I take in hand; I will return seized of as rich a prize As Iason, when he wan the golden fleece. heavens grant you may; the match were full of honour, And well beseeming the young Gallian King. I would your Grace would favour me so much, As make me partner of your Pilgrimage. I long to see the gallant British Dames, And feed mine eyes upon their rare perfections: For till I know the contrary, I'll say, Our Dames in France are far more fair than they. Lord Mumford, you have saved me a labour, In offering that which I did mean to ask: And I most willingly accept your company. Yet first I will enjoin you to observe Some few conditions which I shall propose. So that you do not tie mine eyes for looking After the amorous glances of fair Dames: So that you do not tie my tongue from speaking, My lips from kissing when occasion serves, My hands from congees, and my knees to bow To gallant Girls; which were a task more hard, than flesh and blood is able to endure: Command what else you please, I rest content.
seed 43: T14 · seed 44: T9 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Peace, bastard Impe, no issue of King Leir, I will not heare thee speake one tittle more. Call not me father, if thou loue thy life, Nor these thy sisters once presume to name: Looke for no helpe henceforth from me nor mine; Shist as thou wilt, and trust vnto thy selfe: My Kingdome will I equally deuide Twixt thy two sisters to their royall dowre, And will bestow them worthy their deserts: This done, because thou shalt not haue the hope, To haue a childs part in the time to come, I presently will dispossesse my selfe, And set vp these vpon my princely throne. I euer thought that pride would haue a fall. Plaine dealing, sister: your beauty is so sheene, You need no dowry, to make you be a Queene. Now whither, poore forsaken, shall I goe, When mine owne sisters tryumphin my woe: But vnto him which doth protect the iust, In him will poore Cordella put her trust. These hands shall labour, for to get my spending; And so ile liue vntill my dayes haue ending. Oh, how I grieue, to see my Lord thus fond, To dote so much vpon vayne flattering words. Ah, if he but with good aduice had weyghed, The hidden tenure of her humble speech, Reason to rage should not haue giuen place, Nor poore Cordella suffer such disgrace. Disswade me not, my Lords, I am resolu'd, This next fayre wynd to sayle for Brittany, In some disguise, to see if flying fame Be not too prodigall in the wondrous prayse Of these three Nymphes, the daughters of King Leir. If present view do answere absent prayse, And eyes allow of what our eares haue heard, And Venus stand auspicious to my vowes, And Fortune fauour what I take in hand; I will returne seyz'd of as rich a prize As Iason, when he wanne the golden fleece. Heauens graūt you may; the match were ful of honor, And well beseeming the young Gallian King. I would your Grace would fauour me so much, As make me partner of your Pilgrimage. I long to see the gallant Brittish Dames, And feed mine eyes vpon their rare perfections: For till I know the contrary, Ile say, Our Dames in Fraunce are far more fayre then they. Lord Mumford, you haue saued me a labour, In offring that which I did meane to aske: And I most willingly accept your company. Yet first I will inioyne you to obserue Some few conditions which I shall propose. So that you do not tye mine eyes for looking After the amorous glaunces of fayre Dames: So that you do not tye my toung from speaking, My lips from kissing when occasion serues, My hands from congees, and my knees to bow To gallant Gyrles; which were a taske more hard, Then flesh and bloud is able to indure: Commaund what else you please, I rest content.