The True Chronicle of King Leir (King Lear and his Three Daughters) · chunk 14 of 43
Anonymous · published 1605 · first performed or written 1590 [c.1588-1594] (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.80 · 483 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Well, Scaliger, for thy kind advice herein, I will not be ungrateful, if I live: I have restrained half his portion already, And I will presently restrain the other, That having no means to relieve himself, He may go seek elsewhere for better help. Go, viperous woman, shame to all thy sex: The heavens, no doubt, will punish thee for this: And me a villain, that to curry favour, Have given the daughter counsel 'gainst the father. But us the world doth this experience give, That he that cannot flatter, cannot live. Father, what aileth you to be so sad? methinks, you frolic not as you were wont. The nearer we do grow unto our graves, The less we do delight in worldly joys. But if a man can frame himself to mirth, It is a mean for to prolong his life. Then welcome sorrow, Leir's only friend, Who doth desire his troubled days had end. Comfort yourself, father, here comes your daughter, Who much will grieve, I know, to see you sad. But more doth grieve, I fear, to see me live. My Gonorill, you come in wished time, To put your father from these pensive dumps. In faith, I fear that all things go not well. What, do you fear, that I have angered him? Hath he complained of me unto my Lord: I'll provide him a piece of bread and cheese; For in a time he'll practise nothing else, than carry tales from one unto another. 'tis all his practice for to kindle strife, 'Twixt you, my Lord, and me your loving wife: But I will take an order, if I can, To cease th'effect, where first the cause began. Sweet, be not angry in a partial cause, He ne'er complained of thee in all his life. Father, you must not weigh a woman's words. Alas, not I: poor soul, she breeds young bones, And that is it makes her so tuteliy sure. What, breeds young bones already! you will make An honest woman of me then, belike. O vild old wretch! whoever heard the like, That seeketh thus his own child to defame? I cannot stay to hear this discord sound. For any one that loves your company, You may go pack, and seek some other place, To sow the seed of discord and disgrace. Thus, say or do the best that e'er I can, 'tis wrested straight into another sense. This punishment my heavy sins deserve, And more than this ten thousand thousand times: Else aged Leir them could never find Cruel to him, to whom he hath been kind. Why do I overlive myself, to see The course of nature quite reversed in me? Ah, gentle Death, if ever any wight Did wish thy presence with a perfect zeal: Then come, I pray thee, even with all my heart, And end my sorrows with thy fatal dart.
nodes 777–836 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 14 of 43 in this edition
Length
483 words · 634 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.800 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T10 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Well, Skalliger, for thy kynd aduice herein, I will not be vngratefull, if I liue: I haue restrayned halfe his portion already, And I will presently restrayne the other, That hauing no meanes to releeue himselfe, He may go seeke elsewhere for better helpe. Go, viperous woman, shame to all thy sexe: The heauens, no doubt, will punish thee for this: And me a villayne, that to curry fauour, Haue giuen the daughter counsell 'gainst the father. But vs the world doth this experience giue, That he that cannot flatter, cannot liue. Father, what ayleth you to be so sad? Me thinks, you frollike not as you were wont. The neerer we do grow vnto our graues, The lesse we do delight in worldly ioyes. But if a man can frame himselfe to myrth, It is a meane for to prolong his life. Then welcome sorrow, Leirs only friend, Who doth desire his troubled dayes had end. Comfort your selfe, father, here comes your daughter, Who much will grieue, I know, to see you sad. But more doth grieue, I feare, to see me liue. My Gonorill, you come in wished time, To put your father from these pensiue dumps. In fayth, I feare that all things go not well. What, do you feare, that I haue angred him? Hath he complaynd of me vnto my Lord: Ile prouide him a piece of bread and cheese; For in a time heele practise nothing else, Then carry tales from one vnto another. Tis all his practise for to kindle strife, 'Twixt you, my Lord, and me your louing wife: But I will take an order, if I can, To cease th'effect, where first the cause began. Sweet, be not angry in a partiall cause, He ne're complaynd of thee in all his life. Father, you must not weygh a womans words. Alas, not I: poore soule, she breeds yong bones, And that is it makes her so tuteliy sure. What, breeds young bones already! you will make An honest woman of me then, belike. O vild olde wretch! who euer heard the like, That seeketh thus his owne child to defame? I cannot stay to heare this discord sound. For any one that loues your company, You may go pack, and seeke some other place, To sowe the seed of discord and disgrace. Thus, say or do the best that e're I can, Tis wrested straight into another sence. This punishment my heauy sinnes deserue, And more then this ten thousand thousand times: Else aged Leir them could neuer find Cruell to him, to whom he hath bin kind. Why do I ouer-liue my selfe, to see The course of nature quite rouerst in me? Ah, gentle Death, if euer any wight Did wish thy presence with a perfit zeale: Then come, I pray thee, euen with all my heart, And end my sorrowes with thy fatall dart.