The True Chronicle of King Leir (King Lear and his Three Daughters) · chunk 17 of 43
Anonymous · published 1605 · first performed or written 1590 [c.1588-1594] (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) unassigned nearest T11 Siblings, kin and confidants · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
To Cambria, Madam, with letters from the king. To whom? Unto your father, if he be there. Let me see them. Madam, I hope your Grace will stand Between me and my neck-verse, if I be Called in question, for opening the king's letters. 'Twas was I that opened them, it was not thou. ay, but you need not care: and so must I, A handsome man, be quickly trust up, And when a man's hanged, all the world cannot save him, He that hangs thee, were better hang his father, Or that but hurts thee in the least degree. I tell thee, we make great account of thee. I am o'erjoyed, I surfeit of sweet words: Kind Queen, had I a hundred lives, I would Spend ninety nine of them for you, for that word. ay, but thou wouldst keep one life still, And that's as many as thou art like to have. That one life is not too dear for my good Queen; this sword, this buckler, this head, this heart, these hands, arms, legs, tripes, bowels, and all the members else whatsoever, are at your dispose; use me, trust me, command me: if I fail in any thing, tie me to a dung cart, and make a scavenger's horse of me, and whip me, so long as I have any skin on my back. In token of further employment, take that. A strong Bond, a firm Obligation, good in law, good in law: if I keep not the condition, let my neck be the forfeiture of my negligence. I like thee well; thou hast a good tongue. And as bad a tongue if it be set on it, as any Oyster-wife at Billingsgate hath: why, I have made many of my neighbours forsake their houses with railing upon them, and go dwell else where; and so by my means houses have been good cheap in our parish: My tongue being well whetted with choler, is more sharp than a Razor of Palermo. O, thou art a fit man for my purpose. Commend me not, sweet Queen, before you try me. As my deserts are, so do think of me. Well said, then this is thy trial: Instead of carrying the king's letters to my father, carry thou these letters to my sister, which contain matter quite contrary to the other: there shall she be given to understand, that my father hath detracted her, given out slanderous speeches against her; and that he hath most intolerably abused me, let my Lord and me at variance, and made mutinies amongst the commons. These things (although it be not so) Yet thou must affirm them to be true, With oaths and protestations as will serve, To drive my sister out of love with him, And cause my will accomplished to be. This do, thou winst my favour for ever, And makest a high way of preferment to thee And all thy friends.
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)
To Cambria, Madam, with letters frō the king. To whom? Vnto your father, if he be there. Let me see them. Madam, I hope your Grace will stand Betweene me and my neck-verse, if I be Calld in question, for opening the Kings letters. 'Twas was I that opened them, it was not thou. I, but you need not care: and so must I, A hansome man, be quickly trust vp, And when a man's hang'd, all the world cannot saue him, He that hangs thee, were better hang his father, Or that but hurts thee in the least degree. I tell thee, we make great account of thee. I am o're-ioy'd, I surfet of sweet words: Kind Queene, had I a hundred lines, I would Spend ninety nyne of them for you, for that word. I, but thou wouldst keepe one life still, And that's as many as thou art like to haue. That one life is not too deare for my good Queene; this sword, this buckler, this head, this heart, these hands, armes, legs, tripes, bowels, and all the members else whatsoeuer, are at your dispose; vse me, trust me, commaund me: if I fayle in any thing, tye me to a dung cart, and make a Scauengers horse of me, and whip me, so long as I haue any skin on my back. In token of further imployment, take that. A strong Bond, a firme Obligation, good in law, good in law: if I keepe not the condition, let my necke be the forfeyture of my negligence. I like thee well; thou hast a good toung. And as bad a toung if it be set on it, as any Oysterwife at Billingsgate hath: why, I haue made many of my neighbours forsake their houses with rayling vpon them, and go dwell else where; and so by my meanes houses haue bin good cheape in our parish: My toung being well whetted with choller, is more sharpe then a Razer of Palerno. O, thou art a fit man for my purpose. Commend me not, sweet Queene, before you try me. As my deserts are, so do think of me. Well sayd, then this is thy tryall: Instead of carrying the Kings letters to my father, carry thou these letters to my sister, which contayne matter quite contrary to the other: there shal she be giuen to vnderstand, that my father hath detracted her, giuen out slaundrous speaches against her; and that hee hath most intollerably abused me, let my Lord and me at variance, and made mutinyes amongst the commons. These things (although it be not so) Yet thou must affirme them to be true, With othes and protestations as will serue, To driue my sister out of loue with him, And cause my will accomplished to be. This do, thou winst my fauour for euer, And makest a hye way of preferment to thee And all thy friends.