The True Chronicle of King Leir (King Lear and his Three Daughters) · chunk 20 of 43
Anonymous · published 1605 · first performed or written 1590 [c.1588-1594] (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) T11 Siblings, kin and confidants typicality 0.87 · 527 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
Alas, poor soul, and hath he used her thus And is he now come hither, with intent To set divorce betwixt my Lord and me? Doth he give out, that he doth hear report, That I do rule my husband as I list, And therefore means to alter so the case, That I shall know my Lord to be my head? Well, it were best for him to take good heed, Or I will make him hop without a head, For his presumption, dotard that he is. In Cornwall he hath made such mutinies, First, setting of the King against the Queen; Then stirring up the Commons 'gainst the King; That had he there continued any longer, He had been called in question for his fact. So upon that occasion thence he fled, And comes thus slily stealing unto us: And now already since his coming hither, My Lord and he are grown in such a league, That I can have no conference with his Grace: I fear, he doth already intimate Some forged cavillations 'gainst my state: 'tis therefore best to cut him off in time, Lest slanderous rumours once abroad dispersed, It is too late for them to be reversed. Friend, as the tenor of these letters shows, My sister puts great confidence in thee. She never yet committed trust to me, But that (I hope) she found me always faithful, So will I be to any friend of hers, That hath occasion to employ my help. Hast thou the heart to act a stratagem, And give a stab or two, if need require? I have a heart compact of Adamant, Which never knew what melting pity meant. I weigh no more the murdering of a man, Than I respect the cracking of a Flea, When I do catch her biting on my skin. If you will have your husband or your father, Or both of them sent to another world, Do but command me do't, it shall be done. It is enough, we make no doubt of thee: Meet us tomorrow here, at nine o'clock: meanwhile, farewell, and drink that for my sake. ay, this is it will make me do the deed: Oh, had I every day such customers, This were the gainful'st trade in Christendom! A purse of gold given for a paltry stab! Why, here's a wench that longs to have a stab. Well, I could give it her, and ne'er hurt her neither. When will these clouds of sorrow once disperse, And smiling joy triumph upon thy brow: When will this Scene of sadness have an end, And pleasant acts ensue, to move delight? When will my lovely Queen cease to lament, And take some comfort to her grieved thoughts; If of thyself thou deign'st to have no care, Yet pity me, whom thy grief makes despair. O, grieve not you, my Lord, you have no cause: Let not my passions move your mind a whit: For I am bound by nature, to lament For his ill will, that life to me first lent. If so the stock be dried with disdain, Withered and sere the branch must needs remain.
nodes 1115–1178 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 20 of 43 in this edition
Length
527 words · 668 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T11 — Siblings, kin and confidantscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.872 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T15 · seed 44: T12 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Alas, poore soule, and hath he vsde her thus And is he now come hither, with intent To set diuorce betwixt my Lord and me? Doth he giue out, that he doth heare repore, That I do rule my husband as I list, And therefore meanes to alter so the case, That I shall know my Lord to be my head▪ Well, it were best for him to take good heed, Or I will make him hop without a head, For his presumption, dottard that he is. In Cornwall he hath made such mutinies, First, setting of the King against the Queene; Then stirring vp the Commons 'gainst the King; That had he there continued any longer, He had bin call'd in question for his fact. So vpon that occasion thence he fled, And comes thus slily stealing vnto vs: And now already since his comming hither, My Lord and he are growne in such a league, That I can haue no conference with his Grace: I feare, he doth already intimate Some forged cauillations'gainst my state: Tis therefore best to cut him off in time, Lest slaunderous rumours once abroad disperst, It is too late for them to be reuerst. Friend, as the tennour of these letters shewes, My sister puts great confidence in thee. She neuer yet committed trust to me, But that (I hope) she found me alwayes faythfull▪ So will I be to any friend of hers, That hath occasion to imploy my helpe. Hast thou the heart to act a stratagem, And giue a stabbe or two, if need require? I haue a heart compact of Adamant, Which neuer knew what melting pitty meant. I weigh no more the murdring of a man, Then I respect the cracking of a Flea, When I doe catch her byting on my skin. If you will haue your husband or your father, Or both of them sent to another world, Do but commaund me doo't, it shall be done. It is ynough, we make no doubt of thee: Meet vs to morrow here, at nyne a clock: Meane while, farewell, and drink that for my sake. I, this is it will make me do the deed: Oh, had I euery day such customers, This were the gainefulst trade in Christendome! A purse of gold giu'n for a paltry stabbe! Why, heres a wench that longs to haue a stabbe. Wel, I could giue it her, and ne're hurt her neither. When will these clouds of sorrow once disperse, And smiling ioy tryumph vpon thy brow: When will this Scene of sadnesse haue an end, And pleasant acts insue, to moue delight? When will my louely Queene cease to lament, And take some comfort to her grieued thoughts; If of thy selfe thou daignst to haue no care, Yet pitty me, whom thy griefe makes despayre. O, grieue not you, my Lord, you haue no cause: Let not my passions moue your mind a whit: For I am bound by nature, to lament For his ill will, that life to me first lent. If so the stocke be dryed with disdayne, Withered and sere the branch must needes remaine.