The True Chronicle of King Leir (King Lear and his Three Daughters) · chunk 35 of 43
Anonymous · published 1605 · first performed or written 1590 [c.1588-1594] (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men (?) unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Ah, my Perillus, now I see we both Shall end our days in this untrustful soil. Oh, I do faint for want of sustenance: And thou, I know, in little better case. No gentle tree affords one taste of fruit, To comfort us, until we meet with men: No lucky path conducts our luckless steps Unto a place where any comfort dwells. Sweet rest betide unto our happy souls; For here I see our bodies must have end. Ah, my dear Lord, how doth my heart lament, To see you brought to this extremity! O, if you love me, as you do profess, Or ever thought well of me in my life, Feed on this flesh, whose veins are not so dry, But there is virtue left to comfort you, O, feed on this, if this will do you good, I'll smile for joy, to see you suck my blood. I am no Cannibal, that I should delight To slake my hungry jaws with human flesh: I am no devil, or ten times worse than so, To suck the blood of such a peerless friend. O, do not think that I respect my life So dearly, as I do thy loyal love. Ah, Britain, I shall never see thee more, That hast unkindly banished thy King: And yet not thou dost make me to complain, But they which were more near to me than thou. What do I hear: this lamentable voice, methinks, ere now I oftentimes have heard. Ah, Gonorill, was half my kingdoms gift The cause that thou didst seek to have my life: Ah, cruel Ragan, did I give thee all, And all could not suffice without my blood? Ah, poor Cordella, did I give thee nought, Nor never shall be able for to give? O, let me warn all ages that ensueth, How they trust flattery, and reject the truth. Well, unkind Girls, I here forgive you both, Yet the just heavens will hardly do the like; And only crave forgiveness at the end Of good Cordella, and of thee, my friend; Of God, whose Majesty I have offended, By my transgression many thousand ways: Of her, dear heart, whom I for no occasion Turned out of all, through flatterers' persuasion: Of thee, kind friend, who but for me, I know, Hadst never come unto this place of woe. Alack, that ever I should live to see My noble father in this misery. Sweet Love, reveal not what thou art as yet, Vntill we know the ground of this ill. O, but some meat, some meat: do you not see, How near they are to death for want of food? Lord, which didst help they servants at their need, Or now or never send us help with speed. Oh comfort, comfort! yonder is a banquet, And men and women, my Lord: be of good cheer; For I see comfort coming very near. O my Lord, a banquet, and men and women!
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)
Ah, my Perillus, now I see we both Shall end our dayes in this vntrustfull soyle. Oh, I do faint for want of sustenance: And thou, I know, in little better case. No gentle tree affords one taste of fruit, To comfort vs, vntill we meet with men: No lucky path conducts our lucklesse steps Vnto a place where any comfort dwels. Sweet rest betyde vnto our happy soules; For here I see our bodies must haue end. Ah, my deare Lord, how doth my heart lament, To see you brought to this extremity! O, if you loue me, as you do professe, Or euer thought well of me in my life, Feed on this flesh, whose veynes are not so dry, But there is vertue left to comfort you, O, feed on this, if this will do you good, Ile smile for ioy, to see you suck my bloud. I am no Caniball, that I should delight To slake my hungry iawes with humane flesh: I am no deuill, or ten times worse then so, To suck the bloud of such a peerelesse friend. O, do not think that I respect my life So dearely, as I do thy loyall loue. Ah, Brittayne, I shall neuer see thee more, That hast vnkindly banished thy King: And yet not thou dost make me to complayne, But they which were more neere to me then thou. What do I heare: this lamentable voyce, Me thinks, ere now I oftentimes haue heard. Ah, Gonorill, was halfe my Kingdomes gift The cause that thou didst seeke to haue my life: Ah, cruell Ragan, did I giue thee all, And all could not suffice without my bloud? Ah, poore Cordella, did I giue thee nought, Nor neuer shall be able for to giue? O, let me warne all ages that insueth, How they trust flattery, and reiect the trueth. Well, vnkind Girles, I here forgiue you both, Yet the iust heauens will hardly do the like; And only craue forgiuenesse at the end Of good Cordella, and of thee, my friend; Of God, whose Maiesty I haue offended, By my transgression many thousand wayes: Of her, deare heart, whom I for no occasion Turn'd out of all, through flatterers perswasion: Of thee, kind friend, who but for me, I know, Hadst neuer come vnto this place of wo. Alack, that euer I should liue to see My noble father in this misery. Sweet Loue, reueale not what thou art as yet, Vntill we know the ground of this ill. O, but some meat, some meat: do you not see, How neere they are to death for want of food? Lord, which didst help they seruants at their need, Or now or neuer send vs helpe with speed. Oh comfort, comfort! yonder is a banquet, And men and women, my Lord: be of good cheare; For I see comfort comming very neere. O my Lord, a banquet, and men and women!