Sharpham, Edward · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Queen's Revels · Blackfriars T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.78 · 451 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Dear Lord, I know it well becomes not me to counsel him that best can counsel me: yet if it please you but to lend your ears, & hear my love if not my counsel. No more, I know thy love tends to the stopping of my longing and my resolution: thou know'st that I no longer now am signor: Florence hath got another governor, and one step back in state of Majesty, is a greater fall than to a meaner man that loseth all: Besides, thou know'st our Daughters they are fled, the true inheritors of Florence right, and mighty Piso now usurps our regal seat: puissant in power and mighty in his wrong, hath mounted Falcon-like into the sky of state, seized on our feebleness, and beat our weakness down. And therefore now I am resolved to find my two lost Children out, or like as Phaeton in pride did ride, so I in grief will pace the world about. Unto your celsitude I wish, till their effects your hopes may never fail. Farewell, some strange disguise I needs must take both for my stealth away, as for my passage on the way: and yet my fortunes fall, disguisement is to great if pleased the heavens, but their wills still are laws, all is but justice & our sins the cause: cuor forterompe cativa sort. With draw, leave us, we would be private: Sister what think you of this trade of ours? 'tis base to be a whore. 'tis base to abuse great place, or baseness to deceive great trust. And is't not baseness to abuse great birth? Yes if great birth abused not us: if Piso had not proved the thief and robbed us of our right, t' had been worse than theft in us to rob ourselves of honour: you'll say we are forbid to live by sin, and yet we are commanded seek to live: the letter law express forbids to kill, and yet the sense permits it rather than be killed: & since of two extremities the least is to be chosen, you know we have no other means to live, but had we, yet we are fair by nature, scorning Art, and was not beauty made to be enjoyed? do we not exclaim on those who have abundant store of Coin, and yet for want suffer the needy perish at their door? so might all do on us, having so much beauty, if we should suffer men for love of us to die; shall we in whom beauty keeps her court be curbed and tide to one man's benevolence? no, no, not I: rather then in virtue to live poor, in sin I'll die.
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
DEere Lord, I know it well becomes not mee to counsell him that best can counsell mee: yet if it please you but to lend your eares, & heare my loue if not my counsell. No more, I know thy loue tends to the stopping of my longing and my resolution: thou knowst that I no longer now am Signior: Florēce hath got an other gouernor, and one step backe in state of Maiestie, is a greater fall then to a meaner man that looseth all: Besides, thou knowst our Daughters they are fled, the true inheritors of Florence right, and mightie Piso now vsurps our regall seate: puissant in power and mightie in his wrong, hath mounted Faulcon-like into the sky of state, seaz'd on our feeblenes, and beate our weakenes downe. And therefore now I am resolu'd to finde my two lost Children out, or like as Phaeton in pride did ride, so I in grief will pace the world about. Vnto your celsitude I wish, till their effects your hopes may neuer faile. Farwell, some strange disguise I needes must take both for my stelth away, as for my passage on the way: and yet my fortunes fall, disguisement is to great if pleasd the heauens, but their willes still are lawes, all is but Iustice & our sinnes the cause: cuor forterompe catiua sorte. With draw, leaue vs, we would be priuate: Sister what thinke you of this trade of ours? Tis base to be a whore. Tis base to abuse great place, or basenes to deceiue great trust. And is't not basenes to abuse great birth? Yes if great birth abusde not vs: if Piso had not prou'd the theife and rob'd vs of our right, t' had bin worse then theft in vs to rob our selues of honor: youle say wee are forbid to liue by sinne, and yet wee are commaunded seeke to liue: the letter law expresse forbids to kill, and yet the sence permits it rather then be kild: & since of two extremities the least is to be chosen, you knowe wee haue no other meanes to liue, but had wee, yet wee are faire by nature, scorning Art, and was not beauty made to bee enioyed? doe wee not exclaime on those who haue aboundant store of Coine, and yet for want suffer the needie perish at their doore? so might all doe on vs, hauing so much beautie, if we should suffer men for loue of vs to die; shall wee in whome beautie keepes her court bee curbd and tide to one mans beneuolence? no, no, not I: rather then in vertue to liue poore, in sinne Ile dye.