Shakespeare, William · published 1608 · first performed or written 1605 [1605-1606] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · before the Court T52 Prodigals, portions and poor kin typicality 0.82 · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T52: brother, father, uncle, cousin, son, poor, bread, old, given, master.
Why so earnestly seek you to put up that letter? I know no news my Lord. What paper were you reading? Nothing my Lord, No, what needs then that terribe dispatch of it into your pocket, the quality of nothing hath not such need to hide itself, let's see, come if it be nothing I shall not need spectacles. I beseech you Sir pardon me, it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all ore read, for so much as I have perused, I find it not fit for your liking. Give me the letter sir. I shall offend either to detain or give it, the contents as in part I understand them, are too blame. Let's see, let's see? I hope for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essay, or taste of my virtue. This policy of age makes the world bitter to the best of our times, keeps our fortunes from us till our oldness cannot relish them, I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny, who sways not as it hath power, but as it is suffered, come to me, that of this I may speak more, if our father would sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother Edgar. Hum, conspiracy, slept till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue, my son Edgar, had he a hand to write this, a heart, and brain to breed it in, when came this to you, who brought it? It was not brought me my Lord, there's the cunning of it, I found it thrown in at the casement of my closet. You know the Caractar to be your brothers? If the matter were good, my Lord I durst swear it were his but in respect, of that I would feign think it were not, It is his? It is his hand my Lord, but I hope his heart is not in the contents. Hath he never heretofore sounded you in this business? Never my Lord, but I have often heard him maintain it to be fit, that sons at perfect age, & fathers declining, his father should be as ward to the son, and the son manage the revenue. O villain, villain, his very opinion in the letter, abhorred villain, unnatural detested brutish villain, worse than brutish, go sir seek him, I apprehend him, abominable villain where is he? I do not well know my Lord, if it shall please you to suspend your indignation against my brother, till you can derive from him better testimony of this intent: you should run a certain course, where if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your own honour, & shake in pieces the heart of his obedience, I dare pawn down my life for him, he hath wrote this to feel my affection to your honour, and to no further pretence of danger.
seed 43: T52 · seed 44: T52 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Why so earnestly seeke you to put vp that letter? I know no newes my Lord. What paper were you reading? Nothing my Lord, No, what needes then that terribe dispatch of it into your pocket, the qualitie of nothing hath not such need to hide it selfe, lets see, come if it bee nothing I shall not neede spectacles. I beseech you Sir pardon me, it is a letter from my brother, that I haue not all ore read, for so much as I haue perused, I find it not fit for your liking. Giue me the letter sir. I shall offend either to detaine or giue it, the contents as in part I vnderstand them, are too blame. Lets see, lets see? I hope for my brothers iustification, he wrot this but as an essay, or tast of my vertue. This policie of age makes the world bitter to the best of our times, keepes our fortunes from vs till our oldnes cannot relish them, I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny, who swaies not as it hath power, but as it is suffered, come to me, that of this I may speake more, if our father would sleepe till I wakt him, you should inioy halfe his reuenew for euer, and liue the beloued of your brother Edgar. Hum, conspiracie, slept till I wakt him, you should enioy halfe his reuenew, my sonne Edgar, had hee a hand to write this, a hart, and braine to breed it in, when came this to you, who brought it? It was not brought me my Lord, ther's the cunning of it, I found it throwne in at the casement of my closet. You know the Caractar to be your brothers? If the matter were good, my Lord I durst sweare it were his but in respect, of that I would faine thinke it were not, It is his? It is his hand my Lord, but I hope his heart is not in the contents. Hath he neuer heretofore soūded you in this busines? Neuer my Lord, but I haue often heard him maintaine it to be fit, that sons at perfit age, & fathers declining, his father should be as ward to the sonne, and the sonne mannage the reuenew. O villaine, villaine, his very opinion in the letter, abhorred villaine, vnnaturall detested brutish villaine, worse then brutish, go sir seeke him, I apprehend him, abhominable villaine where is he? I doe not well know my Lord, if it shall please you to suspend your indignation against my brother, til you can deriue from him better testimony of this intent: you should run a certaine course, where if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your owne honour, & shake in peeces the heart of his obediēce, I dare pawn downe my life for him, he hath wrote this to feele my affection to your honour, and to no further pretence of danger.