Chapman, George · published 1612 · first performed or written 1604 [1604-1605] (Annals) comedy · Children of the Queen's Revels · Blackfriars T11 Siblings, kin and confidants typicality 0.74 · 477 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
Of the first stamp perhaps, when the metal was purer than in these degenerate days; of later years, much of that coin hath been counterfeit, and beside so cracked and worn with use, that they are grown light, and indeed fit for nothing, but to be turned over in play. Not all brother. My matchless sister only excepted: for she, you know is made of another metal, then that she borrowed of her mother. But do you brother sadly intend the pursuit of this trial? Irrevocably. It's a high project: if it be once raised, the earth is too weak to beat so weighty an accident, it cannot be conjured down again, without an earthquake, therefore believe she will be constant. No, I will not. Then believe she will not be constant. Neither, I will believe nothing but what trial enforces; will you hold your promise for the governing of this project with skill, and secrecy? If it must needs be so. But hark you brother; have you no other Capritions in your head to entrap my sister in her frailty, but to prove the firmness of her widow vows after your supposed death. None in the world. Then here's my hand, I'll be as close, as my Lady's shoe to her foot that pinches and pleases her, and will bear on with the plot, till the vessel split again. Forge any death, so you can force belief. Say I was poisoned, drowned. Hanged. Any thing, so you assist it with likely circumstance, I need not instruct you: that must be your employment Lycus. Well Sir. But brother you must set in to; to countenance truth out, a hearse there must be too; It's strange to think how much the eye prevails in such impressions; I have marked a Widow, that just before was seen pleasant enough, follow an empty hearse, and weep devoutly. All those things leave to me. But brother for the bestowing of this hearse in the monument of our Family, and the marshalling of a Funeral. Leave that to my care, and if I do not do the mourner, as lively as your Heir, and weep as lustily as your Widow, say there's no virtue in Onions; that being done, I'll come to visit the distressed widow; apply old ends of comfort to her grief, but the burden of my song shall be to tell her words are but dead comforts; and therefore counsel her to take a living comfort; that might ferret out the thought of her dead husband, and will come prepared with choice of suitors; either my Spartan Lord for grace at the viceroy's Court, or some great Lawyer that may solder up her cracked estate, and so forth. But what would you say brother, if you should find her married at your arrival. By this hand split her Weazand.
nodes 539–558 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 22 of 43 in this edition
Length
477 words · 604 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T11 — Siblings, kin and confidantscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.743 (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)
Of the first stamp perhaps, when the mettal was purer then in these degenerate daies; of later yeares, much of that coine hath beene counterfait, and besides so crackt and worne with vse, that they are growne light, and indeede fit for nothing, but to be turn'd ouer in play. Not all brother. My matchlesse sister only excepted: for shee, you know is made of an other mettall, then that shee borrow'd of her mother. But doe you brother sadly intend the pursuite of this triall? Irreuocably. Its a high proiect: if it be once rais'd, the earth is too weake to beate so waightie an accident, it cannot bee coniur'd downe againe, without an earth-quake, therefore beleeue shee will be constant. No, I will not. Then beleeue shee will not be constant. Neither, I will beleeue nothing but what triall enforces; will you hold your promise for the gouerning of this proiect with skill, and secrecie? If it must needes bee so. But hearke you brother; haue you no other Capricions in your head to intrap my sister in her frailtie, but to proue the firmenesse of her widdow vowes after your suppos'd death. None in the world. Then here's my hand, Ile be as close, as my Ladies shoe to her foote that pinches and pleases her, and will beare on with the plot, till the vessell split againe. Forge any death, so you can force beliefe. Say I was poison'd, drown'd. Hang'd. Any thing, so you assist it with likely circumstance, I neede not instruct you: that must bee your imploiment Lycus. Well Sir. But brother you must set in to; to countenance truth out, a herse there must be too; Its strange to thinke how much the eie preuailes in such impressions; I haue marckt a Widdow, that iust before was seene pleasant enough, follow an emptie herse, and weepe deuoutly. All those thinges leaue to me. But brother for the bestowing of this herse in the monument of our Familie, and the marshalling of a Funerall. Leaue that to my care, and if I doe not doe the mourner, as liuely as your Heire, and weepe as lustily as your Widdow, say there's no vertue in Onions; that being done, Ile come to visit the distrest widdow; apply old ends of comfort to her griefe, but the burden of my song shall be to tell her wordes are but dead comforts; and therefore counsaile her to take a liuing comfort; that might Ferrit out the thought of her dead husband, and will come prepar'd with choise of suiters; either my Spartane Lord for grace at the Viceroies Court, or some great Lawyer that may soder vp her crackt estate, and so forth. But what would you say brother, if you should finde her married at your arriuall. By this hand split her Wezand.