Beaumont, Francis / Fletcher, John · published 1619 · first performed or written 1611 (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men · Globe T14 Royal love, favour and dynastic relation typicality 0.83 · 470 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T14: prince, princess, love, king, lord, queen, madam, grace, lady, life.
Be you my witness Earth: Need I to brag, doth not this captive Prince Speak me sufficiently, and all the Acts That I have wrought upon his suffering Land? Should I then boast? Where lies that foot of ground Within his whole Realm, that I have not passed Fighting, and Conquering? Far then from me Be ostentation: I could tell the World How I have laid his Kingdom desolate With this sole arm, propped by Divinity, Stripped him out of his glories, and have sent The pride of all his youth to people graves, And made his Virgins languish for their loves; If I would brag, Should I that have the power To teach the Neighbour world humility, Mix with vain glory. In deed this is none? Tigranes, no; did I but take delight To stretch my deeds as others do on words, I could amaze my hearers. So you do: But he shall wrong his, and my modesty That thinks me apt to boast: After an Act Fit for a God to do upon his foe, A little glory in a soldiers mouth, Is well becoming, be it far from vain. Its pity that valour should be thus drunk. I offer you my Sister, and you answer, I do insult: A Lady that no suit Nor treasure, nor thy Crown could purchase thee, But that thou foughtst with me. Though this be worse Than that you spoke before, it strikes not me But that you think to over-grace me with The marriage of your Sister, troubles me, I would give worlds for ransoms were they mine, Rather than have her. See if I insult That am the Conqueror, and for a ransom Offer rich treasure to the conquered, Which he refuses, and I bear his scorn. It cannot be self flattery to say, The daughters of your Country set by her Would see their shame; run home, and blush to death At their own foulness, yet she is not fair, Nor beautiful, those words express her not, They say her looks are something excellent, That wants a name yet: were she odious Her birth deserves the Empire of the world. Sister to such a Brother, that hath ta'en Victory prisoner, and throughout the Earth Carries her bound; and should he let her loose, She durst not leave him. Nature did her wrong To print continual conquest on her cheeks, And make no man worthy for her to take, But me that am too near her; and as strangely She did for me: But you will think I brag. I do I'll be sworn. Thy Valour and thy passions severed, would have made two excellent fellows in their kinds: I know not whether I should be sorry thou art so valiant, or so passionate, would one of 'em were away.
seed 43: T14 · seed 44: T9 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Bee you my witneſſe Earth: Neede I to brag, doth not this captiue Prince Speake me ſufficiently, and all the Acts That I haue wrought vpon his ſuffering Land? Should I then boaſt? Where lies that foot of ground Within his whole Realme, that I haue not paſt Fighting, and Conquering? Farre then from mee Be oftentation: I could tell the World How I haue laid his Kingdome deſolate With this ſole arme, propt by Diuinity, Stript him out of his glories, and haue ſent The pride of all his youth to people graues, And made his Virgins languiſh for their loues; If I would brag, Should I that haue the power To teach the Neighbour world humility, Mix with vaine glory. In deede this is none? Tigranes, no; did I but take delight To ſtretch my deedes as others doe on words, I could amaze my hearers▪ So you doe: But he ſhall wrong his, and my modeſty That thinkes me apt to boaſt: After an Act Fit for a God to doe vpon his foe, A little glory in a Souldiers mouth, Is well becomming, bee it farre from vaine. Its pitty that valour ſhould be thus drunke. I offer you my Siſter, and you anſwere, I doe inſult: A Lady that no ſuit Nor treaſure, nor thy Crowne could purchaſe thee, But that thou faughſt with mee. Though this bee worſe Then that you ſpoke before, it ſtrikes not mee But that you thinke to ouer-grace mee with The marriage of your Siſter, troubles mee, I would giue worlds for ranſomes were they mine, Rather then haue her. See if I inſult That am the Conqueror, and for a ranſome Offer rich treaſure to the conquered, Which he refuſes, and I beae his ſcorne. It cannot be ſelfe flattery to ſay, The daughters of your Country ſet by her Would ſee their ſhame; runne home, and bluſh to death At their owne fouleneſſe, yet ſhee is not faire, Nor beautifull, thoſe words expreſſe her not, They ſay her lookes are ſomething excellent, That wants a name yet: were ſhee odious Her birth deferues the Empire of the world. Siſter to ſuch a Brother, that hath tane Victorie priſoner, and throughout the Earth Carries her bound; and ſhould hee let her looſe, Shee durſt not leaue him. Nature did her wrong To print continuall conqueſt on her cheekes, And make no man worthy for her to take, But mee that am too neare her; and as ſtrangely Shee did for mee: But you will thinke I brag. I doe Ile be ſworne. Thy Valour and thy paſſions ſeuerd, would haue made two excellent fellowes in their kindes: I know not whether I ſhould be ſorry thou art ſo valiant, or ſo paſſionate▪ would one of vm were away.