Massinger, Philip · published 1623 · first performed or written 1621 [1621-1623] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.84 · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Take my friend Into your custody, and bind him fast, I would not part with him. My good Lord. Dispatch, 'Tis for your good to keep you honest Graccho, I would not have ten thousand Ducats tempt you (Being of a soft and wax like disposition) To play the traitor, nor a foolish itch To be revenged for your late excellent whipping Give you the opportunity to offer My head for satisfaction. Why thou fool, I can look through, & through thee, thy intents Appear to me as written in thy forehead In plain and easy characters. And but that I scorn a slave's base blood should rust that sword That from a Prince expects a scarlet die, Thou now wert dead, but live only to pray For good success to crown my undertakings, And then at my return perhaps I'll free thee To make me further sport. Away with him, I will not hear a syllable. We must trust ourselves Eugenia, and though we make use of The counsel of our servants, that oil spent, Like snuffs that do offend we tread them out. But now to our last Scene, which we'll so carry, That few shall understand how 'twas begun, Till all with half an eye may see 'tis done. The like was never read of. In my judgement To all that shall but hear it, 'twill appear A most impossible fable. For Francisco, My wonder is the less because there are Too many precedents of unthankful men Raised up to greatness, which have after studied The ruin of their makers. But that melancholy, Though ending in distraction, should work So far upon a man as to compel him To court a thing that has nor sense, nor being, Is unto me a miracle. 'Troth I'll tell you, And briefly as I can, by what degrees He fell into this madness, When by the care Of his Physicians he was brought to life, As he had only passed a fearful dream, And had not acted what I grieve to think on, He called for fair Marcelia, and being told That she was dead, he broke forth in extremes, (I would not say blasphemed) & cried that heaven For all th'offences that mankind could do, Would never be so cruel as to rob it Of so much sweetness, & of so much goodness, That not alone was sacred in herself, But did preserve all others' innocent That had but converse with her: Than it came Into his fancy that she was accused By his mother & his sister, thrice he cursed 'em, And thrice his desperate hand was on his sword To have killed 'em both, but he restrained, & they Shunning his fury, spite of all prevention He would have turned his rage upon himself, When wisely his Physicians looking on The Duchess wound, to stay his ready hand, Cried out it was not mortal. 'T was well thought on.
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)
Take my friend Into your custodie, and bind him fast, I would not part with him. My good Lord. Dispatch, 'Tis for your good to keepe you honest Graccho, I would not haue ten thousand Ducates tempt you (Being of a soft and waxe like disposition) To play the traytor, nor a foolish itch To be reueng'd for your late excellent whipping Giue you the opportunitie to offer My head for satisfaction. Why thou foole, I can looke through, & through thee, thy intents Appeare to me as written in thy forhead In plaine and easie caracters. And but that I scorne a slaues base blood shold rust that sword That from a Prince expects a scarlet dye, Thou now wert dead, but liue only to pray For good successe to crowne my vndertakings, And then at my returne perhaps I'le free thee To make me further sport. Away with him, I will not heare a sillable. We must trust Our selues Eugenia, and though we make vse of The counsaile of our seruants, that oyle spent, Like snuffes that doe offend we tread them out. But now to our last Scene, which we'le so carry, That few shall vnderstand how 'twas begun, Till all with halfe an eye may see 'tis don. The like was neuer read of. In my iudgement To all that shall but heare it, 'twill appeare A most impossible fable. For Francisco, My wonder is the lesse because there are Too many Presidents of vnthankefull men Rays'd vp to greatnesse, which haue after studied The ruine of their makers. But that melancholy, Though ending in distraction, should worke So farre vpon a man as to compell him To court a thing that has nor sence, nor being, Is vnto me a miracle. 'Troth I'le tell you, And briefly as I can, by what degrees He fell into this madnesse, When by the care Of his Physitians he was brought to life, As he had only pass'd a fearefull dreame, And had not acted what I grieue to thinke on, He call'd for faire Marcelia, and being told That she was dead, he broke forth in extreames, (I would not say blasphem'd) & cri'd that heauen For all th'offences that mankind could doe, Would neuer be so cruell as to rob it Of so much sweetnesse, & of so much goodnesse, That not alone was facred in her selfe, But did preserue all others innocent That had but conuerse with her: Then it came Into his fancie that she was accus'd By his mother & his sister, thrice he curs'd 'em, And thrice his desperat hand was on his sword To haue kill d'em both, but he restrayn'd, & they Shunning his furie, spite of all preuention He would haue turn'd his rage vpon himselfe, When wisely his Physitians looking on The Dutches wound, to stay his readie hand, Cry'd out it was not mortall. 'T was well thought on.