Webster, John · published 1623 · first performed or written 1614 [1612-1614; revised 1617-23(?)] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.78 · 488 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
And your graver heads, (Which would he politic) what censure they? They do observe, I grow to infinite purchase The left-hand way, and all suppose the Duchess Would amend it, if she could: For, say they Great Princes, though they grudge their Officers Should have such large, and unconfined means To get wealth under them, will not complain lest thereby they should make them odious Unto the people, for other obligation Of love, or marriage, between her and me, They never dream of. The Lord Ferdinand Is going to bed. I'll instantly to bed, For I am weary: I am to be bespeak A husband for you. For me (Sir?) 'pray who is't? The great Count Malateste. Fie upon him, A Count? he's a mere stick of sugar-candy, (You may look quite through him) when I choose A husband, I will marry for your honour. You shall do well in't: How is't (worthy Antonio?) But (Sir) I am to have private conference with you, About a scandalous report, is spread Touching mine honour. Let me be ever deaf to't: One of Pasquil's paper-bullets, court calumny, A pestilent air, which Princes palaces Are seldom purged off: Yet, say that it were true, I pour it in your bosom, my fixed love, Would strongly excuse, extenuate, nay deny Faults where they apparent in you: Go be safe In your own innocency. Oh blessed comfort, This deadly air is purged. Her guilt treads on Hot burning cultures: Now Bosola, How thrives our intelligence? (Sir) uncertainly, 'Tis rumoured she hath had three bastards, but By whom, we may go read i'th' Stars. Why some Hold opinion, all things are written there. Yes, if we could find Spectacles to read them, I do suspect, there hath been some Sorcery Used on the Duchess. Sorcery, to what purpose? To make her dote on some desertless fellow, She shames to acknowledge. Can your faith, give way To think there's power in potions, or in Charms, To make us love, whether we will or no? Most certainly. A way, these are mere gullcries, horrid things Invented by some cheating mountebanks To abuse us: Do you think that herbs, or charms Can force the will? Some trials have been made In this foolish practice; but the ingredients Were lenitive poisons, such as are of force To make the patient mad; and straight the witch Swears (by equivocation, they are in love. The witchcraft lies in her rank bood: this night I will force confession from her: You told me You had got (within these two days) a false key Into her Bedchamber. I have. As I would wish. What do you intend to do? Can you guess? No: Do not ask then: He that can compass me, and know my drifts, May say he hath put a girdle 'bout the world, And sounded all her quicksands. I do not Think so. What do you think then? pray?
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)
And your grauer heades, (Which would he pollitique) what censure they? They do obserue, I grow to infinite purchase The leaft-hand way, and all suppose the Duchesse Would amend it, if she could: For, say they Great Princes, though they grudge their Officers Should haue such large, and vnconfined meanes To get wealth vnder them, will not complaine Least thereby they should make them odious Vnto the people, for other obligation Of loue, or marriage, betweene her and me, They neuer dreame off. The Lord Ferdinand Is going to bed. I'll instantly to bed, For I am weary: I am to be be-speake A husband for you. For me (Sir?) 'pray who is't? The great Count Malateste. Fie vpon him, A Count? he's a meere sticke of sugar-candy, (You may looke quite thorough him) when I choose A husband, I will marry for your honour. You shall do well in't: How is't (worthy Antonio?) But (Sir) I am to haue priuate conference with you, About a scandalous report, is spread Touching mine honour. Let me be euer deafe to't: One of Pasquils paper-bullets, court calumney, A pestilent ayre, which Princes pallaces Are seldome purg'd off: Yet, say that it were true, I powre it in your bosome, my fix'd loue, Would strongly excuse, extenuate, nay deny Faults where they apparant in you: Goe be safe In your owne innocency. Oh bless'd comfort, This deadly aire is purg'd. Her guilt treads on Hot burning cultures: Now Bosola, How thriues our intelligence? (Sir) vncertainly, 'Tis rumour'd she hath had three bastards, but By whom, we may go read i'th' Starres. Why some Hold opinion, all things are written there. Yes, if we could find Spectacles to read them, I do suspect, there hath bin some Sorcery Vs'd on the Duchesse. Sorcery, to what purpose? To make her doate on some desertles fellow, She shames to acknowledge. Can your faith, giue way To thinke there's powre in potions, or in Charmes, To make vs loue, whether we will or no? Most certainely. A way, these are meere gullcries, horred things Inuented by some cheating mounte-banckes To abuse vs: Do you thinke that hearbes, or charmes Can force the will? Some trialls haue bin made In this foolish practise; but the ingredients Were lenatiue poysons, such as are of force To make the patient mad; and straight the witch Sweares (by equiuocation, they are in loue. The witch-craft lies in her rancke bood: this night I will force confession from her: You told me You had got (within these two dayes) a false key Into her Bed-chamber. I haue. As I would wish. What doe you intend to doe? Can you ghesse? No: Doe not aske then: He that can compasse me, and know my drifts, May say he hath put a girdle 'bout the world, And sounded all her quick-sands. I doe not Thinke so. What doe you thinke then? pray?