Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1599 [1598-1599] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.71 · 516 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
True is it, that we have seen better days, And have with holy bell been knowld to Church, And sat at good men's feasts, and wiped our eyes Of drops, that sacred pity hath engendered: And therefore sit you down in gentleness, And take upon command, what help we have That to your wanting may be ministered. Then but forbear your food a little while: Whiles (like a do) I go to find my Fawn, And give it food. There is an old poor man, Who after me, hath many a weary step Limpt in pure love: till he be first sufficed, Oppressed with two weak evils, age, and hunger, I will not touch a bit. Go find him out. And we will nothing waste till you return. I thank ye, and be blessed for your good comfort. Thou seest, we are not all alone unhappy: This wide and universal Theatre Presents more woeful Pageants than the Scene Wherein we play in. All the world's a stage, And all the men and women, merely Players; They have their Exits and their Entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His Acts being seven ages. At first the Infant, Mewling, and puking in the Nurse's arms: Then, the whining Schoolboy with his Satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the Lover, Sighing like Furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his Mistress eyebrow. Then, a Soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the Pard, jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble Reputation Even in the Canon's mouth: And then, the justice, In fair round belly, with good Capon lined, With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws, and modern instances, And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered Pantaloon, With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side, His youthful hose well saved, a world too wide, For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble pipes, And whistles in his sound. Last Scene of all, That ends this strange eventfull history, Is second childishness, and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing. Welcome: set down your venerable burden, and let him feed. I thank you most for him. So had you need, I scarce can speak to thank you for myself. Welcome, fall too: I will not trouble you, As yet to question you about your fortunes: Give us some Music, and good Cousin, sing. Blow, blow, thou winter winde, Thou art not so unkind, as man's ingratitude Thy tooth is not so keen, because thou art not seen, although thy breath be rude. Heigh ho, sing heigh ho, unto the green holly, Most friendship, is feigning; most Loving, mere folly: The heigh ho, the holly, This Life is most jolly. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky that dost not bite so nigh as benefits forgot: Though thou the waters warp, thy sting is not so sharp, as friend remembered not. Heigh ho, sing, etc.
seed 43: T16 · seed 44: T15 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
True is it, that we haue ſeene better dayes, And haue with holy bell bin knowld to Church, And ſat at good mens feaſts, and wip'd our eies Of drops, that ſacred pity hath engendred: And therefore ſit you downe in gentleneſſe, And take vpon command, what helpe we haue That to your wanting may be miniſtred. Then but forbeare your food a little while: Whiles (like a Doe) I go to finde my Fawne, And giue it food. There is an old poore man, Who after me, hath many a weary ſteppe Limpt in pure loue: till he be firſt ſuffic'd, Oppreſt with two weake euils, age, and hunger, I will not touch a bit. Go finde him out. And we will nothing waſte till you returne. I thanke ye, and be bleſt for your good comfort. Thou ſeeſt, we are not all alone vnhappie: This wide and vniuerſall Theater Preſents more wofull Pageants then the Sceane Wherein we play in. All the world's a ſtage, And all the men and women, meerely Players; They haue their Exits and their Entrances, And one man in his time playes many parts, His Acts being ſeuen ages. At firſt the Infant, Mewling, and puking in the Nurſes armes: Then, the whining Schoole-boy with his Satchell And ſhining morning face, creeping like ſnaile Vnwillingly to ſchoole. And then the Louer, Sighing like Furnace, with a wofull ballad Made to his Miſtreſſe eye-brow. Then, a Soldier, Full of ſtrange oaths, and bearded like the Pard, Ielous in honor, ſodaine, and quicke in quarrell, Seeking the bubble Reputation Euen in the Canons mouth: And then, the Iuſtice, In faire round belly, with good Capon lin'd, With eyes ſeuere, and beard of formall cut, Full of wiſe ſawes, and moderne inſtances, And ſo he playes his part. The ſixt age ſhifts Into the leane and ſlipper'd Pantaloone, With ſpectacles on noſe, and pouch on ſide, His youthfull hoſe well ſau'd, a world too wide, For his ſhrunke ſhanke, and his bigge manly voice, Turning againe toward childiſh trebble pipes, And whiſtles in his ſound. Laſt Scene of all, That ends this ſtrange euentfull hiſtorie, Is ſecond childiſhneſſe, and meere obliuion, Sans teeth, ſans eyes, ſans taſte, ſans euery thing. Welcome: ſet downe your venerable burthen, and let him feede. I thanke you moſt for him. So had you neede, I ſcarce can ſpeake to thanke you for my ſelfe. Welcome, fall too: I wil not trouble you, As yet to queſtion you about your fortunes: Giue vs ſome Muſicke, and good Cozen, ſing. Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not ſo vnkinde, as mans ingratitude Thy tooth is not ſo keene, becauſe thou art not ſeene, although thy breath be rude. Heigh ho, ſing heigh ho, vnto the greene holly, Moſt frendſhip, is fayning; moſt Louing, meere folly: The heigh ho, the holly, This Life is moſt iolly. Freize, freize, thou bitter skie that doſt not bight ſo nigh as benefitts forgot: Though thou the waters warpe, thy ſting is not ſo ſharpe, as freind remembred not. Heigh ho, ſing, &c.