Anonymous / Marlowe, Christopher / Shakespeare, William / Nashe, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1590 (Annals) history · Derby's (Strange's) Men T43 York and Lancaster: dynastic claims and typicality 0.81 · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T43: henry, king, richard, warwick, york, edward, father, duke, crown, son.
Good Master Vernon, I am bound to you, That you on my behalf would pluck a Flower. In your behalf still will I wear the same. And so will I. Thanks gentle. Come, let us four to Dinner: I dare say, This Quarrel will drink Blood another day. Kind Keepers of my weak decaying Age, Let dying Mortimer here rest himself. Even like a man new haled from the Wrack, So far my Limbs with long Imprisonment: And these grey Locks, the Pursuivants of death, Nestor-like aged, in an Age of Care, Argue the end of Edmund Mortimer. These Eyes, like Lamps, whose wasting Oil is spent, Wax dim, as drawing to their Exigent. Weak Shoulders, over-borne with burdening Grief, And pyth-lesse Arms, like to a withered Vine, That droops his sapless Branches to the ground. Yet are these Feet, whose strengthless stay is numb, (Unable to support this Lump of Clay) Swift-winged with desire to get a Grave, As witting I no other comfort have. But tell me, Keeper, will my Nephew come? Richard Plantagenet, my Lord, will come: We sent unto the Temple, unto his Chamber, And answer was returned, that he will come. Enough: my Soul shall then be satisfied. Poor Gentleman, his wrong doth equal mine. Since Henry Monmouth first began to reign, Before whose Glory I was great in Arms, This loathsome sequestration have I had; And even since then, hath Richard been obscured, Deprived of Honour and Inheritance. But now, the Arbitrator of Despairs, Just Death, kind Umpire of men's miseries, With sweet enlargement doth dismiss me hence: I would his troubles likewise were expired, That so he might recover what was lost. My Lord, your loving Nephew now is come. Richard Plantagenet, my friend, is he come? I, Noble Uncle, thus ignobly used, Your Nephew, late despised Richard, cometh. Direct mine Arms, I may embrace his Neck, And in his Bosom spend my latter gasp. Oh tell me when my Lips do touch his Cheeks, That I may kindly give one fainting Kiss. And now declare sweet Stem from York's great Stock, Why didst thou say of late thou wert despised? First, lean thine aged Back against mine Arm, And in that ease, I'll tell thee my Disease. This day in argument upon a Case, Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me: Among which terms, he used his lavish tongue, And did upbraid me with my Father's death; Which obloquy set bars before my tongue, Else with the like I had requited him. Therefore good Uncle, for my Father's sake, In honour of a true Plantagenet, And for Alliance sake, declare the cause My Father, Earl of Cambridge, lost his Head. That cause (fair Nephew) that imprisoned me, And hath detained me all my flowering Youth, Within a loathsome Dungeon, there to pine, Was cursed Instrument of his decease. Discover more at large what cause that was, For I am ignorant, and cannot guess.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T13 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Good Maſter Ʋernon, I am bound to you, That you on my behalfe would pluck a Flower. In your behalfe ſtill will I weare the ſame. And ſo will I. Thankes gentle. Come, let vs foure to Dinner: I dare ſay, This Quarrell will drinke Blood another day. Kind Keepers of my weake decaying Age, Let dying Mortimer here reſt himſelfe. Euen like a man new haled from the Wrack, So fare my Limbes with long Impriſonment: And theſe gray Locks, the Purſuiuants of death, Neſtor-like aged, in an Age of Care, Argue the end of Edmund Mortimer. Theſe Eyes, like Lampes, whoſe waſting Oyle is ſpent, Waxe dimme, as drawing to their Exigent. Weake Shoulders, ouer-borne with burthening Griefe, And pyth-leſſe Armes, like to a withered Vine, That droupes his ſappe-leſſe Branches to the ground. Yet are theſe Feet, whoſe ſtrength-leſſe ſtay is numme, (Vnable to ſupport this Lumpe of Clay) Swift-winged with deſire to get a Graue, As witting I no other comfort haue. But tell me, Keeper, will my Nephew come? Richard Plantagenet, my Lord, will come: We ſent vnto the Temple, vnto his Chamber, And anſwer was return'd, that he will come. Enough: my Soule ſhall then be ſatisfied. Poore Gentleman, his wrong doth equall mine. Since Henry Monmouth firſt began to reigne, Before whoſe Glory I was great in Armes, This loathſome ſequeſtration haue I had; And euen ſince then, hath Richard beene obſcur'd, Depriu'd of Honor and Inheritance. But now, the Arbitrator of Deſpaires, Iuſt Death, kinde Vmpire of mens miſeries, With ſweet enlargement doth diſmiſſe me hence: I would his troubles likewiſe were expir'd, That ſo he might recouer what was loſt. My Lord, your louing Nephew now is come. Richard Plantagenet, my friend, is he come? I, Noble Vnckle, thus ignobly vs'd, Your Nephew, late deſpiſed Richard, comes. Direct mine Armes, I may embrace his Neck, And in his Boſome ſpend my latter gaſpe. Oh tell me when my Lippes doe touch his Cheekes, That I may kindly giue one fainting Kiſſe. And now declare ſweet Stem from Yorkes great Stock, Why didſt thou ſay of late thou wert deſpis'd? Firſt, leane thine aged Back againſt mine Arme, And in that eaſe, Ile tell thee my Diſeaſe. This day in argument vpon a Caſe, Some words there grew 'twixt Somerſet and me: Among which tearmes, he vs'd his lauiſh tongue, And did vpbrayd me with my Fathers death; Which obloquie ſet barres before my tongue, Elſe with the like I had requited him. Therefore good Vnckle, for my Fathers ſake, In honor of a true Plantagenet, And for Alliance ſake, declare the cauſe My Father, Earle of Cambridge, loſt his Head. That cauſe (faire Nephew) that impriſon'd me, And hath detayn'd me all my flowring Youth, Within a loathſome Dungeon, there to pyne, Was curſed Inſtrument of his deceaſe. Diſcouer more at large what cauſe that was, For I am ignorant, and cannot gueſſe.