Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1607 [c.1606-c.1608] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men unassigned nearest T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds · 510 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
Nor on the Beasts themselves, the Birds & Fishes, You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con, That you are thieves professed: that you work not In holier shapes: For there is boundless Theft In limited Professions. Rascal thieves here's Gold. God, suck the subtle blood o' th' Grape, Till the high Favour seethe your blood to froth, And so scape hanging. Trust not the Physician, His Antidotes are poison, and he slays More than you Rob: Take wealth, and lives together, Do Villain do, since you protest to do't. Like Workmen, I'll example you with Thievery: The Suns a Thief, and with his great attraction Robs the vast Sea. The Moons an arrant Thief, And her pale fire, she snatches from the Sun. The Seas a Thief, whose liquid Surge, resolves The Moon into Salt tears. The Earth's a Thief, That feeds and breeds by a composture stolen From general excrement: each thing's a Thief. The Laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power Has unchecked Theft. Love not yourselves, away, Rob one another, there's more Gold, cut throats, All that you meet are thieves: to Athens go, Break open shops, nothing can you steal But thieves do lose it: steal less, for this I give you, And Gold confound you howsoe'er: Amen. Has almost charmed me from my Profession, by persuading me to it. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us not to have us thrive in our mystery. I'll believe him as an Enemy, And give over my Trade. Let us first see peace in Athens, there is no time so miserable, but a man may be true. Oh you Gods! Is yond despised and ruinous man my Lord? Full of decay and failing? Oh Monument And wonder of good deeds, evilly bestowed! What an alteration of Honour has desperate want made? What vilder thing upon the earth, than Friends, Who can bring Noblest minds, to basest ends. How rarely does it meet with this times guise, When man was wished to love his Enemies: Grant I may ever love, and rather woe Those that would mischief me, than those that do. Has caught me in his eye, I will present my honest grief unto him; and as my Lord, still serve him with my life. My dearest Master. Away: what art thou? Have you forgot me, Sir? Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men. Then, if thou grunt'st, th' art a man. I have forgot thee. An honest poor servant of yours. Then I know thee not: I never had honest man about me, I all I kept were Knaves, to serve in meat to Villains. The Gods are witness, Ne'er did poor Steward wear a truer grief For his undone Lord, than mine eyes for you. What, dost thou weep? Come nearer, than I love thee Because thou art a woman, and disclaimest Flinty mankind: whose eyes do never give, But thorough Lust and Laughter: pity's sleeping: Strange times that weep with laughing, not with weeping.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Nor on the Beaſts themſelues, the Birds & Fiſhes, You muſt eate men. Yet thankes I muſt you con, That you are Theeues profeſt: that you worke not In holier ſhapes: For there is boundleſſe Theft In limited Profeſſions. Raſcall Theeues Heere's Gold. Go, ſucke the ſubtle blood o' th' Grape, Till the high Feauor ſeeth your blood to froth, And ſo ſcape hanging. Truſt not the Phyſitian, His Antidotes are poyſon, and he ſlayes Moe then you Rob: Take wealth, and liues together, Do Villaine do, ſince you proteſt to doo't. Like Workemen, Ile example you with Theeuery: The Sunnes a Theefe, and with his great attraction Robbes the vaſte Sea. The Moones an arrant Theefe, And her pale fire, ſhe ſnatches from the Sunne. The Sea a Theefe, whoſe liquid Surge, reſolues The Moone into Salt teares. The Earth's a Theefe, That feeds and breeds by a compoſture ſtolne From gen'rall excrement: each thing's a Theefe. The Lawes, your curbe and whip, in their rough power Ha's vncheck'd Theft. Loue not your ſelues, away, Rob one another, there's more Gold, cut throates, All that you meete are Theeues: to Athens go, Breake open ſhoppes, nothing can you ſteale But Theeues do looſe it: ſteale leſſe, for this I giue you, And Gold confound you howſoere: Amen. Has almoſt charm'd me from my Profeſſion, by perſwading me to it. 'Tis in the malice of mankinde, that he thus aduiſes vs not to haue vs thriue in our myſtery. Ile beleeue him as an Enemy, And giue ouer my Trade. Let vs firſt ſee peace in Athens, there is no time ſo miſerable, but a man may be true. Oh you Gods! Is yon'd deſpis'd and ruinous man my Lord? Full of decay and fayling? Oh Monument And wonder of good deeds, euilly beſtow'd! What an alteration of Honor has deſp'rate want made? What vilder thing vpon the earth, then Friends, Who can bring Nobleſt mindes, to baſeſt ends. How rarely does it meete with this times guiſe, When man was wiſht to loue his Enemies: Grant I may euer loue, and rather woo Thoſe that would miſcheefe me, then thoſe that doo. Has caught me in his eye, I will preſent my honeſt griefe vnto him; and as my Lord, ſtill ſerue him with my life. My deereſt Maſter. Away: what art thou? Haue you forgot me, Sir? Why doſt aske that? I haue forgot all men. Then, if thou grunt'ſt, th' art a man. I haue forgot thee. An honeſt poore ſeruant of yours. Then I know thee not: I neuer had honeſt man about me, I all I kept were Knaues, to ſerue in meate to Villaines. The Gods are witneſſe, Neu'r did poore Steward weare a truer greefe For his vndone Lord, then mine eyes for you. What, doſt thou weepe? Come neerer, then I loue thee Becauſe thou art a woman, and diſclaim'ſt Flinty mankinde: whoſe eyes do neuer giue, But thorow Luſt and Laughter: pittie's ſleeping: Strange times yt weepe with laughing, not with weeping.