Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1607 [c.1606-c.1608] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men T6 Money, debt and credit typicality 0.85 · 531 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T6: money, master, pound, law, lawyer, chain, gentleman, gold, pay, pray.
I beg of you to know me, good my Lord, T' accept my grief, and whilst this poor wealth lasts, To entertain me as your Steward still. Had I a Steward So true, so just, and now so comfortable? It almost turns my dangerous Nature wild. Let me behold thy face: Surely, this man Was borne of woman. Forgive my general, and exceptlesse rashness You perpetual sober Gods. I do proclaim One honest man: Mistake me not, but one: No more I pray, and he's a Steward. How fain would I have hated all mankind, And thou redeemest thyself. But all save thee, I fell with Curses. Me thinks thou art more honest now, then wise: For, by oppressing and betraying me, Thou mightst have sooner got another Service: For many so arrive at second Masters, Upon their first Lord's neck. But tell me true, (For I must ever doubt, though ne'er so sure) Is not thy kindness subtle, covetous, If not a Usuring kindness, and as rich men deal Gifts, Expecting in return twenty for one? No my most worthy Master, in whose breast Doubt, and suspect (alas) are placed too late: You should have feared false times, when you did Feast. Suspect still comes, where an estate is least. That which I show, Heaven knows, is merely Love, Duty, and Zeal, to your unmatched mind; Care of your Food and Living, and believe it, My most Honoured Lord, For any benefit that points to me, Either in hope, or present, I'd exchange For this one wish, that you had power and wealth To requite me, by making rich yourself. Look thee, 'tis so: thou singly honest man, here take: the Gods out of my misery Has sent thee Treasure. Go, live rich and happy, But thus conditioned: Thou shalt build from men: Hate all, curse all, show Charity to none, But let the famished flesh slide from the Bone, Ere thou relieve the Beggar. Give to dogs What thou deniest to men. Let Prisons swallow 'em, Debts wither'em to nothing, be men like blasted woods And may Diseases lick up their false bloods, And so farewell, and thrive. O let me stay, and comfort you, my Master. If thou hat'st Curses Stay not: fly, whilst thou art blessed and free: ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thee. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides. What's to be thought of him? Does the Rumour hold for true, That he's so full of Gold? Certain. Alcibiades reports it: Phrinica and Timandylo Had Gold of him. He likewise enriched Poor straggling Soldiers, with great quantity. 'Tis said, he gave unto his Steward A mighty sum. Then this breaking of his, Has been but a Try for his Friends? Nothing else: You shall see him a Palm in Athens again, And flourish with the highest: Therefore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves To him, in this supposed distress of his: It will show honestly in us, And is very likely, to load our purposes With what they travail for, If it be a just and true report, that goes Of his having.
nodes 1774–1846 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 30 of 35 in this edition
Length
531 words · 714 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T6 — Money, debt and creditcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.852 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
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)
I begge of you to know me, good my Lord, T' accept my greefe, and whil'ſt this poore wealth laſts, To entertaine me as your Steward ſtill. Had I a Steward So true, ſo iuſt, and now ſo comfortable? It almoſt turnes my dangerous Nature wilde. Let me behold thy face: Surely, this man Was borne of woman. Forgiue my generall, and exceptleſſe raſhneſſe You perpetuall ſober Gods. I do proclaime One honeſt man: Miſtake me not, but one: No more I pray, and hee's a Steward. How faine would I haue hated all mankinde, And thou redeem'ſt thy ſelfe. But all ſaue thee, I fell with Curſes. Me thinkes thou art more honeſt now, then wiſe: For, by oppreſſing and betraying mee, Thou might'ſt haue ſooner got another Seruice: For many ſo arriue at ſecond Maſters, Vpon their firſt Lords necke. But tell me true, (For I muſt euer doubt, though ne're ſo ſure) Is not thy kindneſſe ſubtle, couetous, If not a Vſuring kindneſſe, and as rich men deale Guifts, Expecting in returne twenty for one? No my moſt worthy Maſter, in whoſe breſt Doubt, and ſuſpect (alas) are plac'd too late: You ſhould haue fear'd falſe times, when you did Feaſt. Suſpect ſtill comes, where an eſtate is leaſt. That which I ſhew, Heauen knowes, is meerely Loue, Dutie, and Zeale, to your vnmatched minde; Care of your Food and Liuing, and beleeue it, My moſt Honour'd Lord, For any benefit that points to mee, Either in hope, or preſent, I'de exchange For this one wiſh, that you had power and wealth To requite me, by making rich your ſelfe. Looke thee, 'tis ſo: thou ſingly honeſt man, Heere take: the Gods out of my miſerie Ha's ſent thee Treaſure. Go, liue rich and happy, But thus condition'd: Thou ſhalt build from men: Hate all, curſe all, ſhew Charity to none, But let the famiſht fleſh ſlide from the Bone, Ere thou releeue the Begger. Giue to dogges What thou denyeſt to men. Let Priſons ſwallow 'em, Debts wither'em to nothing, be men like blaſted woods And may Diſeaſes licke vp their falſe bloods, And ſo farewell, and thriue. O let me ſtay, and comfort you, my Maſter. If thou hat'ſt Curſes Stay not: flye, whil'ſt thou art bleſt and free: Ne're ſee thou man, and let me ne're ſee thee. As I tooke note of the place, it cannot be farre where he abides. What's to be thought of him? Does the Rumor hold for true, That hee's ſo full of Gold? Certaine. Alcibiades reports it: Phrinica and Timandylo Had Gold of him. He likewiſe enrich'd Poore ſtragling Souldiers, with great quantity. 'Tis ſaide, he gaue vnto his Steward A mighty ſumme. Then this breaking of his, Ha's beene but a Try for his Friends? Nothing elſe: You ſhall ſee him a Palme in Athens againe, And flouriſh with the higheſt: Therefore, 'tis not amiſſe, we tender our loues To him, in this ſuppos'd diſtreſſe of his: It will ſhew honeſtly in vs, And is very likely, to loade our purpoſes With what they trauaile for, If it be a iuſt and true report, that goes Of his hauing.