Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1607 [c.1606-1608] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men unassigned nearest T56 Magic, spells and conjuring · 522 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T56: magic, faustus, charms, charm, conjure, spirits, skill, ho, power, spells.
L. Alexas, sweet Alexas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Alexas, where's the Soothsayer that you praised so to ' th' Queen? Oh that I knew this Husband, which you say, must change his Horns with Garlands. Soothsayer. Your will? Is this the Man? Is't you sir that know things? In Nature's infinite book of Secrecy, a little I can read. Show him your hand. Bring in the Banquet quickly: Wine enough, Cleopatra's health to drink. Good sir, give me good Fortune. I make not, but foresee. Pray then, foresee me one. You shall be yet far fairer than you are. He means in flesh. No, you shall paint when you are old. Wrinkles forbidden. Vex not his prescience, be attentive. Hush. You shall be more beloving, then beloved. I had rather heat my Liver with drinking. Nay, hear him. Good now some excellent Fortune: Let me be married to three Kings in a forenoon, and Widow them all: Let me have a Child at fifty, to whom Herode of Iewry may do Homage. Find me to marry me with Octavius Caesar, and companion me with my Mistress. You shall outlive the Lady whom you serve. Oh excellent, I love long life better than Figs. You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune, then that which is to approach. Then belike my Children shall have no names: Prithee how many Boys and Wenches must I have. If every of your wishes had a womb, & foretell every wish, a Million. Out Fool, I forgive thee for a Witch. You think none but your sheets are privy to your wishes. Nay come, tell Iras hers. we'll know all our Fortunes. Mine, and most of our Fortunes to night, shall be drunk to bed. There's a Palm presages Chastity, if nothing else. E'en as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth Famine. Go you wild Bedfellow, you cannot Soothsay. Nay, if an oily Palm be not a fruitful Prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear. Prithee tell her but a worky day Fortune. Your Fortunes are alike. But how, but how, give me particulars. I have said. Am I not an inch of Fortune better than she? Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than I: where would you choose it. Not in my Husband's nose. Our worse thoughts Heavens mend. Come, his Fortune, his Fortune. Oh let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee, and let her dye too, and give him a worse, and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a Cuckold. Good Isis hear me this Prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight: good Isis I beseech thee. Amen, dear Goddess, hear that prayer of the people. For, as it is a heart-breaking to see a handsome man loose-wiued, so it is a deadly sorrow, to behold a foul Knave uncuckolded: Therefore dear Isis keep decorum, and Fortune him accordingly. Amen. Lo now, if it lay in their hands to make me a Cuckold, they would make themselves Whores, but they'd do't.
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)
L. Alexas, ſweet Alexas, moſt any thing Alexas, almoſt moſt abſolute Alexas, where's the Soothſayer that you prais'd ſo to' th' Queene? Oh that I knewe this Husband, which you ſay, muſt change his Hornes with Garlands. Soothſayer. Your will? Is this the Man? Is't you ſir that know things? In Natures infinite booke of Secrecie, a little I can read. Shew him your hand. Bring in the Banket quickly: Wine enough, Cleopatra's health to drinke. Good ſir, giue me good Fortune. I make not, but foreſee. Pray then, foreſee me one. You ſhall be yet farre fairer then you are. He meanes in fleſh. No, you ſhall paint when you are old. Wrinkles forbid. Vex not his preſcience, be attentiue. Huſh. You ſhall be more belouing, then beloued. I had rather heate my Liuer with drinking. Nay, heare him. Good now ſome excellent Fortune: Let mee be married to three Kings in a forenoone, and Widdow them all: Let me haue a Childe at fifty, to whom Herode of Iewry may do Homage. Finde me to marrie me with Octauius Caeſar, and companion me with my Miſtris. You ſhall out-liue the Lady whom you ſerue. Oh excellent, I loue long life better then Figs. You haue ſeene and proued a fairer former fortune, then that which is to approach. Then belike my Children ſhall haue no names: Prythee how many Boyes and Wenches muſt I haue. If euery of your wiſhes had a wombe, & foretell euery wiſh, a Million. Out Foole, I forgiue thee for a Witch. You thinke none but your ſheets are priuie to your wiſhes. Nay come, tell Iras hers. Wee'l know all our Fortunes. Mine, and moſt of our Fortunes to night, ſhall be drunke to bed. There's a Palme preſages Chaſtity, if nothing els. E'ne as the o're-flowing Nylus preſageth Famine. Go you wilde Bedfellow, you cannot Soothſay. Nay, if an oyly Palme bee not a fruitfull Prognoſtication, I cannot ſcratch mine eare. Prythee tel her but a worky day Fortune. Your Fortunes are alike. But how, but how, giue me particulars. I haue ſaid. Am I not an inch of Fortune better then ſhe? Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better then I: where would you chooſe it. Not in my Husbands noſe. Our worſer thoughts Heauens mend. Come, his Fortune, his Fortune. Oh let him mary a woman that cannot go, ſweet Iſis, I beſeech thee, and let her dye too, and giue him a worſe, and let worſe follow worſe, till the worſt of all follow him laughing to his graue, fifty-fold a Cuckold. Good Iſis heare me this Prayer, though thou denie me a matter of more waight: good Iſis I beſeech thee. Amen, deere Goddeſſe, heare that prayer of the people. For, as it is a heart-breaking to ſee a handſome man looſe-Wiu'd, ſo it is a deadly ſorrow, to beholde a foule Knaue vncuckolded: Therefore deere Iſis keep decorum, and Fortune him accordingly. Amen. Lo now, if it lay in their hands to make mee a Cuckold, they would make themſelues Whores, but they'ld doo't.