Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1607 [c.1606-1608] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions typicality 0.80 · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
My desolation does begin to make A better life: 'tis paltry to be Caesar: Not being Fortune, he's but Fortune's knave, A minister of her will: and it is great To do that thing that ends all other deeds, Which shackles accedents, and bolts up change; Which sleeps, and never palates more the dung, The beggar's Nurse, and Caesar's. Caesar sends greeting to the Queen of Egypt, And bids thee study on what fair demands Thou meanest to have him grant thee. What's thy name? My name is Proculeius. Anthony Did tell me of you, bade me trust you, but I do not greatly care to be deceived That have no use for trusting. If your Master Would have a Queece his beggar, you must tell him, That Majesty to keep decorum, must No less beg then a Kingdom: If he please To give me conquered Egypt for my Son, He gives me so much of mine own, as I Will kneel to him with thankes. Be of good cheer: YEare fall'n into a Princely hand, fear nothing, Make your full reference freely to my Lord, Who is so full of Grace, that it flows over On all that need. Let me report to him Your sweet dependacie, and you shall find A Conqueror that will pray in aid for kindness, Where he for grace is kneeled too. Pray you tell him, I am his Fortune's Vassal, and I send him The Greatness he has got. I hourly learn A Doctrine of Obedience, and would gladly Look him i' th' Face. This I'll report (dear Lady) Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied Of him that caused it. You see how easily she may be surprised: Guard her till Caesar come. Royal Queen. Oh Cleopatra, thou art taken Queen. Quick, quick, good hands. Hold worthy Lady, hold: Do not yourself such wrong, who are in this Relieved, but not betrayed. What of death too that rids our dogs of languish Cleopatra, do not abuse my Master's bounty, by Th' undoing of yourself: Let the World see His Nobleness well acted, which your death Will never let come forth. Where art thou Death? Come hither come; Come, come, and take a Queen Worth many Babes and Beggars. Oh temperance Lady. Sir, I will eat no meat, I'll not drink sir, If idle talk will once be necessary I'll not sleep neither. This mortal house I'll ruin, Do Caesar what he can. Know sir, that I Will not wait pinioned at your Master's Court, Nor once be chasticed with the sober eye Of dull Octavia. Shall they hoist me up, And show me to the shouting Varlotarie Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt. Be gentle grave unto me, rather on Nilus' mud Lay me stark-naked, and let the water-Flies Blow me into abhorting; rather make My Country's high pyramids my Gibbet, And hang me up in Chains.
seed 43: T13 · seed 44: T16 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
My deſolation does begin to make A better life: Tis paltry to be Caeſar: Not being Fortune, hee's but Fortunes knaue, A miniſter of her will: and it is great To do that thing that ends all other deeds, Which ſhackles accedents, and bolts vp change; Which ſleepes, and neuer pallates more the dung, The beggers Nurſe, and Caeſars. Caeſar ſends greeting to the Queene of Egypt, And bids thee ſtudy on what faire demands Thou mean'ſt to haue him grant thee. What's thy name? My name is Proculeius. Anthony Did ell me of you, bad me truſt you, but I do not greatly care to be deceiu'd That haue no vſe for truſting. If your Maſter Would haue a Queece his begger, you muſt tell him, That Maieſty to keepe decorum, muſt▪ No leſſe begge then a Kingdome: If he pleaſe To giue me conquer'd Egypt for my Sonne, He giues me ſo much of mine owne, as I Will kneele to him with thankes. Be of good cheere: Y' are falne into a Princely hand, feare nothing, Make your full reference freely to my Lord, Who is ſo full of Grace, that it flowes ouer On all that neede. Let me report to him Your ſweet dependacie, and you ſhall finde A Conqueror that will pray in ayde for kindneſſe, Where he for grace is kneel'd too. Pray you tell him, I am his Fortunes Vaſſall, and I ſend him The Greatneſſe he has got. I hourely learne A Doctrine of Obedience, and would gladly Looke him i' th' Face. This Ile report (deere Lady) Haue comfort, for I know your plight is pittied Of him that caus'd it. You ſee how eaſily ſhe may be ſurpriz'd: Guard her till Caeſar come. Royall Queene. Oh Cleopatra, thou art taken Queene. Quicke, quicke, good hands. Hold worthy Lady, hold: Doe not your ſelfe ſuch wrong, who are in this Releeu'd, but not betraid. What of death too that rids our dogs of languiſh Cleopatra, do not abuſe my Maſters bounty, by Th' vndoing of your ſelfe: Let the World ſee His Nobleneſſe well acted, which your death Will neuer let come forth. Where art thou Death? Come hither come; Come, come, and take a Queene Worth many Babes and Beggers. Oh temperance Lady. Sir, I will eate no meate, Ile not drinke ſir, If idle talke will once be neceſſary Ile not ſleepe neither. This mortall houſe Ile ruine, Do Caeſar what he can. Know ſir, that I Will not waite pinnion'd at your Maſters Court, Nor once be chaſtic'd with the ſober eye Of dull Octauia. Shall they hoyſt me vp, And ſhew me to the ſhowting Varlotarie Of cenſuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt. Be gentle graue vnto me, rather on Nylus mudde Lay me ſtarke-nak'd, and let the water-Flies Blow me into abhorting; rather make My Countries high pyramides my Gibbet, And hang me vp in Chaines.