Carlell, Lodowick · published 1629 · first performed or written 1629 [c.1622-1629] (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men · before the Court unassigned nearest T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour · 513 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
You are too thankful, and attribute that To my bounty, which was the wages of your true And faithful service. Were this granted, yet however I shall be able To free myself from that great burden of debt Which your intended flight for my sake Will lay upon me, as yet I cannot see; For did at all value your own happiness, You could not thus fly the means That can best make you so. Lysander, to what tends this great acknowledgement? I understand you not, what is your meaning? My meaning, dear Clarinda, is to make you happy, And I conjure you by your affection, And all that's dear to you, to lay by That little portion of wilfulness Which being a woman you are forced to have, And hear me with your best attention, And with the same affection, as if I were Your Brother, which if the heavens had pleased To make me, I had been most happy, With your best reason look upon your present fortune; Look first upon the man from whence you had your being, And see in reason what pity it will challenge from you; A noble ancient Gentleman, deprived of Lands And honours, by injustice, that as a stranger Might exact your pity; but as a Child, It being within your power, it forceth your consent To give a remedy: If pity of your Father's fortune Cannot move you, pity your own I beseech you, Consider not of me as a tormented Lover, That hath lost his Mistress, but as a fortunate Brother, Fortunate in seeing of his Sister, whom he dearly loves Married to one so worthy, whose merits Compels fortune to wait upon him, for such the Duke is, Whom you must not refuse, for such a poor Unworthy man as I am. should I grant your want of worth, I then must give consent to the committing Of a Sacrilege against the Gods, in suffering you To rob yourself, you being the purest Temple, That yet they ever built for to be honoured in: And for the Duke each worth which you express of him to me, Is but a doubling of your own, The way to speak for him, were to appear yourself less, worthy, in this your worths increase. Would you but look with an impartial eye, On our deservings; you soon would find me The less worthy; for even in that, wherein You think me not to be equaled, he goes Far beyond me, (I mean in true affection) For being but a private man as I am, Who would not think him blessed to love, and be beloved By you that are esteemed the wonder of this Age: But for the Duke, within whose power it lies To choose the most transplendent Beauty of this Kingdom, Set off with Fortune's best endowments; for him, I say, To choose out you amongst a world of Ladies, To make the sole Commandress of himself, Deserves (if you would give your reason leave to rule) The nearest place in your affection.
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)
You are too thankfull, and attribute that To my bounty, which was the wages of your true And faithfull ſeruice. Were this granted, yet how euer I ſhall be able To free my ſelfe from that great burden of debt Which your intended flight for my ſake Will lay vpon me, as yet I cannot ſee; For did at all value your owne happineſſe, You could not thus flie the meanes That can beſt make you ſo. Lyſander, to what tends this great acknowlegement? I vnderſtand you not, what is your meaning? My meaning, deare Clarinda, is to make you happie, And I coniure you by your affection, And all that's deare to you, to lay by That little portion of wilfulneſſe Which being a woman you are forc'd to haue, And heare me with your beſt attention, And with the ſame affection, as if I were Your Brother, which if the heauens had pleas'd To make me, I had beene moſt happy, With your beſt reaſon looke vpon your preſent fortune; Looke firſt vpon the man from whence you had your being, And ſee in reaſon what pitty it will challenge from you; A noble ancient Gentleman, depriu'd of Lands And honors, by iniuſtice, that as a ſtranger Might exact your pitty; but as a Child, It being within your power, it forceth your conſent To giue a remedy: If pity of your Fathers fortune Cannot moue you, pitty your owne I beſeech you, Conſider not of me as a tormented Louer, That hath loſt his Miſtris, but as a fortunate Brother, Fortunate in ſeeing of his Siſter, whom he dearly loues Married to one ſo worthy, whoſe merits Compels fortune to waite vpon him, for ſuch the Duke is, Whom you muſt not refuſe, for ſuch a poore Vnworthy man as I am. ſhould I grant your want of worth, I then muſt giue conſent to the committing Of a Sacriledge againſt the Gods, in ſuffering you To rob your ſelfe, you being the pureſt Temple, That yet they euer built for to be honour'd in: And for the Duke each worth which you expreſſe of him to me, Is but a doubling of your owne, The way to ſpeake for him, were to appeare Your ſelfe leſſe, worthy, in this your worths increaſe. Would you but looke with an impartiall eye, On our deſeruings; you ſoone would find me The leſſe worthy; for euen in that, wherein You thinke me not to be equal'd, he goes Farre beyond me, (I meane in true affection) For being but a priuate man as I am, Who would not thinke him bleſt to loue, and be belou'd By you that are eſteem'd the wouder of this Age: But for the Duke, within whoſe power it lies To chooſe the moſt tranſplendent Beauty of this Kingdome, Set off wirh Fortunes beſt endowments; for him, I ſay, To chooſe out you amongſt a world of Ladies, To make the ſole Commandreſſe of him ſelfe, Deſerues (if you would giue your reaſon leaue to rule) The neereſt place in your affection.