The Grateful Servant (The Faithful Servant) · chunk 18 of 38
Shirley, James · published 1630 · first performed or written 1629 [licensed for stage, Nov 3] (Annals) comedy · Queen Henrietta Maria's Men · Phoenix/Cockpit T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.79 · 512 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Turn them to grief, Again, and here let me kneel, the accuser Of him, that hath deserved more punishment, Then your wronged piety will inflict. Dost kneel, And call thyself accuser? Yes. Of whom? Thy Lord, take heed, for if I be a judge I shall condemn thee ere thou speak. You may, But I accuse myself, and of an injury To you. To me? Too great to be forgiven. My love to him thou servest, hath found a pardon Already for it, be it an offence Against my life. For his sake, you must punish, Dear Madam, I have sinned against his Ghost, In my deceiving you. His Ghost? And if. His soul hath not forgotten how he loved you, I must expect him to affright my dreams. And prove my waking evil, the truth is, My Lord is dead. How dead? when? where? did I Not hear thee say, since I received his Letter, He was alive? No Madam. Be not impious. I said that neither death, nor any black Misfortune had befallen him, since I gave The Letter to you. Grant this truth, I am Secured again. Alas he was dead before, I'm sure you could not choose but hear as much, It was my wickedness arrived, to mock Your credulous heart, with a devised Letter, I know you are in wonder, what should move me, To this imposture, sure it was no malice, For you ne'er injured me, and that doth make My crime the more deformed, all my aim was, Being a stranger here, and wanting means After my Lord's death, by this cunning, to Procure some bounty from you, to sustain My life, until by some good fortune, I Might get another Master, for I knew There was no hope to benefit myself, By saying he was dead, good heaven forgive me And keep my eyes from weeping. Thou hast undone me, Like a most cruel boy. Madam, I hope I shall repair the ruins of your eye, When I declare the cause, that leads me to This strange confession, I have observed The Duke does love you, love you in that way, You can deserve him, and though I have sinned, I am not stubborn in my fault, to suffer you, In the belief of my deceitful story, To wrong your fortune, by neglect of him, Can bring your merit such addition, Of state and title. Dost thou mock again? Heaven knows, I have no thought of such impiety, If you will not believe, that for your sake I have betrayed myself, yet be so charitable, To think it something of my duty, to The Duke, whose ends, while they are just, and noble, All loyal subjects, aught to serve, for him. Whom I am bound to honour, and I love him, Else may I never know one dayof comfort, I durst not without guilt of treason, to His chaste desires, deceive you any longer, Collect yourself dear Madam, in the grave, There dwells no music, in the Dukes embrace You meet a perfect happiness.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Turne them to griefe, Agen, and here let me kneele, the accuser Of him, that hath deseru'd more punishment, Then your wrong'd pietie will inflict. Dost kneele, And call thy selfe accuser? Yes. Of whom? Thy Lord, take heed, for if I be a Iudge I shall condemne thee ere thou speake. You may, But I accuse my selfe, and of an iniurie To you. To mee? Too great to be forgiuen. My loue to him thou seru'st, hath found a pardon Already for it, be it an offence Against my life. For his sake, you must punish, Deare Madam, I haue finn'd against his Ghost, In my deceiuing you. His Ghost? And if. His Soule hath not forgotten how he loued you, I must expect him to affight my dreames. And prooue my waking euill, the truth is, My Lord is dead. How dead? when? where? did I Not heare thee say, since I receiu'd his Letter, He was aliue? No Madam. Be not impious. I said that neither death, nor any blacke Misfortune had befalne him, since I gaue The Letter to you. Grant this truth, I am Secur'd agen. 'Las he was dead before, I'm sure you could not chuse but heare as much, It was my wickednesse arriu'd, to mocke Your credulous heart, with a deuised Letter, I know you are in wonder, what should moue mee, To this imposture, sure it was no malice, For you nere iniur'd me, and that doth make My crime the more deform'd, all my ayme was, Beeing a stranger here, and wanting meanes After my Lords death, by this cunning, to Procure some bounty from you, to sustaine My life, vntill by some good fortune, I Might get another Master, for I knew There was no hope to benefit my selfe, By saying he was dead, good Heauen forgiue me And keepe my eyes from weeping. Thou hast vndone me, Like a most cruell boy. Madam, I hope I shall repaire the ruines of your eye, When I declare the cause, that leades me to This strange confession, I haue obseru'd The Duke does loue you, loue you in that way, You can deserue him, and though I haue sinn'd, I am not stubborne in my fault, to suffer you, In the beliefe of my deceitfull story, To wrong your fortune, by neglect of him, Can bring your merit such addition, Of state and title. Doest thou mocke agen? Heauen knowes, I haue no thought of such impiety, If you will not beleeue, that for your sake I haue betrayed my selfe, yet be so charitable, To thinke it something of my duty, to The Duke, whose ends, while they are just, and noble, All loyall Subiects, ought to serue, for him. Whom I am bound to honour, and I loue him, Else may I neuer know one dayof comfort, I durst not without guilt of treason, to His chast desires, deceiue you any longer, Collect your selfe deere Madam, in the graue, There dwels no musicke, in the Dukes embrace You meete a perfect happinesse.