Preston, Thomas · published 1570 · first performed or written 1561 [c.1558-1569] (Annals) tragedy T38 Death, parting and grief at court typicality 0.81 · 480 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T38: queen, king, death, dead, heart, life, die, lord, royal, news.
O mighty King your grace behest, with sorrow I have scanned. And brought my Child fro mother's knee, before you to appear: And she thereof no whit doth know that he in place is here. Set him up my mark to be, I will shoot at his heart: I beseech your grace not so to do, set this pretence a part. Farewell my dear and loving babe, come kiss thy father dear: A grievous sight to me it is, to see thee slain even here. Is this the gain now from the King for giving council good: Before my face with such despite, to spill my sons heart blood? O heavy day to me this is, and mother in like case. O Father, Father, wipe your face. I see the tears run from your eye: My mother is at home sowing of a band: Alas dear father, why do you cry? Before me as mark now let him stand, I will shoot at him my mind to fulfil Alas, alas, Father will you me kill? Good master king do not shoot at me, my mother loves me best of all I have dispatched him, down he doth fall, As right as a line his heart I have hit: Nay thou shalt see Praxaspes, stranger news yet. My Knight with speed his heart cut out, and give it unto me. It shallbe done (O mighty king) with all celereity. My Lord Praxaspes, this had not been, but your tongue must be walking To the King of correction, you must needs be talking. No correction (my Lord) but council for the best: Here is the heart, according to your grace's behest. Behold Praxaspes thy Sons own heart, O how well the same was hit After this wine to do this deed, I thought it very fit. Esteem thou mayst right well thereby, no drunkard is the king: That in the midst of all his cups, could do this valiant thing. My Lord and knight on me attend, to Palace we will go: And leave him here to take his son, when we are gone him fro. With all our hearts we give consent, to wait upon your grace: A woeful man (O Lord) am I, to see him in this case. My days I déem desires their end, this deed will help me hence: To have the blossoms of my field, destroyed by violence. Alas, Alas I do hear tell, the King hath killed my Son: If it be so, woe worth the deed, that ever it was done. It is even so, my Lord I see, how by him he doth weep What meant I that from hands of him, this child I did not keep? Alas husband and Lord, what did you mean, to fetch this Child away? O Lady wife I little thought for to háue seen this day.
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)
O mightie King your grace beheſt, with ſorow I haue ſcand. And brought my Childe fro mothers knée, before you to appeer: And ſhe therof no whit dooth knowe that he in place is héer. Set him vp my mark to be, I wil ſhoot at his hart: I beſéech your grace not ſo to doo, ſet this pretence a parte. Farewel my déer and loouing babe, come kiſſe thy father déer: A gréeuous ſight to me it is, to ſée thée ſlain euen héer. Is this the gain now from the King for giuing councel good: Before my face with ſuch deſpight, to ſpil my ſonnes hart blood? O heuy day to me this is, and mother in like caſe. O Father, Father, wipe your face. I ſée the teares run from your eye: My mother is at home ſowing of a band: Alas déer father, why doo you cry? Before me as mark now let him ſtand, I wil ſhoot at him my minde to fulfil Alas, alas, Father wil you me kil? Good maſter king doo not ſhoot at me, my mother looues me beſt of all I haue diſpatched him, down he dooth fall, As right as a line his hart I haue hit: Nay thou ſhalt ſée Praxaſpes, ſtraunger newes yet. My Knight with ſpéed his hart cut out, and giue it vnto me. It ſhalbe doon (O mightie king) with all ſeleritie. My Lord Praxaſpes, this had not béen, but your tung muſt be walking To the King of correction, you muſt néeds be talking. No correction (my Lord) but councel for the beſt: Héere is the hart, according to your graces beheſt. Beholde Praxaſpes thy Sonnes owne hart, Oh how wel ye ſame was hit After this wine to doo this déed, I thought it very fit. Eſtéeme thou maiſt right wel therby, no drūkard is the king: That in the midſt of all his cups, could doo this valiant thing. My Lord and knight on me attend, to Pallaice we wil go: And leaue him héer to take his ſonne, whē we are gone him fro. With all our harts we giue conſent, to wait vpon your grace: A woful man (O Lord) am I, to ſee him in this caſe. My dayes I déem deſires their end, this déed wil help me hēce: To haue the bloſſoms of my féeld, deſtroyd by violence. Alas, Alas I doo heare tel, the King hath kild my Sonne: If it be ſo, wo worth the déed, that euer it was doon. It is euen ſo, my Lord I ſee, how by him he dooth wéep What ment I yt from hands of him, this childe I did not kéep? Alas huſband and Lord, what did you meane, to fetch this Child away? O Lady wife I little thought for to háue ſéen this day.