The Noble Spanish Soldier (The Noble Soldier, or A Contract Broken Justly Revenged) · chunk 4 of 27
Dekker, Thomas · published 1634 · first performed or written 1622 (Annals) tragedy · Unknown T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.81 · 518 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
This way for her, the Contract which thou hast By best advice of all our Cardinals, Today shall be enlarged, till it be made Past all dissolving: then to our counsel-table Shall she be called, that read aloud, she told The Church commands her quick return for Florence, With such a dower as Spain received with her, And that they will not hazard heavens dire curse To yield to a match unlawful, which shall taint, The issue of the King with Bastardy: This done, in state Majestic come you forth (Our new crowned Queen) in sight of all our Peers: Are you resolved? To doubt of this were Treason, Because the King has sworn it. And will keep it: Deliver up the Contract then, that I May make this day end with thy misery. Here, as the dearest jewel of my fame, Locked I this parchment from all viewing eyes, This your Indenture held alone the life Of my supposed dead honour; yet (behold) Into your hands I redeliver it. Oh keep it, Sir, as you should keep that vow, To which (being signed by heaven) even Angels bow. 'tis in the Lions paw, and who dares snatch it? Now to your Beads and Crucifix again. Defend me heaven! Pray there may come Ambassadors from France, Their followers are good Customers. Save me from madness! 'Twill raise the price, being the king's Mistress. You do but counterfeit to mock my joys. Away bold strumpet. Are there eyes in heaven to see this? Call and try, here's a whore's curse, To fall in that belief which her sin's nurse. How now? what quarter of the Moon has she cut out now? my Lord puts me into a wise office, to be a mad woman's keeper: why madam! Ha! where is the King, thou slave? Let go your hold, or I'll fall upon you as I am a man. Thou treacherous caitiff, where's the King? he's gone, but not so far gone as you are. Crack all in sunder, oh you Battlements, And grind me into powder. What powder? come, what powder? when did you ever see a woman grinded into powder? I am sure some of your sex powder men and pepper 'em too. Is there a vengeance Yet lacking to my ruin? let it fall, Now let it fall upon me? No, there has too much fall'n upon you already. Thou villain, leave thy hold, I'll follow him: Like a raised ghost I'll haunt him, break his sleep, Fright him as he's embracing his new Leman, Till want of rest bids him run mad and die, For making oaths Bawds to his perjury. Pray be more seasoned, if he made any Bawds he did ill, for there is enough of that fly-blown flesh already. I'm now left naked quite: All's gone, all, all. No Madam, not all, for you cannot be rid of me: Here comes your Uncle. Attired in robes of vengeance, Are you, Uncle? More horrors yet? 'twas never full till now; And in this torrent all my hopes lie drowned. Instruct me in the cause.
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Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
This way for her, the Contract which thou hast By best advice of all our Cardinals, To day shall be enlarg'd, till it be made Past all dissolving: then to our Counsell-Table Shall she be call'd, that read aloud, she told The Church commands her quicke returne for Florenee, With such a dower as Spaine received with her, And that they will not hazard heavens dire curse To yeeld to a match unlawfull, which shall taint, The issue of the King with Bastardy: This done, in state Majesticke come you forth (Our new crown'd Queene) in sight of all our Peeres: Are you resolv'd? To doubt of this were Treason, Because the King has sworne it. And will keepe it: Deliver up the Contract then, that I May make this day end with thy misery. Here, as the dearest Iewell of my fame, Lock'd I this parchment from all viewing eyes, This your Indenture held alone the life Of my suppos'd dead honour; yet (behold) Into your hands I redeliver it. Oh keepe it, Sir, as you should keepe that vow, To which (being sign'd by heaven) even Angels bowe. Tis in the Lions paw, and who dares snatch it? Now to your Beads and Crucifix agen. Defend me heaven! Pray there may come Embassadors from France, Their followers are good Customers. Save me from madnesse! 'Twill raise the price, being the Kings Mistris. You doe but counterfeit to mocke my joyes. Away bold strumpet. Are there eyes in heaven to see this? Call and try, here's a whores curse, To fall in that beleefe which her sinnes nurse. How now? what quarter of the Moone has she cut out now? my Lord puts me into a wise office, to be a mad womans keeper: why madam! Ha! where is the King, thou slave? Let go your hold, or I'le fall upon you as I am a man. Thou treacherous caitiffe, where's the King? Hee's gone, but not so farre gone as you are. Cracke all in sunder, oh you Battlements, And grind me into powder. What powder? come, what powder? when did you ever see a woman grinded into powder? I am sure some of your sex powder men and pepper 'em too. Is there a vengegnce Yet lacking to my ruine? let it fall, Now let it fall upon me? No, there has too much falne upon you already. Thou villaine, leave thy hold, I'le follow him: Like a rais'd ghost I'le haunt him, breake his sleepe, Fright him as hee's embracing his new Leman, Till want of rest bids him runne mad and dye, For making oathes Bawds to his perjury. Pray be more season'd, if he made any Bawds he did ill, for there is enough of that flye-blowne flesh already. I'me now left naked quite: All's gone, all, all. No Madam, not all, for you cannot be rid of mee: Here comes your Vncle. Attir'd in robes of veneeance, Are you, Vncle? More horrors yet? Twas never full till now; And in this torrent all my hopes lye drown'd. Instruct me in the cause.