Berkeley, William · published 1638 · first performed or written 1637 [1637-1638] (Annals) not in BritDrama T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.78 · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
The Physician you sent for waits without. Bring him in, and stay in the next room. You are welcome: I must employ your trust and Secrecy in something that concerns me. You must Procure me instantly a powerful poison. My Lord! Nay, no ceremonies of denial. I give you My Intents, not to be disputed, but obeyed. I know You walk not frequently in these rough ways; But 'tis not want of knowledge, but your will, Makes you decline them. My Lord, I have observed you long, and see you Wear your life like something you would fain Put off. I will not undertake to counsel you, in That your nearest friends have oft attempted, Without success: yet if my life should issue With the words I now will utter, I'll boldly tell Your Grace, I will not be a means to cut your Days off, to make mine happy ever. I did expect this from you; and to inform you Briefly, know, though I do loathe my life, I will Not part with't willingly, till it does serve Me to revenge my wrongs: and to'o assure you more, I will not use your Art against myself: Let Your composition procure the greatest torture Poison can force, for I must use it upon one Our Laws cannot condemn; because the circumstance That makes him guilty cannot be produced, but With expense of time, and my revenge will not admit it. By my honour this is the cause. If I were sure your enemies should only try The effects of what I can do in your service, The horrid'st tortures Treason e'er justified, Should not exceed the sufferings of those Should take the poison I can bring you. Bring it me instantly; and if the pains of Hell Can be felt here, let your ingredients call them up. If his life were only my aim and end, whilst I do wear this, I'd not implore your aid; But I must set him on the rack, that there he May confess my inquisition justice. An hour returns me with your commands Performed— yet I'll observe you farther. So, this is the first degree to my revenge, Which I will prosecute till I have made All that were guilty of my loss of peace, Wash their impiety in their guilty blood. All places where I meet them shall be Altars, On which I'll sacrifice the Murderers, To appease the spirit of my injured Mistress: And the last Victim I will fall myself Upon her sacred Tomb, to expiate The crimes I have committed in deferring Justice thus long. This cursed Magician Shall be the first, she did reveal our loves; MILESIA said she did; and if it were Her blessed spirit, nothing but truth dwells in't. If 'twere a phantom raised by her foul spells; She pays the fault of her abusing me, Insidiating with my MILESIA'S form, To search, and then betray my resolution Of serving my best friend: how now?
nodes 1945–2006 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 32 of 42 in this edition
Length
499 words · 619 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.780 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T7 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
The Physitian you sent for waits without. Bring him in, and stay in the next roome. You are welcome: I must imploy your trust and Secresie in something that concernes me. You must Procure me instantly a powerfull poison. My Lord! Nay, no ceremonies of deniall. I give you My Intents, not to be disputed, but obeyed. I know You walke not frequently in these rongh waies; But 'tis not want of knowledge, but your will, Makes you decline them. My Lord, I have observ'd you long, and see you Weare your life like something you would faine Put off. I will not undertake to counsell you, in That your nearest friends have oft attempted, Without successe: yet if my life should issue With the words I now will utter, Ile boldly tell Your Grace, I will not be a meanes to cut your Daies off, to make mine happy ever. I did expect this from you; and to enforme you Briefely, know, though I doe loath my life, I will Not part with't willingly, till it does serve Me to revenge my wrongs: and to'assure you more, I will not use your Art against my selfe: Let Your composition procure the greatest torture Poison can force, for I must use it upon one Our Lawes cannot condemne; because the circumstance That makes him guilty cannot be produc't, but With expence of time, and my revenge will not admit it. By my honour this is the cause. If I were sure your enemies should onely trie The effects of what I can doe in your service, The horrid'st tortures Treason e're justified, Should not exceed the suff'rings of those Should take the poison I can bring you. Bring it me instantly; and if the paines of Hell Can be felt here, let your ingredients call them up. If his life were onely my aime and end, whilst I doe weare this, I'de not implore your aide; But I must set him on the racke, that there he May confesse my inquisition justice. An houre returnes me with your commands Perform'd—yet I'le observe you farther. So, this is the first degree to my revenge, Which I will prosecute till I have made All that were guilty of my losse of peace, Wash their impiety in their guilty bloud. All places where I meete them shall be Altars, On which I'le sacrifice the Murtherers, To appease the spirit of my injur'd Mistresse: And the last Victime I will fall my selfe Upon her sacred Tombe, to expiate The crimes I have committed in deferring Justice thus long. This curs'd Magitian Shall be the first, she did reveale our loves; MILESIA said she did; and if it were Her blessed spirit, nothing but truth dwels in't. Iftwere a fantosme rais'd by her foule spels; She paies the fault of her abusing me, Insidiating with my MILESIA'S forme, To search, and then betray my resolution Of serving my best friend: how now?