The Bloody Brother (Rollo, Duke of Normandy) · chunk 16 of 39
Fletcher, John / Field, Nathan / Massinger, Philip · published 1639 · first performed or written 1617 [revised 1627-1630] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men unassigned nearest T40 Sin, guilt and violent loss within famil · 503 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T40: brother, death, life, die, heaven, sin, live, father, blood, soul.
So apt is treachery to be excused, That innocence is still aloud abused, The fate of virtue even her friends perverts, To plead for vice oft times against their hearts, Heaven's blessing is her curse, which she must bear That she may never love. Alas, my son, nor fate, nor heaven itself, Can or would wrest my whole care of your good To any least secureness in your ill: What I urge issues from my curious fear; Lest you should make your means to scape your snare, Doubt of sincereness is the only mean Not to incense it, but corrupt it clean. I rest as far from wrong of sincereness, As he flies from the practice, trust me Madam, I know by their confessions, he suborned, What I should eat, drink, touch, or only have scented, This evening feast was poisoned, but I fear This open violence more, that treacherous odds Which he in his insatiate thirst of rule Is like to excute. Believe it Son, If still his stomach be so foul to feed On such gross objects, and that thirst to rule The state alone be yet unquenched in him, Poisons and such close treasons ask more time Than can suffice his fiery spirits hast: And were there in him such desire to hide So false a practice, there would likewise rest Conscience and fear in him'of open force, And therefore close nor open you need fear. Good Madam, stand not so inclined to trust What proves his tenderest thoughts to doubt it just, Who knows not the unbounded flood and sea, In which my brother Rollo's appetites Alter and rage with every puff and breath, His swelling blood exhales, and therefore hear, What gives my temperate brother cause to use His readiest circumspection, and consult For remedy against all his wicked purposes; If he arm, arm, if he strew mines of treason, Meet him with countermines, it is justice still (For goodness sake) t'encounter ill with ill. Avert from us such jnstice, equal heaven, And all such cause of justice. Past all doubt (For all the sacred privilege of night) This is no time for us to sleep or rest in; Who knows not all things holy are prevented With ends of all impiety, all but Lust, gain, ambition. Perish all the world Ere I but lose one foot of possible Empire, Be slights and colour used by slaves and wretches I am exempt by birth from both these curbs, And since above them in all justice, since I sit above in power, where power is given, Is all the right supposed of earth and heaven. Prove both sir, see the traitor. He comes armed, see Mother, now your confidence. What rage affects this monster? Give me way or perish. Make thy way viper, if thou thus affect it. This is a treason like thee. Let her go. Embrace me, wear me as thy shield, my son; And through my breast let his rude weapon run, To thy lives innoscence.
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)
So apt is treachery to be excused, That innocence is still aloud abused, The fate of vertue even her friends perverts, To plead for vice oft times against their hearts, Heavens blessing is her curse, which she must beare That she may never love. Alas, my sonne, nor fate, nor heaven it selfe, Can or would wrest my whole care of your good To any least securenesse in your ill: What I urge issues from my curious feare; Least you should make your meanes to scape your snare, Doubt of sincerenesse is the onely meane Not to insence it, but corrupt it cleane. I rest as farre from wrong of sincerenesse, As he flyes from the practice, trust me Madam, I know by their confessions, he subborn'd, What I should eate, drinke, touch, or onely have scented, This evening feast was poysoned, but I feare This open violence more, that treacherous oddes Which he in his insaiate thirst of rule Is like to excute. Beleeve it Sonne If still his stomacke be so foule to feede On such grosse objects, and that thirst to rule The state alone be yet unquench'd in him, Poysons and such close treasons aske more time Than can suffice his fiery spirits hast: And were there in him such desire to hide So false a practise, there would likewise rest Conscience and feare in him'of open force, And therefore close nor open you need feare. Good Madam, stand not so inclin'd to trust What proves his tendrest thoughts to doubt it just, Who knowes not the unbounded flood and sea, In which my brother Rolloes appetites Alter and rage with every puffe and breath, His swelling blood exhales, and therefore heare, What gives my temperate broher cause to use His readiest circumspection, and consult For remedy against all his wicked purposes; If he arme, arme, if he strew mines of treason, Meete him with countermines, it is justice stll (For goodnesse sake) t'encounter ill with ill. Avert from us such jnstice, equall heaven, And all such cause of justice. Past all doubt (For all the sacred priviledge of night) This is no time for us to sleepe or rest in; Who knowes not all things holy are prevented With ends of all impietie, all but Lust, gaine, ambition. Perish all the world Ere I but loose one foote of possible Empire, Be slights and colour us'd by slaves and wretches I am exempt by birth from both these curbes, And since above them in all justice, since I sit above in power, where power is given, Is all the right suppos'd of earth and heaven. Prove both sir, see the traytor. He comes armed, see Mother, now your cnfidence. What rage affects this monster? Give me way or perish. Make thy way viper, if thou thus affect it. This is a treason like thee. Let her goe. Embrace me, weare me as thy shield, my sonne; And through my breast let his rude weapon runne, To thy lives innoscence.