The Bloody Brother (Rollo, Duke of Normandy) · chunk 35 of 39
Fletcher, John / Field, Nathan / Massinger, Philip · published 1639 · first performed or written 1617 [revised 1627-1630] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.85 · 474 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
It is confirmed. Nor would you Captain, I believe, refuse, Or for respect of thankfulness, or hopes, To use your sword with fullest confidence Where he shall bid you strike. I never have done. Nor will I think. I hope it is not questioned. The means to have it so, is now proposed you Draw, so, 'tis well, and next cut off my head. What means your Lordship? 'Tis sir the Duke's pleasure: My innocence hath made me dangerous, And I must be removed, and you the man Must act his will. I'll be a traitor first, before I serve it thus. It must be done, And that you may not doubt it, there's your warrant But as you read, remember Hamond, that I never wronged one of your brave profession; And, though it be not manly, I must grieve That man of whose love I was most ambitious Could find no object of his hate but me? It is no time to talk now, honoured Sir, Be pleased to hear thy servant, I am wronged, And cannot, being now to serve the Duke, Stay to express the manner how; but if I do not suddenly give you strong proofs, Your life is dearer to me than my own, May I live base, and dye so: Sir your pardon. I am both ways ruined, both ways marked for slaughter On every side, about, behind, before me, My certain fate is fixed: were I a knave now, I could avoid this: had my actions But mere relations to their own ends, I could scape now: Oh honesty! thou elder child of virtue, Thou seed of heaven, why to acquire thy goodness Should malice and distrust stick thorns before us, And make us swim unto thee, hung with hazards? But heaven is got by suffering, not disputing Say he knew this before hand, where am I then? Or say he does not know it, where's my Loyalty? I know his nature, troubled as the Sea, And as the Sea devouring when he's vexed, And I know Princes are their own expounders. Am I afraid of death? of dying nobly? Of dying in mine innocence uprightly? Have I met death in all his forms, and fears, Now on the points of swords, now pitched on lances? In fires, and storms of arrows, battles, breaches, And shall I now shrink from him, when he courts me Smiling and full of Sanctity? I'll meet him; My loyal hand and heart shall give this to him, And though it bear beyond what Poets feign A punishment, duery shall meet that pain; And my most constant heart to do him good, Shall check at neither pale affright, nor blood. The Duchess presently would crave your presence, I come; and Aubrey now resolve to keep Thy honour living, though thy body sleep.
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It is confirm'd. Nor would you Captaine, I believe, refuse, Or for respect of thankefulnesse, or hopes, To use your sword with fullest confidence Where he shall bid you strike. I never have done. Nor will I thinke. I hope it is not question'd. The means to have it so, is now propos'd you Draw, so, 'tis well, and next cut off my head. What meanes your Lordship? 'Tis sir the Dukes pleasure: My innocence hath made me dangerous, And I must be remov'd, and you the man Must act his will. I'le be a traytor first, before I serve it thus. It must be done, And that you may not doubt it, there's your warran But as you read, remember Hamond, that I never wrong'd one of your brave profession; And, though it bee not manly, I must grieve That man of whose love I was most ambitious Could find no object of his hate but me? It is no time to talke now, honor'd Sir, Be pleas'd to heare thy servant, I am wrong'd, And cannot, being now to serve the Duke, Stay to expresse the manner how; but if I doe not suddenly give you strong proofes, Your life is dearer to me than my owne, May I live base, and dye so: Sir your pardon. I am both waies ruin'd, both waies mark't for slaughter On every side, about, behinde, before me, My certaine fate is fix't: were I a knave now, I could avoid this: had my actions But meere relations to their owne ends, I could sape now: Oh honesty! thou elder child of vertue, Thou seed of heaven, why to acquire thy goodnesse Should malice and distrust sticke thornes before us, And make us swim unto thee, hung with hazards? But heaven is got by suffering, not disputing Say he knew this before hand, where am I then? Or say he do's not know it, where's my Loyalty? I know his nature, troubled as the Sea, And as the Sea devouring when he's vex'd, And I know Princes are their own expounders. Am I afraid of death? of dying nobly? Of ding in mine innocence uprightly? Have I met death in all his formes, and feares, Now on the points of swords, now pitch'd on lances? In fires, and stormes of arrows, battels, breaches, And shall I now shrink frō him, when he courts me Smiling and full of Sanctity? I'le meet him; My loyall hand and heart shall give this to him, And though it beare beyond what Poets feigne A punishment, duery shall meet that paine; And my most constant heart to do him good, Shall check at neither pale affright, nor bloud. The Dutchesse presently would crave your presence, I come; and Aubrey now resolve to keep Thy honor living, though thy body sleep.