The Bloody Brother (Rollo, Duke of Normandy) · chunk 6 of 39
Fletcher, John / Field, Nathan / Massinger, Philip · published 1640 · first performed or written 1617 [revised 1627-1630] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men unassigned nearest T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour · 491 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
'tis not for myself But for you Mother; you are now engaged In more than lies in your unquestioned virtue. For since you have disarmed me of defence, Should I fall now, though by his hand, the world May say it was your practice. All worlds perish Before my piety turns treasons parent. Take it again, and stand upon your guard, And while your brother is, continue armed. And yet this fear is needless, for I know My Rollo, though he dares as much as man, So tender of his yet untainted valour, So noble, that he dares do nothing basely. You doubt him, he fears you, I doubt and fear Both, for others safety not my own. Know yet my sons when of necessity You must deceive or be deceived, 'tis better To suffer treason then to act the traitor; And in a war like this, in which the glory Is his that's overcome. consider then What 'tis for which you strive, is it the Dukedom, Or the command of these so ready subjects? Desire of wealth, or whatsoe'er else Fires your ambition? 'tis still desperate madness, To kill the people which you would be Lords of, With fire and sword to lay that country waste, Whose rule you seek for, to consume the treasures Which are the sinews of your government, In cherishing the factions that destroy it. Far, far be this from you, make it not questioned, Whither you can have interest in that Dukedom, Whose ruin both contend for. I desire But to enjoy my own which I will keep. And rather than posterity shall have cause To say I ruined all, divide the Dukedom, I will accept the moiety. I embrace it. Divide me first or tear me limb by limb, And let them, find as many several graves As there are Villages in Normandy, And 'tis less sin, than so to weaken it. To hear it mentioned doth already make me Envy my dead Lord, and almost blaspheme Those powers which heard my prayers for fruitfulness, And did not with my first birth close my womb. To me alone, my second blessing proves my first, My first of misery, for if heaven That gave me Rollo, there had stayed his bounty, And Otto my dear Otto ne'er had been, Or being, had not been so worth my love, The stream of my affection had run constant In one fair current, all my hopes had been Laid up in one, and fruitful Normandy In this division had not lost her glories. For as 'tis now 'tis a fair diamond Which being preserved entire exceeds all value, But cut in pieces, (though these pieces are Set in fine gold by the best workman's cunning) Parts with all estimation: so this Dukedom As 'tis yet whole, the neighbouring Kings may covet But cannot compass, which divided will Become the spoil of every barbarous foe That will invade it.
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)
Tis not for my selfe But for you Mother; you are now engag'd In more then lies in your unquestion'd vertue. For since you have disarm'd me of defence, Should I fall now, though by his hand, the world May say it was your practise. All worlds perish Before my pietie turnes treasons parent. Take it againe, and stand upon your guard, And while your brother is, continue arm'd. And yet this feare is needlesse, for I knowe My Rollo, though he dares as much as man, So tender of his yet untainted valour, So noble, that he dares doe nothing basely. You doubt him, he feares you, I doubt and feare Both, for others safety not my owne. Know yet my sonnes when of necessity You must deceive or be deceiv'd, 'tis better To suffer treason then to act the traytor; And in a war like this, in which the glory Is his that's overcome. consider then What tis for which you strive, is it the Dukedome, Or the command of these so ready subjects? Desire of wealth, or whatsoere else Fires your ambition? 'tis still desperate madnesse, To kill the people which you would be Lords of, With fire and sword to lay that countrey wast, Whose rule you seek for, to consume the treasures Which are the sinewes of your government, In cherishing the factions hat destroy it. Far, far be this from you, make it not question'd, Whither you can have interest in that Dukedome, Whose ruine both contend for. I desire But to enjoy my owne which I will keep. And rather then posteritie shall have cause To say I ruin'd all, divide the Dukedome, I will accept the moietie. I embrace it. Divide me first or teare me limb by limb, And let them, find as many severall graves As there are Villages in Normandy, And 'tis lesse sinne, then so to weaken it. To heare it mention'd doth already make me Envy my dead Lord, and almost blaspheme Those powers which heard my prayers for fruitfulnesse, And did not with my first birth close my wombe. To me alone, my second blessing proves my first, My first of misery, for if heaven That gave me Rollo, there had staid his bounty, And Otto my deere Otto nere had been, Or being, had not been so worth my love, The streame of my affection had run constant In one faire current, all my hopes had been Laid up in one, and fruitfull Normandy In this division had not lost her glories. For as 'tis now 'tis a faire dyamond Which being preserv'd intire exceeds all value, But cut in peeces, (though these peeces are Set in fine gold by the best workmans cunning) Parts with all estimation: so this Dukedome As tis yet whole, the neighbouring Kings may covet But cannot compasse, which divided will Become the spoile of every barbarous foe That will invade it.