The Bloody Brother (Rollo, Duke of Normandy) · chunk 16 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 T1 Death, grief and revenge · 491 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
I rest as far from wrong of all 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, His open violence more than treacherous odds In his insatiate thirst of rule Is like to execute. 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 unquench in him, Poisons and such close treasons ask more time Than can suffice his fiery spirits haste, 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 of breath? His swelling blood exhales, and therefore hear What gives my temperate brother cause To use his circumspection, and consult, For remedy 'gainst all his wicked purposes; If he arm, arm, if he strew mines of treason Meet him with countermines, 'tis justice still (For goodness sake) to encounter ill for ill. Avert from us such justice (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 By sleights and colour used by slaves and wretches, I am exempt by birth from both those curbs, And sit 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 innocence. Play not two parts, Treacher and coward both, but yield a sword, And let thy arming thee be odds enough Against my naked bosom. Lose his hold. Forbear base murderer. Forsake our Mother. Mother, do it thou name me, And put off nature thus? Forsake her traitor, Or by the spoil of nature through hers This leads unto thy heart. Hold. Hold me still. For twenty hearts and lives I will not hazard One drop of blood in yours. O thou art lost then. Protect my innocence heaven. Call out murder.
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)
I rest as far from wrong of all syncerenesse, As he flies from the practise, trust me (Madam) I know by their confessions he suborn'd, What I should eat, drink, touch, or only have sented This evening feast was poyson'd, but I feare, His open violence more that trherous odds In his insatiate thirst of rule Is like to execute. Beleeve it sonne, If still his stomack be so foule, to feed On such grosse objects, and that thirst to rule The state alone, be yet unquencht in him, Poysons and such close treasons ask more time Then 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 Madame 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 Rollo's appetites Alter and rage with every puffe of breath? His swelling bloud exhales, and therefore heare What gives my temperate brother cause To use his circumspection, and consult, For remedy gainst all his wicked purposes; If he arme, arme, if he strow mines of treason Meet him with countermines, 'tis justice still (For goodnesse sake) to encounter ill for ill. Avert from us such justice (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 sleep or rest in, Who knowes not all things holy are prevented With ends of all impiety? all but Lust, gaine, ambition. Perish all the world Ere I but loose one foot of possible Empire By sleights and colour us'd by slaves and wretches, I am exempt by birth from both those curbes, And sit above them in all justice; since I sit above in power, where power is givn, Is all the right suppos'd of earth and heaven. Prove both Sir, see the Traitour. He comes arm'd. See mother now your condence. What rage Affects this monster? Give me way or perish. Make thy way Viper if thou thus affet it. This is a Treaon like thee. Let her goe. Embrace me, weare me as thy sheild my sonne, And through my brest let his rude weapon run To thy lives innocence. Play not two parts, Treacher and coward both, but yeeld a sword, And let thy arming thee be odds enough Against my naked bosome. Loose his hold. Forbeare base murtherer. Forsake our Mother. Mother, do it thou name me, And put off nature thus? Forsake her traitour, Or by the spoile of nature through hers This leads unto thy heart. Hold. Hold me still. For twenty hearts and lives I will not hazard One drop of bloud in yours. O thou art lost then. Protect my innocence heaven. Call out murder.