The Ladies' Privilege (The Lady's Privilege) · chunk 24 of 31
Glapthorne, Henry · published 1640 · first performed or written 1637 [1637-1640] (Annals) not in BritDrama · before the Court unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
This strictness destroys all Right of manhood, since a coward May fearfully relying on this suffrage Of Law affront even valour's self, consider That the most cunning Pilot cannot steer man's Brittle vessel twixt these dangerous Rocks Of law and honour safely, sail by this, And on that suffer ship wrack, for suppose I had with patience borne this scandalous name Of a degenerate coward, I not only had Nipped the budding valour of my youth, As with a killing frost, but left a shame inherent To our family, disgraced My noble father's memory, defamed Nay cowarded my Ancestors, whose dust, Would 'a broke through the Marbles, to revenge To me this fatal infamy. Well urged, and resolutely. Nay more, yourselves That hate the deed being done; would have detested The doer worse had it not been performed Withdrawn my charge i'th' army; as from one Protested for a coward, I might then Have abjured the trade of war, in which I have been nursed, Yet for preserving this unvalued gem Of precious honour that hangs on my soul, Like a well polished jewel in the care, Of the exactest beauty, must I suffer The laws stern rigor. Sir I should refute With circumstance your wrong opinion, but in brief, Religious conscience, utterly disclaims An act so barbarous to take man's life, Is to destroy heaven's Image, and if those Are held as Traitors, and the law inflicts Severest tortures on them, who deface The stamps of Princes in their coin, can they appear, As guiltless whose rude hands disgrace The great creator's Image, and commit Treason 'gainst awful nature; Oh my Lord Collect your serious temper, and put off The over weening fantasies of youth, Consider what a vain deluding breath Is reputation, if compared with life. Think that an idle, or detracting word May by a fair submission (which our laws Of honour do require it will enforce) Be washed away, but the red guilt of blood Sticks as a black infection to the soul, That like an Aethiop cannot be washed white, Think upon this, and know I must with grief pronounce your fatal sentence.— Do you hear General, I'll tell you news, you were in jeopardy to have had your little weasand slit; but I pronounce The happy word, be safe; his piece of beauty, By my persuasions does intend to take The edge of law off, and become your wife, True and inseparable. With reverence to this presence, my good Lords, Know that I come not urged by heat of youth. 'tis true I'll bear her witness. Or any wanton or unchaste desire To beg this gentleman for my husband, neither To raise myself a fortune by the match, But moved in charity, and provoked in mind, With pity to behold a man so proper, Brought to an end untimely, by a death So scandalous to honour as the Axe, I come to crave our privilege, and desire him For my most lawful husband.
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)
This strictnesse destroyes all Right of manhood, since a coward May fearefully relying on this sufferage Of Law affront even valors selfe, consider That the most cunning Pilot cannot steere mans Brittle vessell 'twixt these dangerous Rocks Of law and honor safely, sayle by this, And on that suffer ship wracke, for suppose I had with patience borne this scandalous name Of a degenerate coward, I not only had Nip'd the budding valor of my youth, As with a killing frost, but left a shame inherent To our family, disgrac'd My noble fathers memory, defam'd Nay cowarded my Ancestors, whose dust, Would 'a broke through the Marbles, to revenge To me this fatall infamy. Well urg'd, and resolutely. Nay more, your selves That hate the deed being done; would have detested The doer worse had it not beene perform'd Withdrawne my chardge ith' army; as from one Protested for a coward, I might then Have abjur'd the trade of warre, in which I have beene nurs'd, Yet for preserving this unvalued jemme Of pretious honour that hangs on my soule, Like a well polish'd Iewell in the care, Of the exactest beauty, must I suffer The lawes sterne rigor. Sir I should refute With circumstance your wrong opinion, but in briefe, Religious conscience, utterly disclaimes An act so barbarous to take mans life, Is to destroy Heavens Image, and if those Are held as Traytors, and the law inflicts Severest tortures on them, who deface The stamps of Princes in their coyne, can they appeare, As guiltlesse whose rude hands disgrace The great Creators Image, and commit Treason 'gainst awfull nature; Oh my Lord Collect your serious temper, and put off The over weening fantasies of youth, Consider what a vaine deluding breath Is reputation, if compar'd with life. Thinke that an idle, or detracting word May by a faire submission (which our lawes Of honor doe require it will enforce) Be wash'd away, but the red guilt of blood Sticks as a blacke infection to the soule, That like an Aethiop cannot be wash'd white, Thinke upon this, and know I must with griefe pronounce your fatall sentence.— Doe you heare Generall, Ile tell you newes, you were in Ieopardy to have had your little weason slit; but I pronounce The happy word, be safe; his peece of beauty, By my perswasions does intend to take The edge of law off, and become your wife, True and inseparable. With reverence to this presence, my good Lords, Know that I come not urg'd by heate of youth. Tis true Ile beare her witnesse. Or any wanton or unchast desire To beg this gentleman for my husband, neither To raise my selfe a fortune by the match, But mov'd in charity, and provok'd in minde, With pitty to behold a man so proper, Brought to an end untimely, by a death So scandalous to honour as the Axe, I come to crave our priviledge, and desire him For my most lawfull husband.