Sicily and Naples, or The Fatal Union · chunk 28 of 38
Harding, Samuel · published 1640 · first performed or written 1640 (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 505 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
'twill be a glory to thee after death That thou wert friendships martyr, a title Will sit upon thy tomb, richer than all Thy Heraldry; more lasting than thy marble. To show how far, I can prefer him to myself, I am content this honour should be his. False to thy friend, and virtue! that only cam'st To mock calamity, and midst our wrongs Remain our greatest in jury. Mistake me not, I only did prepare you for a joy, Which now you're ripe for:— know then, 'T returned Him scorn for all his flattering promises; And stood resolved t'encounter with his fury, Made hot by my disdain. Miracle of friendship. Since 'tis decreed that one of us must fall, And only one, my death shall free us both From the law's rigour, enjoy your best Valenzo, Enjoy him long, may you (a happy pair) Grow like two neighbouring roses on one stalk, Partaking mutually each others sweets; Whence no rude hand approach to ravish you, But when you are full blown, and ripe for heaven, May you fall gently both into one grave, There lie entombed in your own odours. Piero, thou go'st To heaven, to be the envy of the Saints; For when thou com'st where those blessed troops reside, No man shall ere direct a vow, or prayer, But unto thee!— Valenzo take thy friend, Take him unto thy bosom, he has so much Of heaven in him, I fear he can scarce die. Is it your fear, madam? can he deserve less in Your fair opinion, than to be thought immortal? That death at length should boast a victory o'er so much goodness.— Methinks (Piero) Thou shouldst for ever stand a rich example, To all mankind, who in thy fall will sicken, And die to virtue; enjoy the happiness Of thine own fate; I will not rob thee of One precious minute; live till time has poured A reverend snow upon thy head.— But justice must be satisfied. I'll bow myself beneath the stroke. To slay The innocent, is not to expiate, But make a crime, preserve thyself entire To thy Charintha, King, and Country. What! And betray my friend to death? To what I have deserved. 'twas thy too forward zeal, and a ripe spirit. That spurred thee on to action, thou didst it for Thy friend, for me, and had not justice been Wronged in't, the honour had been mine, why not The shame? You must not, shall not die. No more! 'Twill prove a breach of friendship else, I must not, Shall not die: my honour suffers double, Thou wouldst foil me both in love, and valour. Pity these tears. Or in thy ruin I Am lost. Justice requires but one, her fate Is so involved in yours, you cannot fall, But in it she must find a certain death; Think then, how can you satisfy the law? Far easier than you, in whose sad loss The whole world suffers, and in thy unripe fall loses all goodness.
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)
T'will be a glory to thee after death That thou wert friendſhips martyr, a title Will ſit upon thy tombe, richer than all Thy Heraldry; more laſting than thy marble. To ſhew how farre, I can preferre him to My ſelfe, I am content this honour ſhould be his. Falſe to thy friend, and vertue! that onely cam'ſt To mocke calamitie, and midſt our wrongs Remaine our greateſt in jurie. Miſtake mee not, I onely did prepare you for a joy, Which now you're ripe for:—know then, 'T return'd Him ſcorne for all his flattering promiſes; And ſtood reſolv'd t'incounter with his fury, Made hot by my diſdaine. Miracle of friendſhip. Since 'tis decreed that one of us muſt fall, And onely one, my death ſhall free us both From the lawes rigour, enjoy your beſt Valenzo, Enjoy him long, may you (a happy paire) Grow like two neighbouring roſes on one ſtalke, Partaking mutually each others ſweetes; Whence no rude hand approach to raviſh you, But when you are full blowne, and ripe for heaven, May you fall gently both into one grave, There lye intomb'd in your owne odours. Piero, thou go'ſt To heaven, to be the envy of the Saints; For when thou com'ſt where thoſe bleſt troopes reſide, No man ſhall ere direct a vow, or prayer, But unto thee! — Valenzo take thy friend, Take him unto thy boſome, he has ſo much Of heaven in him, I feare he can ſcarce die. Is it your feare, Madame? can he deſerve leſſe in Your faire opinion, than to be thought immortall? That death at length ſhould boaſt a victory O're ſo much goodneſſe. — Methinkes (Piero) Thou ſhould'ſt for ever ſtand a rich example, To all mankind, who in thy fall will ſicken, And dye to vertue; injoy the happineſſe Of thine owne fate; I will not rob thee of One precious minute; live till time has powr'd A reverend ſnow upon thy head.— But juſtice muſt be ſatisfied. I'le bow my ſelfe beneath the ſtroake. To ſlay The innocent, is not to expiate, But make a crime, preſerve thy ſelfe entire To thy Charintha, King, and Country. What! And betray my friend to death? To what I have deſerv'd. T'was thy too forward zeale, and a ripe ſpirit. That ſpur'd thee on to action, thou didſt it for Thy friend, for mee, and had not juſtice bin Wrong'd in't, the honour had bin mine, why not The ſhame? You muſt not, ſhall not die. No more! 'Twill prove a breach of friendſhip elſe, I muſt not, Shall not die: my honour ſuffers double, Thou wouldſt foyle mee both in love, and valour. Pitty theſe teares. Or in thy ruine I Am loſt. Juſtice requires but one, her fate Is ſo involv'd in yours, you cannot fall, But in it ſhee muſt finde a certaine death; Thinke then, how can you ſatisfie the law? Farre eaſier than you, in whoſe ſad loſſe The whole world ſuffers, and in thy untipe fall Looſes all goodneſſe.