Whetstone, George · published 1578 · first performed or written 1578 [1576-1579] (Annals) comedy · Unacted T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.77 · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
O happy time, see where Lord Promos comes? Now tongue address thyself, my mind to wray. And yet least haste work waste, I hold it best, In covert, for some advantage, to stay. 'tis strange to think, what swarms of unthrifts live, Within this town, by rapine spoil and theft: That were it not, that justice oft them grieve, The just man's goods, by Ruflers should be reft. At this our Size, are thirty judged to die, Whose falls I see, their fellows smally fear: So that the way, is by severity Such wicked weeds, even by the roots to tear: Wherefore Sheriff, execute with speedy pace, The damned wights, to cut of hope of Grace. It shallbe done. O cruel words they make my heart to bleed, Now, now, I must, this doom seek to revoke, Lest grace come short, when starved is the steed: Most mighty Lord, & worthy judge, thy judgement sharp abate, vail thou thine ears, to hear the plaint, that wretched I relate, Behold the woeful Sister here, of poor Andrugio, Whom though that law awardeth death, yet mercy do him show: Way his young years, the force of love, which forced his amis, Way, way, that Marriage, works amendss, for what committed is, He hath defiled no nuptial bed, nor forced rape hath moved, He fell through love, who never meant, but wive the wight he loved. And wantoness sure, to keep in awe, these statutes first were made, Or none but lust full lechers, should, with rygrous law be paid. And yet to add intent thereto, is far from my pretence, I sue with tears, to win him grace, that sorrows his offence. Wherefore herein, renowned Lord, justice with pity poise: Which two in equal balance weighed, to heaven your fame will raise. Cassandra, leave of thy bootless suit, by law he hath been tried, Law found his fault, Law judged him death: Yet this may be replied, That law a mischief often permits, to keep due form of law, That law small faults, with greatest dooms, to keep men still in axe: Yet Kings, or such as execute, regal authority: If mends be made, may over rule, the force of law with mercy. Here is no wilful murder wrought, which asketh blood again, Andrugio's fault may valued be, Marriage wipes out his stain. Fair Dame, I see the natural zeal, thou bearest to Andrugio, And for thy sake (not his desert) this favour will I show: I will reprieve him yet a while, and on the matter pause, To morrow you shall licence have, a fresh to plead his cause: Sheriff execute my charge, but stay Andrugio, Until that you in this behalf, more of my pleasure know. I will perform your will: O most worthy Magistrate, myself thy thrall I find. Even for this little lightning hope, which at thy hands I find. Now will I go and comfort him, which hangs twixt death & life.
nodes 214–264 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 5 of 21 in this edition
Length
495 words · 682 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.770 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Oh happy tyme, ſee where Lord Promos coms? Now tongue addreſſe thy ſelfe, my minde to wray. And yet leaſt haſte worke waſte, I hold it beſt, In couert, for ſome aduauntage, to ſtay. Tis ſtrange to thinke, what ſwarms of vnthrifts liue, Within this towne, by rapine ſpoyle and theft: That were it not, that Iuſtice ofte them gréeue, The iuſt mans goods, by Ruflers ſhould be reft. At this our Syſe, are thirty iudgde to dye, Whoſe falles I ſée, their fellowes ſmally feare: So that the way, is by ſeuerity Such wicked weedes, euen by the rootes to teare: Wherefore Shriefe, execute with ſpéedy pace, The dampned wightes, to cutte of hope of Grace. It ſhalbe done. O cruell words they make my hart to bleede, Now, now, I muſt, this dome ſeeke to reuoke, Leaſt grace come ſhort, when ſtarued is the ſteede: Moſt mighty Lord, & worthy Iudge, thy iudgemēt ſharpe abate, Vaile thou thine eares, to heare the plaint, that wretched I relate, Behold the wofull Syſter here, of poore Andrugio, Whom though that lawe awardeth death, yet mercy do him ſhow: Way his yong yeares, the force of loue, which forced his amis, Way, way, that Mariage, works amends, for what committed is, He hath defilde no nuptial bed, nor forced rape hath mou'd, He fel through loue, who neuer ment, but wiue ye wight he lou'd. And wātons ſure, to keepe in awe, theſe ſtatutes firſt were made, Or none but luſt full leachers, ſhould, with rygrous law be payd. And yet to adde intent thereto, is farre from my pretence, I ſue with teares, to wyn him grace, that ſorrows his offence. Wherefore herein, renowned Lorde, Iuſtice with pitie payſe: Which two in equal ballance waide, to heauē your fame will raiſe. Caſſandra, leaue of thy bootleſſe ſute, by law he hath bene tride, Lawe founde his faulte, Lawe iudgde him death: Yet this maye be replide, That law a miſchiefe oft permits, to keepe due forme of lawe, That lawe ſmall faultes, with greateſt doomes, to keepe men ſtyl in axe: Yet Kings, or ſuch as execute, regall authoritie: If mends be made, may ouer rule, the force of lawe with mercie. Here is no wylful murder wrought, which axeth blood againe, Andrugios faulte may valued be, Mariage wipes out his ſtayne. Faire Dame, I ſee ye naturall zeale, thou beareſt to Andrugio, And for thy ſake (not his deſart) this fauour wyll I ſhowe: I wyll repriue him yet a whyle, and on the matter pawſe, To morrowe you ſhall lycence haue, a freſh to pleade his cauſe: Shriefe execute my chardge, but ſtaye Andrugio, Vntill that you in this behalfe, more of my pleaſure knowe. I wyll performe your wyll: O moſt worthy Magiſtrate, my ſelfe thy thrall I finde. Euen for this lytle lightning hope, which at thy handes I finde. Now wyl I go and comfort him, which hangs twixt death & life.