Whetstone, George · published 1578 · first performed or written 1578 [1576-1579] (Annals) comedy · Unacted unassigned nearest T40 Sin, guilt and violent loss within famil · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T40: brother, death, life, die, heaven, sin, live, father, blood, soul.
Thy confession, doth merit some favour, But repentance pays not thy poor neighbour: Wherefore, Sir Vlrico, his goods seize you, And those, he wronged, restore you, to their due. Look what he gets, most think, he wastes straight way, Upon a lewd harlot, named Lamia: So that his goods, will scarce pay every wight. Where nought is left, the king must loose his right. Pay as you may, I hold it no offence, If each pay somewhat for experience: But by the way, you rule the city well, That suffer, by your nose, such dames to devil. And now Phallax, thy further penance is, That forthwith, thou do resign thy office. Vlrico, to his account likewise, see. It shallbe done. Phallax, further hear me: Because thou didst, thy faults at first confess, From punishment▪ thy person I release: I most humbly, do thank your majesty. Ah, out alas, Cassandra hear I see. O would the tears, might tell my tale, I shame so much my fall, Or else, Lord Promos lewdness shown, would death would end my thrall. Welcome my sweet Cassandra. Murderous varlet, away. Renowned King, I pardon crave, for this my hold attempt, In pressing thus so near your grace, my sorrow to present: And lest my foe, false Promos hear, do interrupt my tale, Grant gracious King, that uncontrolled, I may report my bale, How now Promos? how like you, of this song? Say on fair dame, I long to hear thy wrong. Then know dread sovereign, that he this doom did geue, That my Brother, for wantonness should loose his head: And that the maid, which sinned, should ever after live In some religious house, to sorrow her misdeed: To save my brother iuged to die, with tears I sought to move Lord Promos heart, to show him grace but he with lawless love, Was fired by and by▪ and knowing necessity, To save my brother's life, would make me yield to much, He craned this ransom, to have my virginity: Not tears could work restraint, his wicked lust was such, Two evils here were, one must I choose, though bad were very best, To see my brother put to death, or grant his lewd request: In fine, subdued with natural love, I did agreed, Upon these two points: that marry me he should, And that from prison vile, he should my brother free. All this with moustrous oaths, he promised he would. But O this perjured Promos, when he had wrought his will, first cast me of: and after caused the Jailer for to kill My brother, raunsomde, with the spoil of my good name: So that for companing, with such a hellish fiend, I have condemned myself to wear these weeds of shame: Whose cognisance doth show, that I have (fleshly) sinned. Lo thus, high and renowned king, Cassandra ends her tale, And this is wicked Promos that hath wrought her endless bale.
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)
Thy confeſſion, doth meryt ſome fauour, But repentaunce payes not thy poore neyghbour: Wherefore, Syr Vlrico, his goods ſeaſe you, And thoſe, he wrong'd, reſtore you, to their due. Looke what he gettes, moſt thinke, he waſtes ſtraight waye, Vpon a leawde harlot, named Lamia: So that his goods, wyll ſcarſe pay euery wight. Where naught is left, the king muſt loſe his right. Pay as you may, I hould it no offence, If eache pay ſomewhat for experience: But by the way, you rule the citty well, That ſuffer, by your noſe, ſuch dames to dwell. And now Phallax, thy further pennaunce ys, That forthwith, thou do reſigne thy office. Vlrico, to his account lykewiſe, ſée. It ſhalbe done. Phallax, further heare mée: Becauſe thou didſt, thy faultes at firſt confeſſe, From puniſhment▪ thy perſon I releaſe: I moſt humbly, do thanke your maieſty. Ah, out alas, Caſſandra heare I ſee. O would ye teares, myght tel my tale, I ſhame ſo much my fall, Or elſe, Lord Promos lewdnes ſhowen, would death would ende my thrall. Welcome my ſweete Caſſandra. Murdrous varlet, away. Renowmed King, I pardon craue, for this my hould attempt, In preaſing thus ſo neare your grace, my ſorrow to preſent: And leaſt my foe, falſe Promos heare, doe interrupt my tale, Graunt gratious King, that vncontrould, I may report my bale, How now Promos? how lyke you, of this ſong? Say on fayre dame, I long to heare thy wrong. Then knowe dread ſouerayne, that he this doome did gene, That my Brother, for wantonneſſe ſhould loſe his head: And that the mayde, which ſind, ſhould euer after lyue In ſome religious houſe, to ſorrowe her miſdeede: To ſaue my brother iug'd to dye, with teares I ſought to moue Lord Promos hart, to ſhowe him grace but he with lawles loue, Was fyred by and by▪ and knowing neceſſity, To ſaue my brothers lyfe, would make me yéeld to much, He cran'd this raunſome, to haue my virginitie: No teares could worke reſtraynt, his wicked luſt was ſuch, Two euils here were, one muſt I chuſe, though bad were very beſt, To ſée my brother put to death, or graunt his lewde requeſt: In fyne, ſubdude with naturall loue, I did agree, Vpon theſe two poyntes: that marry mee he ſhould, And that from priſon vyle, he ſhould my brother free. All this with mouſtrous othes, he promiſed he would. But O this periurd Promos, when he had wrought his wyll, Fyrſt caſt me of: and after cauſd the Gailer for to kill My brother, raunſomde, with the ſpoyle of my good name: So that for companing, with ſuch a helliſh feende, I haue condemnde my ſelfe to weare theſe weedes of ſhame: Whoſe cogniſance doth ſhowe, that I haue (fleſhly) ſind. Loe thus, hie and renowned king, Caſſandra endes her tale, And this is wicked Promos that hath wrought her endles bale.