1 The Troublesome Reign of King John · chunk 24 of 29
Anonymous · published 1611 · first performed or written 1591 (Annals) history · Queen Elizabeth's Men unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 501 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.
Alas, thou wrong'st my youth with words of fear, 'tis hell, 'tis horror, not for one to hear: What is it man if it must needs be done, Act it, and end it, that the pain were gone. I will not chant such dolour with my tongue, Yet must I act the outrage with my hand. My heart, my head, and all my powers beside, To aid the office have at once denied. Peruse this Letter, lines of treble woe, Read over my charge, and pardon when you know. Hubert, these are to command thee, as thou tenderest our quiet in mind, and the estate of our person, that presently upon the receipt of our command, thou put out the eyes of Arthur Plantagenet. Ah monstrous damned man! his very breath infects the elements. Contagious venom dwelleth in his heart, Effecting means to poison all the world. unreverent may I be to blame the heavens Of great injustice, that the miscreant lives to oppress the innocents with wrong. Ah Hubert! makes he thee his instrument, To sound the trump that causeth hell triumph? Heaven weeps, the Saints do shed celestial tears, They fear thy fall, and cite thee with remorse, They knock thy conscience, moving pity there, Willing to fence thee from the rage of hell: Hell Hubert, trust me all the plagues of hell Hangs on performance of this damned deed. This scale, the warrant of the body's bliss, Ensureth Satan chieftain of thy soul: Subscribe not Hubert, give not God's part away. I speak not only for eyes privilege, The chief exterior that I would enjoy: But for thy peril, far beyond my pain, Thy sweet soul's loss, more than my eyes vain lack: A cause internal, and eternal too. Advise thee Hubert, for the case is hard, To loose salvation for a King's reward. My Lord, a subject dwelling in the land Is tied to execute the King's command. Yet God commands whose power reacheth further, That no command should stand in force to murder. But that same Essence hath ordained a law, A death for guilt, to keep the world in awe. I plead, not guilty, treasonless and free. But that appeal my Lord concerns not me. Why thou art he that mayst omit the peril. ay, if my Sovereign would omit his quarrel. His quarrel is unhallowed false and wrong. Then be the blame to whom it doth belong. Why that's to thee if thou as they proceed, Conclude their judgement with so vile a deed. Why then no execution can be lawful, If judges dooms must be reputed doubtful. Yes where in form of Law in place and time, The offender is convicted of the crime. My Lord, my Lord, this long expostulation, Heaps up more grief, than promise of redress; For this I know, and so resolved I end, That subjects lives on Kings commands depend. I must not reason why he is your foe, But do his charge since he commands it so.
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)
Alas, thou wrongſt my youth with words of feare, Tis hell, tis horror, not for one to heare: What is it man if it muſt needes be done, Act it, and end it, that the paine were gone. I will not chaunt ſuch dolour with my tongue, Yet muſt I act the outrage with my hand. My heart, my head, and all my powers beſide, To aide the office haue at once denide. Peruſe this Letter, lines of trebble woe, Reade ore my charge, and pardon when you know. Hubert, theſe are to commaund thee, as thou tendreſt our quiet in minde, and the estate of our perſon, that preſently vpon the receipt of our commaund, thou put out the eies of Arthur Plantaginet. Ah monſtrous damned man! his very breath infects the elements. Contagious venome dwelleth in his heart, Effecting meanes to poyſon all the world. Vnreuerent may I be to blame the heauens Of great iniuſtice, that the miſcreant Liues to oppreſſe the innocents with wrong. Ah Hubert! makes he thee his inſtrument, To ſound the trump that cauſeth hell triumph? Heauen weepes, the Saints do ſhed celeſtiall teares, They feare thy fall, and cite thee with remorſe, They knocke thy conſcience, mouing pitie there, Willing to fence thee from the rage of hell: Hell Hubert, truſt me all the plagues of hell Hangs on performance of this damned deed. This ſcale, the warrant of the bodies bliſſe, Enſureth Satan chiefetaine of thy ſoule: Subſcribe not Hubert, giue not Gods part away. I ſpeake not only for eies priuiledge, The chiefe exterior that I would enioy: But for thy perill, farre beyond my paine, Thy ſweete ſoules loſſe, more than my eies vaine lacke: A cauſe internall, and eternall too. Aduiſe thee Hubert, for the caſe is hard, To looſe ſaluation for a Kings reward. My Lord, a ſubiect dwelling in the land Is tied to execute the Kings commaund. Yet God commaunds whoſe power reacheth further, That no command ſhould ſtand in force to murther. But that ſame Eſſence hath ordaind a law, A death for guilt, to keepe the world in awe. I pleade, not guilty, treaſonleſſe and free. But that appeale my Lord concernes not me. Why thou art he that maiſt omit the perill. I, if my Soueraigne would omit his quarrell. His quarrell is vnhallowed falſe and wrong. Then be the blame to whom it doth belong. Why thats to thee if thou as they proceede, Conclude their iudgement with ſo vile a deede. Why then no execution can be lawfull, If Iudges doomes muſt be reputed doubtfull. Yes where in forme of Law in place and time, The offender is conuicted of the crime. My Lord, my Lord, this long expoſtulation, Heapes vp more griefe, than promiſe of redreſſe; For this I know, and ſo reſolude I end, That ſubiects liues on Kings commands depend. I muſt not reaſon why he is your foe, But do his charge ſince he commaunds it ſo.