Anonymous · published 1593 · first performed or written 1591 [1590-1593] (Annals) history · Unknown unassigned nearest T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
And as I gave my word unto you all, That if they then had left their mutiny, Or rather had let fall their wrongful Arms, Their pardon then should have been general, So will I not; yet God forbid I should, (Though law I know exact it at my hands) Behold so many of my country men, All done to death and strangled in one day, The end is this, that of that careless rout, That hath so far unnaturally rebelled, The chief offenders may be punished: And thus you know my mind, and so my Lords proceed, I pray you and no otherwise. Sith mercy in a Prince resembleth right, The gladsome sunshine in a winter's day, Pleaseth your Grace to pardon me to speak: When all the hope of life and breathing here, Be ta'en from all this rout in general, If then at instant of the dying hour, Your Graces Honourable pardon come, To men half dead, killed wholly in conceit, Then think I, it will be more Gracious, Than if it offered were so hastily: When third of life is almost fret in twain, To give it strength breeds thanks, and wonders too. So many as are ta'en within the City, Are fast in hold to know your grace's will, There is but one or two in all the rout, Whom we would have to die for this offence, Especially that by name are noted men: One is a naughty and seditious Priest, They call him Ball, as we are let to know, A person more notorious than the rest, But this I do refer to your dispose. Pleaseth your Grace they have been rid apace, Such special men as we could possibly find, And many of the common rout among: And yet survives this Ball that cursed Priest, And one What Tiler, leader of the rest: Whose villainies and outrageous cruelties, Have been so barbarously executed: The one with malice of his traitorous taunts, The other with the violence of his hands, That gentle ruth nor mercy hath no ears, To hear them speak, much less to pardon them. It is enough, I understand your minds, And well I wot in causes such as these, Kings may be found too full of clemency: But who are those that enter in this place. Pleaseth it your Grace, these be the men, Whom Law hath worthily condemned to die, Going to the place of execution: The foremost is that Ball, and next to him, Wat Tyler, obstinate rebels both, For all the rest are of a better mould, Whose minds are softer than the foremost twain: For being common soldiers in the camp, Were rather led with counsel of the rest, Deserving better to be pitied. Morton to those condemned men we see, Deliver this a Pardon to them all: Excepting namely those two foremost men. I mean the Priest and him they call Wat Tyler. To all the rest free Pardon we do send, And give the same to understand from us.
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Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
And as I gaue my word vnto you all, That if they then had left their mutiny, Or rather had let fall their wrongfull Armes, Their pardon then ſhould haue bin generall, So will I not; yet God forbid I ſhould, (Though law I know exact it at my hands) Behold ſo many of my country men, All done to death and ſtrangled in one day, The end is this, that of that careleſſe rout, That hath ſo far vnnaturallie rebeld, The chiefe offenders may be puniſhed: And thus you know my minde, and ſo my Lords proceed, I pray you and no otherwiſe. Sith mercie in a Prince reſembleth right, The gladſome ſunne-ſhine in a winters day, Pleaſeth your Grace to pardon me to ſpeake: When all the hope of life and breathing heere, Be tane from all this rowt in generall, If then at inſtant of the dying howe, Your Graces Honorable pardon come, To men halfe dead, kild wholie in conceit, Then thinke I, it will be more Gratious, Than if it offered were ſo haſtely: VVhen thrid of life is almoſt ret in twaine, To giue it ſtrength breeds thankes, and wonders too. So many as are tane within the Cittie, Are faſt in hold to know your Graces will, There is but one or two in al the rowt, VVhom we would haue to die for this offence, Eſpecially that by name are noted men: One is a naughtie and ſeditious Prieſt, They call him Ball, as we are let to know, A perſon more notorious than the reſt, But this I doe referre to your diſpoſe. Pleaſeth your Grace they haue bin rid apace, Such ſpeciall men as we could poſſibly finde, And many of the common rowt among: And yet ſuruiues this Ball that curſed Prieſt, And one Wat Tiler, leader of the reſt: VVhoſe villanies and outragious cruelties, Haue bin ſo barbourouſly executed: The one with mallice of his traiterous taunts, The other with the violence of his hands, That gentle ruth nor mercie hath no eares, To heare them ſpeake, much leſſe to pardon them. It is inough, I vnderſtand your mindes, And well I wot in cauſes ſuch as theſe, Kings may be found too full of clemencie: But who are thoſe that enter in this place. Pleaſeth it your Grace, theſe be the men, VVhom Law hath worthily condemnd to die, Going to the place of execution: The formoſt is that Ball, and next to him, VVat Tyler, obſtinate Rebls both, For all the reſt are of a better mould, VVhoſe minds are ſofter than the formoſt twaine: For being common ſouldiers in the campe, VVere rather led with counſell of the reſt, Deſeruing better to be pittied. Morton to thoſe condemned men wee ſee, this a Pardon to them all: Exceptig namelie thoſe two frmoſt men. I meane the Prieſt and him they call VVat Tylr. To all the reſt free Pardon we doe ſend, And giue the ſame to vnderſtand from vs.