Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T18: king, lord, wallace, earl, edward, england, scotland, rebels, bruce, english.
MY friends and unhappy Countrymen, whom the laws of England, have worthily condemned unto death for your open and unnatural Rebellion against your lawful Sovereign and anointed Prince. I am sent unto you from the kings most excellent Majesty to give you to understand, that notwithstanding this violence which you have offered to yourselves, in running furiously into the danger of the law, as mad and frantic men upon an edged sword: yet notwithstanding I say, that you have gathered rods to scourge your own selves, following desperately your lewd and misgoverned heads, which have haled you on to this wretched and shameful end which is now imminent over you all, that must in strangling cords die like dogs, and finish your lives in this miserable reproachful sort, because you would not live like men: But far unlike yourselves unlike Englishmen, degenerate from your natural obedience, & nature of your country, that by kind bringeth forth none such, or at least brooketh none such, but spits then out for bastards and recreants: notwithstanding I say, (this torment wherein you now live looking every hour to suffer such a shameful and most detestable death, as doth commonly, belong to such horrible offenders) yet it hath pleased the King of his accustomed goodness to give you your lives, and freely to forgive you your faults sending by me general Pardon to you all, excepting one only accursed and seditious Priest, that so far swerved from the truth, and his allegiance to his Prince, and one What Tiler, whose outrage hath been noted so outrageous in all his actions as for ensample to all Englishmen hereafter, his Majesty hath thought good to account him & this Parson, (first stirrers in this tumult, and unnatural rebelling) the greatest offenders that now live to grieve his Majesty: and thus I have delivered the message of the King, which is in effect, general pardon to you all, and a sentence of death unto the two Archrebels, Iohn Ball, and What tiler: For which great Grace, if you think yourselves any thing bound to his highness (as infinitely you are) let it appear as far forth hereafter as you may, either by outward signs of duty, or inward loyalty of hearts expressed, and to begin the same, in sign of your thankfulness, say all God save the King. Well then we know the worst, He can but hang us, and that is all, Were Jack Strawe alive again, And I in as good possibility as ever I was, I would lay a surer trump, Ere I would lose so fair a trick. And what I said in time of our business I repent not, And if it were to speak again, Every word should be a whole sermon, So much I repent me. Away with the Rebels suffer them not to speak, His words are poison in the ears of the people, Away villain, stain to thy country and thy calling. Why Morton are you so lusty with a pox, I pulled you out of Rochester Castle by the powle. And in recompense I will help to set your head on a pole.
seed 43: T22 · seed 44: T13 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
MY friends and vnhappie Countrymen, whom the lawes of England, haue worthilie condemned vnto death for your open and vnnaturall Rebellion againſt your lawfull Soueraigne and annointed Prince. I am ſent vnto you from the Kinges moſt excellent Maieſtie to giue you to vnderſtand, that notwithſtanding this violence which you haue offred to your ſelues, in running furiouſly into the daunger of the law, as mad and frantickemen vpon an edged ſword: yet notwithſtanding I ſay, that you haue gathered rods to ſcourge your own ſelues, following deſperatlie your lewd and miſgouerned heads, which haue hale you on to this wretched and ſhamefull end which is now imminent ouer you all, that muſt in ſtrangling cords die like dogs, ad finiſh your liues in this miſerable reprochful ſort, becauſe you would not liue like men: But far vlike your ſelues vnlike Engliſhmen, degenerate from your naturall obedience, & nature of your country, that by kinde bringeth forth none ſuch, or at leaſt brooketh none ſuch, but ſpits thē out for baſtards and recreants: notwithſtanding I ſay, (this torment wherein you nowe liue looking euerie houre to ſuffer ſuch a ſhamefull and moſt deteſtable death, as doth commonly, belonge to ſuch horrible ffnders) yet it hath pleaſed the King of his accuſtomed goodnes to giue you your liues, and freelie to forgiue you your faults ſending by mee generall Pardon to you all, excepting one onely accurſed and ſeditious Prieſt, that ſo far ſwared from the truth, and his alleageance to his Prince, and one Wat Tiler, whoſe outrage hath bin noted ſo outragious in al his actions as for enſample to all Engliſhmen hereafter, his Maieſtie hath thought good to account him & this Parſon, (firſt ſturrers in this tumult, and vnnaturall rebelling) the greateſt offenders that now liue to grieue his Maieſtie: and thus I haue deliuered the meſſage of the King, which is in effect, generall pardon to you all, and a ſentence of death vnto the two Archrebels, Iohn Ball, and Wat Tyler: For which great Grace, if you thinke your ſelues any thinge bound to his highnes (as infinitely you are) let it appeare as farre forth hereafter as you may, either by outward ſignes of dutie, or inward loyaltie of harts expreſſed, and to begin the ſame, in ſigne of your thankefulnes, ſay all God ſaue the King. VVell then we know the worſt, He can but hang vs, and that is all, VVere Iacke Strawe a liue againe, And I in as good poſſibility as euer I was, I would lay a ſurer trumpe, Ere I would loſe ſo faire a tricke. And what I ſaid in time of our buſines I repent not, And if it were to ſpeake againe, Euerie word ſhould be a whole ſermon, So much I repent me. Awaie with the Rebels ſuffer them not to ſpeake, His words are poyſon in the eares of the people, Away villaine, ſtaine to thy country and thy calling. VVhy Morton are you ſo luſtie with a pox, I puld you out of Rocheſter Caſtell by the powle. And in recompence I will help to ſet your head on a pole.