How a Man May Choose a Good Wife from a Bad · chunk 41 of 43
Anonymous · published 1602 · first performed or written 1602 [c.1601-1602] (Annals) comedy · Worcester's Men T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.74 · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
But so the law must not be satisfied, Blood must have blood, and men must have death, I think that cannot be dispensed withal. If all the world else would forgive the deed, Yet would I earnestly pursue the law. I had a wife would not have used me so, The wealth of Europe could not hire her tongue, To be offensive to my patient ears, But in exchanging her, I did prefer A devil before a Saint, night before day, Hell before heaven, and dross before tried gold, Never was bargain with such damage sold. If you want witness to confirm the deed, I heard him speak it, and that to his face Before this presence I will justify, I will not part hence till I see him swing. I heard him too, pity but he should die, And like a murderer be sent to hell, To poison her, and make her belly swell. Why stay you then, give judgement on the slave, Whose shameless life deserves a shameful grave. Death's bitter pangs are not so full of grief, As this unkindness: every word thou speakst, Is a sharp dagger thrust quite through my heart. As little I deserve this at thy hands, As my kind patient wife deserved of me, I was her torment, God hath made thee mine, Then wherefore at just plagues should I repine? Where didst thou buy this poison? for such drugs Are felony for any man to sell. I had the poison of Aminadab, But innocent man, he was not accessary To my wife's death, I clear him of the deed. No matter, fetch him, fetch him, bring him To answer to this matter at the bar: Hue, take these Officers and apprehend him. I'll aid him too, the schoolmaster I see Perhaps may hang with him for company. This is the day of Arthur's examination And trial for the murder of his wife: Let's hear how justice Reason will proceed, In censuring of his strict punishment. Anselm content, let's thrust in among the throng. O Domine, what mean these knaves, To lead me thus with bills and glaives? O what example would it be, To all my pupils for to see, To tread their steps all after me: If for some fault I hanged be: Somewhat surely I shall mar, If you bring me to the bar. But peace, betake thee to thy wits, For yonder justice Reason sits. Sir Dad, Sir Dab, here's one accuseth you To give him poison being ill employed, Speak how in this case you can clear yourself. Hei mihi, what should I say, the poison given I denay: He took it perforce from my hands, and domine why not I Got it of a gentleman, he most freely gave it, Ask he knew me, a means was only to have it. 'tis true I took it from this man perforce, And snatched it from his hand by rude constraint, Which proves him in this act not culpable.
nodes 2314–2376 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 41 of 43 in this edition
Length
501 words · 637 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.740 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T7 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
But so the law must not be satisfied, Bloud must haue bloud, and men must haue death, I thinke that cannot be dispenc'd withall. If all the world else would forgiue the deed, Yet would I earnestly putsue the law. I had a wife would not haue vsde me so, The wealth of Europe could not hire her tongue, To be offensiue to my patient eares, But in exchanging her, I did preferre A diuell before a Saint, night before day, Hell before heauen, and drosse before tried gold, Neuer was bargaine with such dammage sold. If you want witnesse to confirme the deed, I heard him speake it, and that to his face Before this presence I will iustifie, I will not part hence till I see him swing. I heard him too, pittie but he should die, And like a murderer be sent to hell, To poyson her, and make her belly swell. Why stay you then, giue iudgement on the slaue, Whose shamelesse life deserues a shamefull graue. Deaths bitter pangs are not so full of griefe, As this vnkindnesse: euery word thou speakst, Is a sharpe dagger thrust quite through my heart. As little I deserue this at thy hands, As my kinde patient wife deseru'd of me, I was her torment, God hath made thee mine, Then wherefore at iust plagues should I repine? Where didst thou buy this poison? for such drugs Are felonie for any man to sell. I had the poison of Aminadab, But innocent man, he was not accessarie To my wifes death, I cleare him of the deed. No matter, fetch him, fetch him, bring him To answere to this matter at the barre: Hue, take these Officers and apprehend him. Ile aide him too, the schoolemaister I see Perhaps may hang with him for companie. This is the day of Arthurs examination And triall for the murder of his wife: Lets heare how Iustice Reason will proceed, In censuring of his strickt punishment. Anselme content, lets thrust in among the throng. O Domine, what meane these knaues, To lead me thus with bills and glaues? O what example would it bee, To all my pupills for to see, To tread their steps all after me: If for some fault I hanged be: Somewhat surely I shall marre, If you bring me to the barre. But peace, betake thee to thy wits, For yonder Iustice Reason sits. Sir Dad, Sir Dab, heres one accuseth you To giue him poison being ill imploied, Speak how in this case you can cleare your selfe. Hei mihi, what shuld I say, the poison giuē I denay: He tooke it perforce frō my hands, and domine why not I Got it of a gentleman, he most frecly gaue it, Aske he knew me, a meanes was only to haue it. Tis true I tooke it from this man perforce, And snatcht it from his hand by rude constraint, Which proues him in this act not culpable.