Chapman, George · published 1607 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy · Children of Paul's (second) · Paul's unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 525 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
O wretched piety, that art so distract In thine own constancy; and in thy right Must be unrighteous: if I right my friend I wrong my husband: if his wrong I shun, The duty of my friend I leave undone; Ill plays on both sides; here and there, it riseth; No place: no good so good, but ill compriseth; My soul more scruple breeds, than my blood, sin, Virtue imposeth more than any stepdame: O had I never married but for form, Never vowed faith but purposed to deceive: Never made conscience of any sin, But cloaked it privately and made it common: Nor never honoured been, in blood, or mind, Happy had I been then, as others are Of the like licence; I had then been honoured: Lived without envy: custom had benumbed All sense of scruple, and all note of frailty: My fame had been untouched, my heart unbroken: But (shunning all) I strike on all offence, O husband? dear friend? O my conscience? I must not yield to pity nor to love So servile and so traitorous: cease my blood To wrestle with my honour, fame and judgement: Away, forsake my house, forbear complaints Where thou hast bred them: here all things full, Of their own shame and sorrow, leave my house. Sweet Lord forgive me, and I will be gone, And till these wounds, that never balm shall close Till death hath entered at them (so I love them Being opened by your hands) by death be cured I never more will grieve you with my sight: Never endure that any roof shall part Mine eyes and heaven: but to the open deserts (Like to hunted Tigers) I will fly: Eating my heart, shunning the steps of men, And look on no side till I be arrived. I do forgive thee, and upon my knees With hands (held up to heaven) wish that mine honour Would suffer reconcilement to my love: But since it will not, honour, never serve My Love with flourishing object till it starve: And as this Taper, though it upwards look, Downwards must needs consume, so let our love; As having lost his honey, the sweet taste Runs into savour, and will needs retain A spice of his first parents, till (like life) It sees and dies; so let our love: and lastly, As when the flame is suffered to look up It keeps his luster: but, being thus turned down (His natural course of useful light inverted) His own stuff puts it out: so let our love, Now turn from me, as here I turn from thee, And may both points of heavens straight axle-tree Conjoin in one, before thyself and me. My terrors are struck inward, and no more My penance will allow they shall enforce Earthly afflictions but upon myself: Farewell brave relics of a complete man: Look up and see thy spirit made a star, join flames with Hercules: and when thou setst Thy radiant forehead in the firmament, Make the vast continent, crack with thy receipt, Spread to a world of fire: and th'aged sky, Cheer with new sparks of old humanity.
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)
O wretched piety, that art so distract In thine owne constancy; and in thy right Must be vnrighteous: if I right my friend I wrong my husband: if his wrong I shunne, The duty of my friend I leaue vndone; Ill plays on both sides; heere and there, it riseth; No place: no good so good, but ill compriseth; My soule more scruple breeds, than my bloud, sinne, Vertue imposeth more than any stepdame: O had I neuer married but for forme, Neuer vowd faith but purposd to deceiue: Neuer made conscience of any sinne, But clok't it priuately and made it common: Nor neuer honord beene, in blood, or mind, Happy had I beene then, as others are Of the like licence; I had then beene honord: Liu'd without enuy: custome had benumbd All sense of scruple, and all note of frailty: My fame had beene vntoucht, my heart vnbroken: But (shunning all) I strike on all offence, O husband? deare friend? O my conscience? I must not yeeld to pity nor to loue So seruile and so traiterous: cease my bloud To wrastle with my honour, fame and iudgement: Away, forsake my house, forbeare complaints Where thou hast bred them: heere all things full, Of their owne shame and sorrow, leaue my house. Sweet Lord forgiue me, and I will be gone, And till these wounds, that neuer balme shall close Till death hath enterd at them (so I loue them Being opened by your hands) by death be cur'd I neuer more will grieue you with my sight: Neuer endure that any roofe shall part Mine eies and heauen: but to the open deserts (Like to hunted Tygres) I will flie: Eating my heart, shunning the steps of men, And looke on no side till I be arriu'd. I do forgiue thee, and vpon my knees With hands (held vp to heauen) wish that mine honor Would suffer reconcilement to my loue: But since it will not, honor, neuer serue My Loue with flourishing obiect till it sterue: And as this Taper, though it vpwards looke, Downwards must needs consume, so let our loue; As hauing lost his hony, the sweet taste Runs into sauor, and will needs retaine A spice of his first parents, till (like life) It sees and dies; so let our loue: and lastly, As when the flame is sufferd to looke vp It keepes his luster: but, being thus turnd downe (His naturall course of vsefull light inuerted) His owne stuffe puts it out: so let our loue, Now turne from me, as heere I turne from thee, And may both points of heauens strait axeltree Conioine in one, before thy selfe and me. My terrors are strook inward, and no more My pennance will allow they shall enforce Earthly afflictions but vpon my selfe: Farewell braue relicts of a compleat man: Looke vp and see thy spirit made a star, Ioine flames with Hercules: and when thou setst Thy radiant forhead in the firmament, Make the vast continent, cracke with thy receit, Spred to a world of fire: and th'aged skie, Chere with new sparkes of old humanity.