The Conspiracy of Charles Duke of Byron · chunk 6 of 33
Chapman, George · published 1608 · first performed or written 1608 [1607-1608] (Annals) history · Children of the Queen's Revels T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.85 · 507 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
It was despite that held you out so long, Whose penance in the King was needful justice. Come let us seek our Duke, and take our leaves Of th'archduke's grace. Here may we safely breath? No doubt (my Lord) no stranger knows this way; only the Archduke, and your friend Count Mansfield, Perhaps may make their general scapes to you, To utter some part of their private loves, Ere your departure. Then, I well perceive To what th'intention of his highness tends; For whose, and others here, most worthy Lords, I will become (with all my worth) their servant, In any office, but disloyalty; But that hath ever showed so foul a monster To all my Ancestors, and my former life, That now to entertain it; I must wholly Give up my habit, in his contrary, And strive to grow out of privation. My Lord, to wear your loyal habit still, When it is out of fashion; and hath done Service enough; were rustic misery: The habit of a servile loyalty, Is reckoned now amongst privations, With blindness, dumbness, deafness, silence, death, All which are neither natures by themselves Nor substances, but mere decays of form, And absolute decessions of nature, And so, 'tis nothing, what shall you then lose? Your highness hath a habit in perfection, And in desert of highest dignities, Which carve yourself, and be your own rewarder; No true power doth admit privation, Adverse to him; or suffers any fellow joined in his subject; you, superiors; It is the nature of things absolute. One to destroy another; be your Highness, Like those steep hills that will admit no clouds, No dews, nor lest fumes bound about their brows; Because their tops pierce into purest air, Expert of humour; or like air itself That quickly changeth; and receives the sun Soon as he riseth; everywhere dispersing His royal splendour; girds it in his beams, And makes itself the body of the light; Hot, shining, swift, light, and aspiring things, Are of immortal, and celestial nature; Cold, dark, dull, heavy of infernal fortunes, And never aim at any happiness: Your excellency knows; that simple loyalty, Faith, love, sincerity, are but words, no things; Merely devised for form; and as the Legate, Sent from his Holiness, to frame a peace Twixt Spain and Savoy; laboured fervently, (For common ends, not for the Duke's particular) To have him sign it; he again endeavours (Not for the Legates pains, but his own pleasure) To gratify him; and being at last encountered; Where the flood Tesyn enters into Po, They made a kind contention, which of them Should enter th'other's boat; one thrust the other: One leg was over, and another in: And with a fiery courtesy, at last Savoy leaps out, into the Legates arms, And here ends all his love, and th'other's labour; So shall these terms, and impositions Expressed before, hold nothing in themselves Really good; but flourishes of form: And further than they make to private ends None wise, or free, their proper use intends.
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Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It was despight that held you out so long, Whose penance in the King was needfull iustice. Come let vs seeke our Duke, and take our leaues Of th'Archdukes grace. Here may we safely breathe? No doubt (my Lord) no stranger knowes this way▪ Oney the Arch-duke, and your friend Count Mansfield, Perhaps may make their generall scapes to you, To vtter some part of their priuate loues, Ee your departure. Then, I well perceiue To what th'intention of his highnesse tends; For whose, and others here, most worthy Lords, I will become (with all my worth) their seruant, In any office, but disloyaltie; Bu that hath euer showd so fowle a monster To all my Ancestors, and my former life, That now to entertaine it; I must wholy Giue vp my habite, in his contrary, And striue to growe out of priuation. My Lord, to weare your loyall habite still, When it is out of fashion; and hath done Seruice enough; were rusticke miserie: The habite of a seruile loyaltie, Is recknd now amongst priuations, With blindnesse, dumbnesse, deafnesse, scilence, death, All which are neither natures by themselues Nor substances, but mere decayes of forme, And absolute decessions of nature, And so, 'tis nothing, what shall you then loose? Your highnesse hath a habite in perfection, And in desert of highest dignities, Which carue your selfe, and be your owne rewarder▪ No true powre doth admit priuation, Aduerse to him; or suffers any fellow Ioynde in his subiect; you, superiors; It is the nature of things absolute. One to destroy another; be your Highnesse, Like those steepe hils that will admit no clowds, No deawe, nor lest fumes bound about their browes; Because their tops pierce into purest ayre, Expert of humor; or like ayre it selfe That quickly changeth; and receiues the sunne Soone as he riseth; euery where dispersing His royall splendor; guirds it in his beames, And makes it selfe the body of the light; Hote, shining, swift, light, and aspiring things, Are of immortall, and celestiall nature; Colde, darke, dull, heauie of infernall fortunes, And neuer aime at any happinesse: Your excellencie knowes; that simple loyaltie, Faith, loue, sinceritie, are but words, no things; Meerely deuisde for forme; and as the Legate, Sent from his Holinesse, to frame a peace Twixt Spaine and Sauoy; labour'd eruently, (For common ends, not for the Dukes perticular) To haue him signe it; he againe endeuours (Not for the Legates paines, but his owne pleasure) To gratifie him; and being at last encountred; Where the flood Tesyn enters into Po, They made a kinde contention, which of them Should enter th'others boate; one thrust the other: One legge was ouer, and another in: And with a fierie courtesie, at last Sauoy leapes out, into the Legates armes, And here ends all his loue, and th'others labour; So shall these termes, and impositions Exprest before, hold nothing in themselues Really good; but florishes of forme: And further then they make to priuate ends None wise, or free, their propper vse intends.