The Conspiracy of Charles Duke of Byron · chunk 23 of 33
Chapman, George · published 1608 · first performed or written 1608 [1607-1608] (Annals) history · Children of the Queen's Revels unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 521 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
Out prodigy, Remedy of pity, mine of flint, Whence with my nails and feet, I'll dig enough, Horror, and savage cruelty, to build Temples to Massacre: dam of devils take thee, Hadst thou no better end to crown my parts. The Bulls of Colchos, nor his triple neck, That howls out Earthquakes; the most mortal vapours, That ever stifled and struck dead the fowls, That flew at never such a sightly pitch, Could not have burnt my blood so. I told truth, And could have flattered you. O that thou hadst; Would I had given thee twenty thousand crowns That thou hadst flattered me: there's no joy on earth, Never so rational, so pure, and holy, But is a jester, Parasite, a Whore, In the most worthy parts, with which they please, A drunkenness of foul, and a disease. I knew you not. Peace dog of Pluto, peace, Thou knewst my end to come, not me here present: Pox of your halting human knowledges; O death! how far off hast thou killed? how soon A man may know too much though never nothing? Spite of the Stars, and all Astrology, I will not lose my head: or if I do, A hundred thousand heads shall off before. I am a nobler substance them the Stars, And shall the baser overrule the better? Or are they better, since they are the bigger? I have a will, and faculties of choice, To do, or not to do: and reason why, I do, or not do this; the stars have none, They know not why they shine, more than this Taper, Nor how they work, nor what: I'll change my course, I'll piece-meal pull, the frame of all my thoughts, And cast my will into another mould: And where are all your Caput Algol's then? Your Planets all, being underneath the earth, At my nativity: what can they do? Malignant in aspects? in bloody houses? Wild fire consume them; one poor cup of wine, More than I use, that my weak brain will bear, Shall make them drunk and reel out of their spheres, For any certain act they can enforce. O that mine arms were wings, that I might fly, And pluck out of their hearts, my destiny! I'll wear those golden Spurs upon my heels, And kick at fate; be free all worthy spirits, And stretch yourselves, for greatness and for height: Untruss your slaveries, you have height enough, Beneath this steep heaven to use all your reaches, 'Tis too far off, to let you, or respect you. Give me a spirit that on this life's rough sea, loves t'have his sails filled with a lusty wind, Even till his Sail-yards tremble; his Masts crack, And his rapt ship run on her side so low That she drinks water, and her keel ploughs air; There is no danger to a man, that knows What life and death is: there's not any law, Exceeds his knowledge; neither is it lawful That he should stoop to any other law. He goes before them, and commands them all, That to himself is a law rational.
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)
Out prodigie, Remedy of pitty, mine of flint, Whence with my nailes and feete, ile digge enough, Horror, and sauadge cruelty, to build Temples to Massacre: dam of deuils take thee, Hadst thou no better end to crowne my parts. The Buls of Colchos, nor his triple neck, That howles out Earthquakes; the most mortall vapors, That euer stifled and strooke dead the fowles, That flew at neuer such a sightly pitch, Could not haue burnt my bloud so. I told truth, And could haue flatterd you. O that thou hadst; Would I had giuen thee twenty thousand crownes That thou hadst flatterd me: there's no ioy on earth, Neuer so rationall, so pure, and holy, But is a Iester, Parasite, a Whore, In the most worthy parts, with which they please, A drunkennesse of foule, and a disease. I knew you not. Peace dog of Pluto, peace, Thou knewst my end to come, not me here present: Pox of your halting humane knowledges; O death! how farre off hast thou kild? how soone A man may know too much though neuer nothing? Spight of the Starres, and all Astrologie, I will not loose my head: or I do, A hundred thousand heads shall off before. I am a nobler substance them the Starres, And shall the baser ouer-rule the better? Or are they better, since they are the bigger? I haue a will, and faculties of choise, To do, or not to do: and reason why, I doe, or not doe this; the stares haue none, They know not why they shine, more then this Taper, Nor how they worke, nor what: ile change my course, Ile peece-meale pull, the frame of all my thoughts, And cast my will into another mould: And where are all your Caput Algols then? Your Plannets all, being vnderneath the earth, At my natiuitie: what can they doe? Malignant in aspects? in bloudy houses? Wilde fire consume them; one poore cup of wine, More then I vse, that my weake braine will beare, Shall make them drunke and reele out of their spheres, For any certaine act they can enforce. O that mine armes were wings, that I might flie, And pluck out of their hearts, my destinie! Ile weare those golden Spurres vpon my heeles, And kick at fate; be free all worthy spirits, And stretch your selues, for greatnesse and for height: Vntrusse your slaueries, you haue height enough, Beneath this steepe heauen to vse all your reaches, 'Tis too farre off, to let you, or respect you. Giue me a spirit that on this lifes rough sea, Loues t'haue his sailes fild with a lustie winde, Euen till his Sayle-yeards tremble; his Masts crack, And his rapt ship runne on her side so lowe That she drinkes water, and her keele plowes ayre; There is no danger to a man, that knowes What life and death is: there's not any law, Exceeds his knowledge; neither is it lawfull That he should stoope to any other lawe. He goes before them, and commands them all, That to him-selfe is a law rationall.