The Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron · chunk 29 of 37
Chapman, George · published 1608 · first performed or written 1608 [1607-1608] (Annals) tragedy · Children of the Queen's Revels unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 534 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
My Lord, our liberal sufferance of your speech, Hath made it late; and for this Session, We will dismiss you; take him back my Lord. You likewise may depart. What resteth now To be decreed 'gainst this great prisoner? A mighty merit, and a monstrous crime, Are here concurrent; what by witnesses; His letters and instructions, we have proved Himself confesseth, and excuseth all With witchcraft, and the only act of thought. For witchcraft I esteem it a mere strength Of rage in him conceived 'gainst his accuser; Who being examined hath denied it all; Suppose it true, it made him false; But wills And worthy minds, witchcraft can never force. And for his thoughts that broke not into deeds; Time was the cause, not will; the minds free act In treason still is judged as th'outward fact. If his deserts have had a wealthy share, In saving of our land from civil furies: Manlius had so that fast the Capitol; Yet for his after traitorous factions, They threw him headlong from the place he saved. My definite sentence then, doth this import: That we must quench the wildfire with his blood, In which it was so traitorously inflamed; Unless with it, we seek to incense the land, The King can have no refuge for his life, If his be quitted: this was it that made Lewis th'eleventh renounce his countrymen, And call the valiant Scots out of their kingdom, To use their greater virtues, and their faiths, Than his own subjects, in his royal guard: What then conclude your censures? He must die. Draw then his sentence, formally, and send him; And so all treasons in his death attend him. I joy you had so good a day my Lord. I won it from them all: the Chancellor I answered to his uttermost improvements: I moved my other judges to lament My insolent misfortunes; and to loathe The pocky soul, and state-bawd, my accuser, I made reply to all that could be said, So eloquently, and with such a charm, Of grave enforcements, that methought I sat, Like Orpheus casting reigns on savage beasts; At the arms end (as 'twere) I took my bar And set it far above the high tribunal, Where like a Cedar on Mount Lebanon, I Grew, and made my judges show like Boxtrees, And Boxtrees right, their wishes would have made them, Whence boxes should have grown, till they had struck My head into the budget: but alas, I held their bloody arms, with such strong reasons; And (by your leave) with such a firk of wit: That I fetched blood upon the chancellors cheeks, methinks I see his countenance as he sat; And the most lawyerly delivery Of his set speeches: shall I play his part? For heavens sake, good my Lord. I will i'faith, Behold a wicked man: A man debauched, A man, contesting with his King; A man, On whom (my Lords) we are not to connive, Though we may condole: A man: That Laesa Maiestate sought a lease, Of Plus quam satis. A man that vi et armis Assailed the King; and would per fas et nefas, Aspire the kingdom: here was lawyers learning.
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)
My Lord, our liberall sufferance of your speech, Hath made it late; and for this Session, We will dismisse you; take him back my Lord. You likewise may depart. What resteth now To be decreed gainst this great prisoner? A mighty merit, and a monstrous cri, Are here concurrent; what by witnesses; His letters and instructions, we haue prou'd Himselfe confesseth, and excuseth all With witch-craft, and the onely act of thought. For witch-craft I esteeme it a meere strength Of rage in him conceiu'd gainst his accuser; Who being examinde hath denied it all; Suppose it true, it made him false; But wills And worthy mindes, witch-craft can neuer force. And for his thoughts that brake not into deeds; Time was the cause, not will; the mindes free act In treason still is Iudgd as th'outward fact. If his deserts haue had a wealthy share, In sauing of our land from ciuill furies: Manlius had so that fast the Capitoll; Yet for his after traiterous factions, They threw him head-long from the place he sau'd. My definite sentence then, doth this import: That we must quench the wilde-fire with his bloud, In which it was so traiterously inflam'd; Vnlesse with it, we seeke to incence the land, The King can haue no refuge for his life, If his be quitted: this was it that made Lewis th'eleuenth renounce his countrymen, And call the valiant Scots out of their kingdome, To vse their greater vertues, and their faiths, Then his owne subiects, in his royall guarde: What then conclude your censures? He must dye. Draw then his sentence, formally, and send him; And so all treasons in his death attend him. I ioy you had so good a day my Lord. I wone it from them all: the Chancellor I answerd to his vttermost improuements: I mou'd my other Iudges to lament My insolent misfortunes; and to lothe The pockie soule, and state-bawde, my accuser, I made replie to all that could be said, So eloquently, and with such a charme, Of graue enforcements, that me thought I sat, Like Orpheus casting reignes on sauage beasts; At the armes end (as twere) I tooke my barre And set it farre aboue the high tribunall, Where like a Cedar on Mount Lebanon, I Grew, and made my iudges show like Box-trees▪ And Boxtrees right, their wishes would haue made them, Whence boxes should haue growne, till they had strooke My head into the budget: but ahlas, I held their bloudy armes, with such strong reasons; And (by your leaue) with such a yrck of wit: That I fetcht bloud vpon the Chancelors cheekes, Me thinkes I see his countinance as he sat; And the most lawierly deliuery Of his set speeches: shall I play his part? For heauens sake, good my Lord. I will ifaith, Behold a wicked man: A man debaucht, A man, contesting with his King; A man, On whom (my Lords) we are not to conniue, Though we may condole: A man: That Laesa Maiestate sought a lease, Of Plus quam satis. A man that vi et armis Assaild the King; and would per fas et nefas, Aspire the kingdome: here was lawiers learning.