The Atheist's Tragedy, or The Honest Man's Revenge · chunk 21 of 41
Tourneur, Cyril · published 1611 · first performed or written 1611 [1607-1611] (Annals) tragedy · Unknown T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.80 · 470 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
O thou that knowest me justly Charlemonts. Though in the forced possession of another; Since from thine own free spirit we receive it, That our affections cannot be compelled, Though' our actions may; be not displeased, if on The altar of his Tomb, I sacrifice My tears. They are the jewels of my love Dissolved to grief: and fall upon His blasted Spring; as April dew, upon A sweet young blossom shaked before the time. Go see my Trunks disposed of, I'll but walk A turn or two i'th' Church and follow you. O! here's the fatal monument of my Dead Father first presented to mine eye. What's here? in memory of Charlemont? Some false relation has abused belief. I am deluded. But I thank thee Heaven. For ever let me be deluded thus. My Castabella mourning o'er my Hearse? Sweet Castabella rise, I am not dead. O heaven defend me. I Beshrew my rash And inconsiderate passion.— Castabella! That could not think— my Castabella!— that My sudden presence might affright her sense.— I prithee (my affection) pardon me. Reduce thy understanding to thine eye. Within this habit which thy misinformed Conceit takes only for a shape; live both The soul and body of thy Charlemont. I feel a substance, warm, and soft, and moist, Subject to the capacity of sense. Which Spirits are not; for their essence is Above the nature and the order of Those Elements whereof our senses are Created. Touch my lip. Why turnst thou from me? Grief above griefs. That which should woe relieve, Wished and obtained, gives greater cause to grieve. Can Castabella think it cause of grief That the relation of my death proves false? The presence of the person we affect, (Being hopeless to enjoy him) makes our grief More passionate than if we saw him not. Why not enjoy? has absence changed thee? Yes. From maid to wife. Art married? O I am. Married had not my mother been a woman, I should protest against the chastity Of all thy sex. How can the Merchant, or The Mariner absent whole years (from wives Experienced in the satisfaction of Desire) promise themselves to find their sheets Unspotted with adultery, at their Return? when you that never had the sense Of actual temptation; could not stay A few short months. O do but hear me speak. But thou wert wise; and didst consider that A Soldier might be maimed, and so (perhaps) Lose his ability to please thee. No. That weakness pleases me in him I have. What? married to a man unable too? O strange incontinence! Why? was thy blood Increased to such a pleurisy of lust, That of necessity, there must a vain Be opened; though by one that had no skill To do't? Sir, I beseech you hear me. Speak.
nodes 991–1061 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 21 of 41 in this edition
Length
470 words · 626 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.799 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T10 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O thou that knowest me iustly Charlmonts. Though in the forc'd possession of another; Since from thine owne free spirit wee receiue it, That our affctions cannot be compel'd, Though' our actions may; be not displeas'd, if on The altar of his Tombe, I sacrifice My teares. They are the iewels of my loue Dissolued to griefe: and fall vpon His blasted Spring; as Aprill dewe, vpon A sweet young blossome shak'd before the time. Goe see my Truncks disposed of, Ile but walk A turne or two i'th Church and follow you. O! here's the fatall monument of my Dead Father first presented to mine eye. What's here? in memory of Charlemont? Some false relation has abus'd beliefe. I am deluded. But I thanke thee Heauen. For euer let me be deluded thus. My Castabella mourning o'er my Hearse? Sweete Castablla rise, I am not dead. O heauen defend mee. I Beshrew my rash And inconsid'rate passion.—Castabella! That could not thinke—my Castabella!—that My sodaine presence might affright her sense.— I prithee (my affection) pardon mee. Reduce thy vnderstanding to thine eye. Within this habite which thy misinform'd Conceipt takes onely for a shape; liue both The soule and body of thy Charlemont. I feele a substance, warme, and soft, and moist, Subiect to the capacitie of sense. Which Spirits are not; for their effence is Aboue the nature and the order of Those Elements whereof our senses are Created. Touch my lip. Why turnst thou from mee? Griefe aboue giefes. That which should woe relieue, Wish'd and obtain'd, giues greater cause to grieue. Can Castabella thinke it cause of griefe That the relation of my death proues false? The presence of the person wee affect, (Being hopelesse to enioy him) makes our griefe More passionate then if wee saw him not. Why not enioy? has absence chang'd thee? Yes. From maide to wife. Art marryed? O I am. Married had not my mother been a woman, I should protest against the chastitie Of all thy sexe. How can the Marchant, or The Marriner absent whole yeares (from wiues Experenc'd in the satisfaction of Desire) promise themselues to finde their sheetes Vnspotted with adultery, at their Returne? when you that neuer had the sense Of actuall temptation; could not stay A few short months. O doe but heare me speake. But thou wert wise; and didst consider that A Souldier might be maim'd, and so (perhaps) Lose his habilitie to please thee. No. That weaknes pleases me in him I have. What? marryed to a man vnable too? O strange incontinence! Why? was thy bloud Increas'd to such a pleurisie of lust, That of necessitie, there must a veyne Be open'd; though by one that had no skill To doe't? Sir, I beseech you heare me. Speake.