The Atheist's Tragedy, or The Honest Man's Revenge · chunk 28 of 41
Tourneur, Cyril · published 1611 · first performed or written 1611 [1607-1611] (Annals) tragedy · Unknown T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.73 · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
The Churchyard? This the fittest place for death, Perhaps he's praying. Then he's fit to die. We'll send him charitably to his grave. No matter how thou tak'st him. First take this.— Thou knowest the place. Observe his passages; And with the most advantage make a stand; That favoured by the darkness of the night, His breast may fall upon thee at so near A distance, that he sha'not shun the blow. The deed once done, thou may'st retire with safety. The place is unfrequented; and his death Will be imputed to th'attempt of thieves. Be careless. Let your mind be free and clear. This Pistol shall discharge you of your fear. But let me call my projects to account, For what effect and end I have engaged myself in all this blood? To leave a state To the succession of my proper blood. But how shall that succession be continued? Not in my elder Son I fear, Disease And weakness have disabled him for issue. For th'tother; his loose humour will endure No bond of marriage. And I doubt his life; His spirit is so boldly dangerous. O pity that the profitable end, Of such a prosperous murder should be lost! Nature forbid. I hope I have a body, That will not suffer me to lose my labour, For want of issue, yet. But then't must be A Bastard.— Tush; they only father bastards, That father other men's begettings. Daughter! Be it mine own; let it come whence it will. I am resolved. Daughter! My Lord. I prithee call my Daughter. Your pleasure Sir. Is thy Husband i'bed? Yes my Lord. The evening's fair. I prithee walk a turn or two. Come Iaspar. No. Weel' walk but to the corner o'the Church; And I have something to speak privately. No matter, Stay. This falls out happily. twelve. 'tis a good hour, 'twill strike one anon. How fit a place for contemplation is this dead of night, among the dwellings of the dead.— This grave.— Perhaps th'inhabitant was in his life time the possessor of his own desires. Yet in the midst of all his greatness and his wealth; he was less rich and less contented, then in this poor piece of earth, lower and lesser than a Cottage. For here he neither wants nor cares. Now that his body favours of corruption; He enjoys a sweeter rest than e'er he did amongst the sweetest pleasures of this life. For here, there's nothing troubles him.— And there.— In that grave lies another. He (perhaps) was in his life as full of misery as this of happiness. And here's an end of both. Now both their states are equal. O that Man, with so much labour should aspire to worldly height; when in the humble earth, the world's condition's at the best! Or scorn inferior men; since to be lower than a worm, is to be higher than a King!
nodes 1301–1348 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 28 of 41 in this edition
Length
489 words · 641 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.727 (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)
The Churchyard? This the fittest place for death, Perhaps he's praying. Then he's fit to die. We'l send him charitably to his graue. No matter how thou tak'st him. First take this.— Thou knowest the place. Obserue his passages; And with the most aduantage make a stand; That fauour'd by the darknesse of the night, His brest may fall vpon thee at so neare A distance, that he sha'not shunne the blow. The deede once done, thou mai'st retire with safety. The place is vnfrequented; and his death Will be imputed to th'attempt of theeues. Be carelesse. Let your mind be free and cleare. This Pistoll shall discharge you of your feare. But let me call my proiects to accompt, For what effect and end I haue engag'd My selfe in all this bloud? To leaue a state To the succession of my proper bloud. But how shall that succession be continued? Not in my elder Sonne I feare, Disease And weakenesse haue disabled him for issue. For th'tother; his loose humour will endure No bond of marriage. And I doubt his life; His spirit is so boldly dangerous. O pittie that the profitable end, Of such a prosp'rous murther should be lost! Nature forbid. I hope I haue a body, That will not suffer me to loose my labour, For want of issue, yet. But then't must be A Bastard.—Tush; they onely father bastards, That father other mens begettings. Daughter! Be it mine owne; let it come whence it will. I am resolu'd. Daughter! My Lord. I prithee call my Daughter. Your pleasure Sir. Is thy Husband i'bed? Yes my Lord. The euening's faire. I prithee walke a turne or two. Come Iaspar. No. Weel' walke but to the corner o'the Church; And I haue something to speake priuately. No matter, Stay. This falles out happily. Twelue. T'is a good houre, t'will strike one anon. How fit a place for contemplation is this dead of night, among the dwellings of the dead.—This graue.— Perhappes th'inhabitant vvas in his life time the possessour of his owne desires. Yet in the midd'st of all his greatnesse and his wealth; he was lesse rich and lesse contented, then in this poore piece of earth, lower and lesser then a Cottage. For heere he neither wants nor cares. Now that his body fauours of corruption; Hee enioyes a sweeter rest then e'er hee did amongst the sweetest pleasures of this life. For heere, there's nothing troubles him.—And there.—In that graue lies another. He (perhaps) was in his life as full of miserie as this of happinesse. And here's an end of both. Now both their states are equall. O that Man, with so much labour should aspire to wordly height; when in the humble earth, the world's condition's at the best! Or scorne inferiour men; since to be lower then a worme, is to be higher then a King!