The Atheist's Tragedy, or The Honest Man's Revenge · chunk 40 of 41
Tourneur, Cyril · published 1611 · first performed or written 1611 [1607-1611] (Annals) tragedy · Unknown T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.82 · 467 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Your Lordship interrupts the course of law. Prepare to die. My resolution's made. But ere I die; before this honoured bench; With the free voice of a departing soul, I here protest this Gentlewoman clear, Of all offence the law condemns her for. I have accused myself. The law wants power To clear me. My dear Charlemont; with thee I will partake of all thy punishments. Uncle; for all the wealthy benefits; My death advances you, grant me but this. Your mediation for the guiltless life Of Castabella; whom your conscience knows As justly clear as harmless innocence. Freely. My Mediation for her life; and all my interest in the world to boot, let her but in exchange possess me of the resolution that she dies withal.— The price of things is best known in their want. Had I her courage; So I value it, the Indies should not buy't out o'my hands. Give me a glass of water. Me, of wine.— This argument of death congeals my blood. Cold fear with apprehension of thy end, Hath frozen up the rivers of my veins.— I must drink wine to warm me, and dissolve the obstruction, or an apoplexy will possess me.— Why thou uncharitable Knave; Dost bring me blood to drink? The very glass looks pale and trembles at it. 'tis your hand my Lord. Canst blame me to be fearful; bearing still the presence of a murderer about me? Is this water? Water Sir. Come thou clear emblem of cool temperance. Be thou my witness, that I use no art To force my courage; nor have need of helps, To raise my Spirits like those weaker men; Who mix their blood with wine, and out of that Adulterate conjunction do beget A bastard valour. Native courage, thanks. Thou leadest me soberly to undertake This great hard work of magnanimity. Brave Charlemont! at the reflection of thy courage my cold fearful blood takes fire, and I begin to emulate thy death.— Is that thy executioner? My Lords; you wrong the honour of so high a blood, to let him suffer by so base a hand. He suffers by the form of law my Lord. I will reform it. Down you shag-haired Cur. The instrument that strikes my Nephew's blood, shall be as noble as his blood. I'll be thy executioner myself. Restrain his fury. Good my Lord forbear. I'll butcher out the passage of his soul, That dares attempt to interrupt the blow. My Lord; the office will impress a mark Of scandal and dishonour on your name. The office fits him; hinder not his hand. But let him crown my resolution, with An unexampled dignity of death. Strike home. Thus I submit me. So do I. In scorn of Death thus hand in hand we die.
nodes 1700–1748 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 40 of 41 in this edition
Length
467 words · 605 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.824 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T7 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Your Lordship interrupts the course of law. Prepare to die. My resolution's made. But ere I die; before this honour'd bench; With the free voice of a departing soule, I heere protest this Gentlewoman cleare, Of all offence the law condemnes her for. I haue accus'd my selfe. The law wants power To cleare me. My deare Charlemont; with thee I will partake of all thy punishments. Vncle; for all the wealthie benefits; My death aduances you, graunt me but this. Your mediation for the guiltlesse life Of Castabella; whom your conscience knowes As iustly cleare as harmelesse innocence. Freely. My Mediation for her life; and all my int'rest in the world to boote, let her but in exchange possesse me of the resolution that she dies withall.—The price of things is best knowne in their want. Had I her courage; So I value it, the Indies should not buy't out o'my hands. Giue me a glasse of water. Mee, of wine.— This argument of death congeales my bloud. Colde feare with apprehension of thy end, Hath frozen vp the riuers of my veines.— I must drinke vvine to vvarme mee, and dissolue the obstruction, or an apoplexie will possesse mee.—Why thou vncharitable Knaue; Do'st bring mee bloud to drinke? The very glasse lookes pale and trembles at it. T'is your hand my Lord. Canst blame mee to be fearefull; bearing still the presence of a murderer about me? Is this water? Water Sir. Come thou cleare embleme of coole temperance. Be thou my witnesse, that I vse no art To force my courage; nor haue neede of helpes, To raise my Spirits like those weaker men; Who mixe their bloud with wine, and out of that Adulterate coniunction doe beget A bastard valour. Natiue courage, thankes. Thou lead'st me soberly to vndertake This great hard worke of magnanimitie. Braue Charlemont! at the reflexion of thy courage my cold fearefull bloud takes fire, and I begin to emulate thy death.—Is that thy executioner? My Lords; you wrong the honour of so high a bloud, to let him suffer by so base a hand. He suffers by the forme of law my Lord. I will reforme it. Downe you shagge-hair'd Curre. The instrument that strikes my Nephew's bloud, shall be as noble as his bloud. I'le be thy executioner my selfe. Restraine his fury. Good my Lord forbeare. I'le bcher out the passage of his soule, That dares attempt to inter the blow. My Lord; the office will impresse a marke Of scandall and dishonour on your name. The office fits him; hinder not his hand. But let him crowne my resolution, with An vnexampled dignitie of death. Strike home. Thus I submit me. So doe I. In scorne of Death thus hand in hand we die.