The Atheist's Tragedy, or The Honest Man's Revenge · chunk 41 of 41
Tourneur, Cyril · published 1611 · first performed or written 1611 [1607-1611] (Annals) tragedy · Unknown T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.79 · 474 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
I ha' the trick on't Nephew. You shall see how easily I can put you out of pain.— oh. In lifting up the Axe I think has knocked his brains out.— What murderer was he that lifted up my hand against my head? None but yourself my Lord. I thought he was a murderer that did it. God forbid. Forbid? You lie judge. He commanded it. To tell thee that man's wisdom is a fool. I came to thee for judgement; and thou think'st thyself a wise man. I outreached thy wit; and made thy justice Murders instrument, in Castabella's death and Charlemont's. To crown my Murder of Montferrers with a safe possession of his wealthy state.— I claim the just advantage of his words. Descend the Scaffold and attend the rest. There was the strength of natural understanding. But Nature is a fool. There is a power above her that hath overthrown the pride of all my projects and posterity; (for whose surviving blood, I had erected a proud monument) and struck 'em dead before me. For whose deaths, I called to thee for judgement. Thou didst want discretion for the sentence. But yond power that struck me, knew the judgement I deserved; and gave it.— O! the lust of Death commits a Rape upon me as I would ha'done on Castabella.— Strange is his death and judgement. With the hands Of joy and justice I thus set you free. The power of that eternal providence, Which overthrew his projects in their pride; Hath made your griefs the instruments to raise Your blessings to a greater height than ever. Only to Heaven I attribute the work. Whose gracious motives made me still forbear To be mine own Revenger. Now I see, That, Patience is the honest man's revenge. In stead of Charlemont that but e'en now Stood ready to be dispossessed of all; I now salute you with more titles, both Of wealth and dignity than you were borne too. And you (sweet madam) Lady of Belforest You have that title by your Father's death. With all the titles due to me; increase The wealth and honour of my Charlemont. Lord of Montferrers; Lord D'amville; Belforest. And for a close to make up all the rest;— The Lord of Castabella. Now at last Enjoy the full possession of my love; As clear and pure as my first chastity. The crown of all my blessings!— I will tempt My Stars no longer; nor protract my time Of marriage. When those Nuptial rites are done; I will perform my kinsmen's funerals. The Drums and Trumpets! Interchange the sounds Of Death and Triumph; for these honoured lives, Succeeding their deserved Tragedies. Thus by the work of Heaven, the men that thought To follow our dead bodies without tears, Are dead themselves, and now we follow theirs.
nodes 1749–1793 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 41 of 41 in this edition
Length
474 words · 623 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.793 (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)
I ha' the trick on't Nephew. You shall see how eas'ly I can put you out of paine.—Ooh. In lifting vp the Axe I thinke has knock'd his braines out.— What murderer was hee that lifted vp my hand against my head? None but your selfe my Lord. I thought he was a murderer that did it. God forbid. Forbid? You lie Iudge. He commanded it. To tell thee that mans wisedome is a foole. I came to thee for Iudgement; and thou think'st thy selfe a wise man. I outreach'd thy wit; and made thy Iustice Murders instrument, in Castabella's death and Charlemonts. To crowne my Murder of Monferrers with a safe possession of his wealthie state.— I claime the iust aduantage of his words. Descend the Scaffold and attend the rest. There was the strength of naturall vnderstanding. But Nature is a foole. There is a power aboue her that hath ouerthrowne the pride of all my proiects and posteritie; (for whose suruiuing bloud, I had erected a proud monument) and strucke 'em dead before me. For whose deathes, I call'd to thee for Iudgement. Thou didst want discretion for the sentence. But yond' power that strucke me, knew the Iudgement I deseru'd; and gaue it.—O! the lust of Death commits a Rape vpon me as I would ha'done on Castabella.— Strange is his death and iudgement. With the hands Of Ioy and Iustice I thus set you free. The power of that eternall prouidence, Which ouerthrew his proiects in their pride; Hath made your griefes the instruments to raise Your blessings to a greater height then euer. Onely to Heau'n I attribute the worke. Whose gracious motiues made me still forbeare To be mine owne Reuenger. Now I see, That, Patience is the honest mans reuenge. In stead of Charlemont that but e'en now Stood readie to be dispossess'd of all; I now salute you with more titles, both Of wealth and dignitie then you were borne too. And you (sweer Madame) Lady of Belforest You haue that title by your Fathers death. With all the titles due to me; encrease The wealth and honour of my Charlemont. Lord of Montferrers; Lord D'amuille; Belforest. And for a cloze to make vp all the rest;— The Lord of Castabella. Now at last Enioy the full possession of my loue; As cleare and pure as my first chastitie. The crowne of all my blessings!—I will tempt My Starres no longer; nor protract my time Of marriage. When those Nuptiall rites are done; I will performe my kinsmens funeralles. The Drums and Trumpets! Interchange the sounds Of Death and Triumph; for these honour'd iiues, Succeeding their deserued Tragedies. Thus by the worke of Heau'n, the men that thought To follow our dead bodies without teares, Are dead themselues, and now we follow theirs.