Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas · published 1565 · first performed or written 1562 [Jan 18] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court T40 Sin, guilt and violent loss within famil typicality 0.86 · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T40: brother, death, life, die, heaven, sin, live, father, blood, soul.
In vain, O wretch thou showed A woeful heart, Ferrex now lies in grave, Slain by thy hand. Yet this, O father, hear; And than I end: Your Majesty well knows, That when my Brother Ferrex and myself By your own hest were joined in governance Of this your grace's Realm of Britain Land I never sought nor travailed for the same, Nor by myself, or by no scend I wrought. But from your highness will alone it sprung, Of your most gracious goodness bent to me, But howe my Brothers hart euen than remed With swollen disdain against mine equal rule Seing that Realm, which by descent should grow Wholly to him, allotted half to me? even in your highness Court he now remains, And with my Brother than in nearest place Who can record, what proof thereof was showed And how my brother's envious heart appeared Yet I that judged it my part to seek His favour and good will, and loath to make Your highness know, the thing which should have brought Grief to your grace, & your offence to him Hoping by earnest suit should soon have won A loving heart within a Brother's breast Wrought in that sort that for a pledge of love And faithful heart, he gave to me his hand. This made me think, that he had banisshed quite All rancour from his thought and bore to me Such hearty love, as I did owe to him: But after once we left your grace's Court And from your highness presence lived apart This equal rule still, still did grudge him so That now those Envious sparks which erst lay raked In living cinders of dissembling breast, Kindled so far within his hate's disdain That longer could he not refrain from proof Of secret practice to deprive me life By Poisons force, and had bereft me so. If mine own Servant hired to this fact And moved by truth with hate to work the same, In time had not bewrayed it unto me: When thus I saw the knot of love unknit All honest League and faithful promise broke The Law of kind and troth thus rent in twain His heart on mischief set, and in his breast Black treason hid then, then did I despair That ever time could win him friend to me Than saw I how he smiled with slaying knife Wrapped under cloak, then saw I deep deceit Lurk in his face and death prepared for me: Even nature moved me than to hold my life More dear to me than his, and bade this hand Since by his life my death must needs ensue, And by his death my life to be preserved: To shed his blood, and seek my safety so. And wisdom willed me without protract In speedy wise to put the same in ure. Thus have I told the cause that moved me To work my Brother's death and so I yield My life, my death to judgement of your grace.
seed 43: T37 · seed 44: T36 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
In vayne, O wretche thou ſhewe A wofull harte, Ferrex nowe lyes in graue, Slaine by thy hande. Yet this, O father, heare; And than I ende: Your Maieſtie well knowes, That whan my Brother Ferrex and my ſelfe By your owne heſt were ioyned in gouernaunce Of this your Graces Realme of Brittayne Lande I neuer ſought nor trauaylled for the ſame, Nor by my ſelfe, or by no ſcende I wrought▪ But from your highnes will alone it ſpronge, Of your moſt gracious goodnes bent to me, But howe my Brothers hart euen than remed With ſwollen diſdaine againſt mine egali rule Seing that Realme, which by diſcent ſhuld grow Whollie to him, allotted halfe to me? Euen in your highnes Court he nowe remaynes, And with my Brother than in neareſt place Who can recorde, what proofe therof was ſhewde And how my brothers enuious hart appearde Yet I that iudged it my parte to ſeeke His fauour and good will, and lothe to make Your highnes knowe, the thing which ſhuld haue brought Grief to your grace, & your offēce to him Hopyng by earneſt ſuite ſhuld ſoone haue wonne A louynge hart within a Brothers breſt Wrought in that ſorte that for a pleadge of loue And faithfull hart, he gaue to me his hande. This made me thinke, that he had baniſſhed quite All rancour from his thought and bare to me Suche hartie loue, as I did owe to him: But after once we left your Graces Court And from your highnes preſence liued aparte This egall rule ſtill, ſtill did grudge him ſo That nowe thoſe Enuious ſparkes which erſt lay raked In lyuing cinders of diſſemblynge breſt, Kindled ſo farre within his hates diſdaine That longer could he not refraine from proofe Of ſecrete practiſe to depriue me life By Poyſons force, and had bereft me ſo. If myne owne Seruaunt hired to this fact And moued by trouthe wt hate to worke the ſame, In time had not bewraied it vnto mee: Whan thus I ſawe the knot of loue vnknitte All honeſt League and faithfull promiſe broke The Lawe of kind and trothe thus rent in twaine His hart on miſchiefe ſet, and in his breſt Blacke treaſon hid then, then did I diſpaier That euer tyme coulde wynne him frende to me Than ſawe I howe he ſmyled with ſlaying knife Wrapped vnder cloke, then ſawe I depe deceite Lurke in his face and death prepared for mee: Euen nature moued me than to holde my lyfe More deare to me than his, and bad this hande Since by his lyfe my death muſt nedes enſue, And by his death my lyfe to be preſerued: To ſhed his bloud, and ſeeke my ſafetie ſo. And wiſdome willed me without protracte In ſpedie wiſe to put the ſame in vre. Thus haue I tolde the cauſe that moued me To worke my Brothers death and ſo I yelde My lyfe, my death to iudgement of your grace.