Anonymous / Fletcher, John / Massinger, Philip · published 1621 · first performed or written 1617 [1613-1621] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.83 · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
I cannot but Believe you Madam, thou art one degree Grown nearer to my heart, and I am proud To have in thee so glorious a plant Transported hither; in thy conduct, we Go on assured of conquest, our remove Shall be with the next sun. Amazement leave me, 'tis he. We are again undone. Our guilt hath no assurance nor defence. If now your ever ready wit fail to protect us, We shall be all discovered. Be not so In your amazement and your foolish fears, I am prepared for't. How? Not one poor welcome, In answer of so long a journey made Only to see your brother. I have stood Silent thus long, and am yet unresolved Whether to entertain thee on my sword, As fits a parricide of a mother's honour; Or whether being a Prince, I yet stand bound (Though thou art here condemned) to give thee hearing Before I execute. What foolish hope, (Nay pray you forbear) or desperate madness rather, (Unless thou comest assured, I stand in debt As far to all impiety as thyself) Has made thee bring thy neck unto the axe? Since looking only here, it cannot but Draw fresh blood from thy seared up, conscience, To make thee sensible of that horror, which They ever bear about them, that like Nero, Like said I? thou are worse: since thou darest strive In her defame to murder thine alive. That she that long since had the boldness to Be a bad woman, (though I wish some other Should so report her) could not want the cunning, (Since they go hand in hand) to lay fair colours On her black crimes, I was resolved before, Nor make I doubt but that she hath empoisoned Your good opinion of me, and so far Incensed your rage against me, that too late I come to plead my innocence. To excuse thy impious scandals rather. Rather forced with fear to be compelled to come. forbear. This moves not me, and yet had I not been Transported on my own integrity, I neither am so odious to my subjects, Nor yet so barren of defence, but that By force I could have justified my guilt, Had I been faulty: but since innocence Is to itself an hundred thousand guards, And that there is no son, but though he owe That name to an ill mother, but stands bound Rather to take away with his own danger From the number of her faults, then for his own Security, to add unto them. This, This hath made me to prevent th'expense Of blood on both sides, the injuries, the rapes, (Pages, that ever wait upon the war:) The account of all which, since you are the cause, Believe it, would have been required from you; Rather I say to offer up my daughter, Who living only could revenge my death, With my heart blood a sacrifice to your anger, Then that you should draw on your head more curses Than yet you have deserved.
nodes 471–539 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 8 of 38 in this edition
Length
506 words · 624 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.833 (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 cannot but Beleeue you Madam, thou art one degree Growne neerer to my hart, and I am proud To haue in thee so glorious a plant Transported hither; in thy conduct, we Go on assurde of conquest, our remoue Shall be with the next sunne. Amazement leaue me, 'tis hee. VVe are againe vndone. Our guilt hath no assurance nor defence. If now your euer ready witfaile to protect vs, VVe shall be all discouerde. Be not so In your amazement and your foolish feares, I am prepared for't. How? Not one poore welcome, In answere of so long a iorney made Only to see your brother. I haue stood Silent thus long, and am yet vnresolude VVhether to entertaine thee on my sword, As fits a parricide of a mothers honor; Or whether being a Prince, I yet stand bound (Though thou art here condemnde) to giue thee hearing Before I execute. VVhat foolish hope, (Nay pray you forbeare) or desperate madnesse rather, (Vnlesse thou comest assurde, I stand in debt As far to all impiety as thy selfe) Has made thee bring thy necke vnto the axe? Since looking only here, it cannot but Draw fresh blood from thy searde vp, conscience, To make thee sensible of that horror, which They euer beare about them, that like Nero, Like sayd I? thou are worse: since thou darest striue In her defame to murther thine aliue. That she that long since had the boldnes to Be a bad woman, (though I wish some other Should so report her) could not want the cunning, (Since they go hand in hand) to lay faire colours On her blacke crimes, I was resolude before, Nor make I doubt but that shee hath impoysonde Your good opinion of me, and so far Incensde your rage against me, that too late I come to plead my innocence. To excuse thy impious scandalls rather. Rather forc'd with feare to be compelde to come. For beare. This moues not mee, and yet had I not beene Transported on my owne integrity, I neither am so odious to my subiects, Nor yet so barren of defence, but that By force I could haue iustified my guilt, Had I bene faulty: but since innocence Is to it selfe an hundred thousand gardes, And that there is no sonne, but though he owe That name to an ill mother, but stands bound Rather to take away with his owne danger From the number of her faults, then for his owne Security, to adde vnto them. This, This hath made me to preuent th'expence Of bloud on both sides, the iniuries, the rapes, (Pages, that euer waite vpon the war:) The accompt of all which, since you are the cause, Beleeue it, would haue bene required from you; Rather I say to offer vp my daughter, Who liuing only could reuenge my death, With my hart blood a sacrifice to your anger, Then that you shold draw on your head more curses Then yet you haue deserued.