The Devil's Law Case (When Women Go to Law the Devil Is Full of Business) · chunk 17 of 45
Webster, John · published 1623 · first performed or written 1619 [1617-1621] (Annals) tragicomedy · Queen Anne's Men T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.70 · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
The best in Naples? How oft has he been dressed? But once. I have some skill this way: The second or third dressing will show clearly, Whether there be hope of life: I pray be near him, If there be any soul can bring me word, That there is hope of life. Do you prize his life so? That he may live; I mean to come to his trial, to satisfy the Law. Oh, is't nothing else? I shall be the happiest woman. Here is cruelty apparelled in kindness. I am full of thoughts, strange ones, but they're no good ones. I must visit Contarino, upon that Depends an Engine shall weigh up my losses, Were they sunk as low as hell; yet let me think, How I am impaired in a hour, and the cause of't, Lost in security: oh how this wicked world bewitches, Especially made insolent with riches: So Sails with fore-winds stretched, do soonest break, And pyramids ath top, are still most weak. Look up sir, you are preserved beyond natural reason, you were brought dead out a'th' field, the Surgeons ready to have embalmed you. I do look on my action with a thought of terror, To do ill and dwell in't, is unmanly. You are divinely informed sir. I fought for one, in whom I have no more right, Then false executors have in Orphans goods, They cozen them of; yet though my cause were nought, I rather chose the hazard of my soul, Then forego the compliment of a choleric man. I pray continue the report of my death, and give out, Cause the Church denied me Christian burial, The Vice admiral of my Galleys took my body, With purpose to commit it to the earth, Either in Sicil, or Malta. What aim you at by this rumour of your death? There is hope of life In Contarino; and he has my prayers, That he may live to enjoy what is his own, The fair Iolenta; where, should it be thought That I were breathing, happily her friends Would oppose it still. But if you be supposed dead, The Law will strictly prosecute his life For your murder. That's prevented thus, There does belong a noble Privilege To all his Family, ever since his father, Bore from the worthy Emperor Charles the fift, An answer to the French Kings challenge, at such time The two noble Princes were engaged to fight. Upon a frontier arm o'th' sea in a flat-bottomed Boat, That if any of his Family should chance To kill a man i'th' Field, in a noble cause, He should have his Pardon; now sir, for his cause, The world may judge if it were not honest. Pray help me in speech, 'tis very painful to me. Sir I shall. The guilt of this lies in Romelio, And as I hear, to second this good Contract, He has got a Nun with child.
nodes 1074–1136 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 17 of 45 in this edition
Length
491 words · 634 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.701 (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)
The best in Naples? How oft has he been drest? But once. I haue some skill this way: The second or third dressing will shew clearely, Whether there be hope of life: I pray be neere him, If there be any soule can bring me word, That there is hope of life. Doe you prise his life so? That he may liue; I meane to come to his try all, to satisfie the Law. Oh, ist nothing else? I shall be the happiest woman. Here is cruelty appareled in kindnesse. I am ful of thoughts, strāge ones, but they'r no good ones. I must visit Contarino, vpon that Depends an Engine shall weigh vp my losses, Were they sunke as low as hell; yet let me thinke, How I am impayred in a houre, and the cause of't, Lost in securitie: oh how this wicked world bewitches, Especially made insolent with riches: So Sayles with fore-winds stretcht, doe soonest breake, And Piramides ath top, are still most weake. Looke vp sir, you are preserued beyond naturall reason, you were brought dead out a'th field, the Surgeons ready to haue embalmed you. I do looke on my action with a thought of terror, To doe ill and dwell in't, is vnmanly. You are diuinely informed sir. I fought for one, in whom I haue no more right, Then false executors haue in Orphans goods, They cozen them of; yet tho my cause were naught, I rather chose the hazard of my soule, Then foregoe the complement of a chollerick man. I pray continue the report of my death, and giue out, Cause the Church denyed me Christian buriall, The Vice admirall of my Gallies tooke my body, With purpose to commit it to the earth, Either in Cicil, or Malta. What ayme you at by this rumour of your death? There is hope of life In Contarino; and he has my prayers, That he may liue to enioy what is his owne, The faire Iolenta; where, should it be thought That I were breathing, happily her friends Would oppose it still. But if you be supposed dead, The Law will strictly prosecute his life For your murder. That's preuented thus, There does belong a noble Priuiledge To all his Family, euer since his father, Bore from the worthy Emperour Charles the fift, An answere to the French Kings challenge, at such time The two noble Princes were ingag'd to fight. Vpon a frontier arme o'th sea in a flat-bottom'd Boat, That if any of his Family should chance To kill a man i'th Field, in a noble cause, He should haue his Pardon; now sir, for his cause, The world may iudge if it were not honest. Pray helpe me in speech, tis very painfull to me. Sir I shall. The guilt of this lyes in Romelio, And as I heare, to second this good Contract, He has got a Nun with child.