The Devil's Law Case (When Women Go to Law the Devil Is Full of Business) · chunk 26 of 45
Webster, John · published 1623 · first performed or written 1619 [1617-1621] (Annals) tragicomedy · Queen Anne's Men T11 Siblings, kin and confidants typicality 0.79 · 513 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
Alas, she mistakes, 'tis Contarino she wishes living; but I must fasten On her last words, for my own safety. Where, oh where shall I meet this comfort? Here in the vowed comfort of your daughter. Oh I am dead again, instead of the man, you present me the grave swallowed him. Collect yourself, good Lady, Would you behold brave Contarino living? There cannot be a nobler Chronicle Of his good than myself: if you would view him dead, I will present him to you bleeding fresh, In my penitency. Sir, you do only live, To redeem another ill you have committed, That my poor innocent daughter perish not, By your vild sin, whom you have got with child. Here begin a I my compassion: oh poor soul! she is with child by Contarino, and he dead, By whom should she preserve her fame toth' world, But by myself that loved her 'bove the world? There never was a way more honourable, To exercise my virtue, then to father it, And preserve her credit, and to marry her. I'll suppose her Contarino's widow, bequeathed to me Upon his Death: for sure she was his wife, But that the Ceremony a'th' Church was wanting. Report this to her, Madam, and withal, That never father did conceive more joy For the birth of an heir, than I to understand, She had such confidence in me. I will not now Press a Visit upon her, till you have prepared her: For I do read in your distraction, Should I be brought a'th' sudden to her presence, Either the hasty fright, or else the shame May blast the fruit within her. I will leave you, To commend as loyal faith and service to her, As ere heart harboured; by my hope of bliss, I never lived to do good act but this. Withal and you be wise, Remember what the mother has revealed Of Romelio's treachery. A most noble fellow in his loyalty. I read what worthy comforts I have lost In my dear Contarino, and all adds To my despair.— Within there. Fetch the picture hangs in my inner closet. I remember, I let a word slip of Romelio's practice At the Surgeons: no matter I can salve it, I have deeper vengeance that's preparing for him, To let him live and kill him that's revenge I meditate upon. So, hang it up. I was enjoined by the party ought that picture, forty years since, ever when I was vexed, To look upon that: what was his meaning in't, I know not, but methinks upon the sudden, It has furnished me with mischief such a plot, As never mother dreamed of Here begins My part i'th' play: my son's estate is sunk, By loss at sea and he has nothing left, But the Land his father left him. I is concluded, The Law shall undo him Come hither, I have a weighty secret to impart, But I would have thee first confirm to me, How I may trust, that thou canst keep my counsel, Beyond death.
nodes 1676–1741 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 26 of 45 in this edition
Length
513 words · 664 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T11 — Siblings, kin and confidantscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.792 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T15 · seed 44: T12 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Alas, shee mistakes, Tis Contarino she wishes liuing; but I must fasten On her last words, for my owne safetie. Where, oh where shall I meet this comfort? Here in the vowed comfort of your daughter. Oh I am dead agen, instead of the man, you present me the graue swallowed him. Collect your selfe, good Lady, Would you behold braue Contarino liuing? There cannot be a nobler Chronicle Of his good then my selfe: if you would view him dead, I will present him to you bleeding fresh, In my penitency. Sir, you doe onely liue, To redeeme another ill you haue committed, That my poore innocent daughter perish not, By your vild sinne, whom you haue got with child. Here begin a I my compassion: oh poore soule! Shee is with child by Contarino, and he dead, By whom should she preerue her fame to'th world, But by my selfe that loued her boue the world? There neuer was a way more honourable, To exercise my vertue, then to father it, And preserue her credit, and to marry her. Ile suppose her Contarino's widdow, bequeath'd to me Vpon his Death: for sure shee was his wife, But that the Ceremony a'th Church was wanting. Report this to her, Madam, and withall, That neuer father did conceaue more ioy For the birth of an heyre, then I to vnderstand, Shee had such confidence in me. I will not now Presse a Visit vpon her, till you haue prepar'd her: For I doe reade in your distraction, Should I be brought a'th sudden to her presence, Either the hastie fright, or else the shame May blast the fruit within her. I will leaue you, To commend as loyall faith and seruice to her, As ere heart harbour'd; by my hope of blisse, I neuer liu'd to doe good act but this. Withall and you be wise, Remember what the mother has reueal'd Of Romelio's treachery. A most noble fellow in his loyaltie. I read what worthy comforts I haue lost In my deare Contarino, and all addes To my dispayre.—Within there. Fetch the picture hangs in my inner closet. I remember, I let a word slip of Romelio's practise At the Surgeons: no matter I can salue it, I haue deeper vengeance that's preparing for him, To let him liue and kill him that's reuenge I meditate vpon. So, hang it vp. I was enioyned by thepartie ought that picture, Fortie yeares since, euer when I was vext, To looke vpon that: what was his meaning in't, I know not, but me thinkesvpon the sudden, It has furnisht me with mischiefe such a plot, As neuer mother dreamt of Here begines My part i'th play: my sonnes estate is sunke, By losse at sea and he has nothing left, But the Land his father left him. I is concluded, The Law shall vndoe him Come hither, I haue a weightie secret to impart, But I would haue thee first confirme to mee, How I may trust, that thou canst keepe my counsell, Beyond death.