Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.81 · 483 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Doth he so, Seek his life? Has censured him already, And as I hear, the Provost hath a warrant For's execution. Alas: what poor Abilitie's in me, to do him good. Assay the power you have. My power? alas, I doubt. Our doubts are traitors And makes us lose the good we oft might win, By fearing to attempt: Go to Lord Angelo And let him learn to know, when Maidens sue Men give like gods: but when they weep and kneel, All their petitions, are as freely theirs As they themselves would owe them. I'll see what I can do. But speedily. I will about it straight; No longer staying, but to give the Mother Notice of my affair: I humbly thank you: Commend me to my brother: soon at night I'll send him certain word of my success. I take my leave of you. Good sir, adieu. We must not make a scarecrow of the Law, Setting it up to fear the Birds of prey, And let it keep one shape, till custom make it Their perch, and not their terror. I, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little Then fall, and bruise to death: alas, this gentleman Whom I would save, had a most noble father, Let but your honour know (Whom I believe to be most straight in virtue) That in the working of your own affections, Had time coheard with Place, or place with wishing, Or that the resolute acting of our blood Can have attained th' effect of your own purpose, Whether you had not sometime in your life Erred in this point, which now you censure him, And pulled the Law upon you. 'Tis one thing to be tempted (Escalus) Another thing to fall: I not deny The jury passing on the Prisoner's life May in the sworne-twelue have a thief, or two Guiltier than him they try; what's open made to justice, That justice seizes; What knows the Laws That thieves do pass on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant, The jewel that we find, we stoop, and take't, Because we see it; but what we do not see, We tread upon, and never think of it. You may not so extenuate his offence, For I have had such faults; but rather tell me When I, that censure him, do so offend, Let mine own judgement pattern out my death, And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must dye. Be it as your wisdom will. Where is the Provost? Here if it like your honour. See that Claudio Be executed by nine to morrow morning, Bring him his Confessor, let him be prepared, For that's the utmost of his pilgrimage. Well: heaven forgive him; and forgive us all: Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall: Some run from brakes of Ice, and answer none, And some condemned for a fault alone.
nodes 346–412 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 7 of 43 in this edition
Length
483 words · 631 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.808 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Doth he ſo, Seeke his life? Has cenſur'd him already, And as I heare, the Prouoſt hath a warrant For's execution. Alas: what poore Abilitie's in me, to doe him good. Aſſay the powre you haue. My power? alas, I doubt. Our doubts are traitors And makes vs looſe the good we oft might win, By fearing to attempt: Goe to Lord Angelo And let him learne to know, when Maidens ſue Men giue like gods: but when they weepe and kneele, All their petitions, are as freely theirs As they themſelues would owe them. Ile ſee what I can doe. But ſpeedily. I will about it ſtrait; No longer ſtaying, but to giue the Mother Notice of my affaire: I humbly thanke you: Commend me to my brother: ſoone at night Ile ſend him certaine word of my ſucceſſe. I take my leaue of you. Good ſir, adieu. We muſt not make a ſcar-crow of the Law, Setting it vp to feare the Birds of prey, And let it keepe one ſhape, till cuſtome make it Their pearch, and not their terror. I, but yet Let vs be keene, and rather cut a little Then fall, and bruiſe to death: alas, this gentleman Whom I would ſaue, had a moſt noble father, Let but your honour know (Whom I beleeue to be moſt ſtrait in vertue) That in the working of your owne affections, Had time coheard with Place, or place with wiſhing, Or that the reſolute acting of our blood Could haue attained th' effect of your owne purpoſe, Whether you had not ſometime in your life Er'd in this point, which now you cenſure him, And puld the Law vpon you. 'Tis one thing to be tempted (Eſcalus) Another thing to fall: I not deny The Iury paſſing on the Priſoners life May in the ſworne-twelue haue a thiefe, or two Guiltier then him they try; what's open made to Iuſtice, That Iuſtice ceizes; What knowes the Lawes That theeues do paſſe on theeues? 'Tis very pregnant, The Iewell that we finde, we ſtoope, and take't, Becauſe we ſee it; but what we doe not ſee, We tread vpon, and neuer thinke of it. You may not ſo extenuate his offence, For I haue had ſuch faults; but rather tell me When I, that cenſure him, do ſo offend, Let mine owne Iudgement patterne out my death, And nothing come in partiall. Sir, he muſt dye. Be it as your wiſedome will. Where is the Prouoſt? Here if it like your honour. See that Claudio Be executed by nine to morrow morning, Bring him his Confeſſor, let him be prepar'd, For that's the vtmoſt of his pilgrimage. Well: heauen forgiue him; and forgiue vs all: Some riſe by ſinne, and ſome by vertue fall: Some run from brakes of Ice, and anſwere none, And ſome condemned for a fault alone.