Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men T40 Sin, guilt and violent loss within famil typicality 0.80 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T40: brother, death, life, die, heaven, sin, live, father, blood, soul.
Be you content, (fair Maid) It is the Law, not I, condemn your brother, Were he my kinsman, brother, or my son, It should be thus with him: he must die to morrow. To morrow? oh, that's sudden, Spare him, spare him: he's not prepared for death; even for our kitchens We kill the fowl of season: shall we serve heaven With less respect than we do minister To our grosse-selues? good, good my Lord, bethink you; Who is it that hath died for this offence? There's many have committed it. I, well said. The Law hath not been dead, though it hath slept Those many had not dared to do that evil If the first, that did th' Edict infringe Had answered for his deed. Now 'tis awake. Takes note of what is done, and like a Prophet Looks in a glass that shows what future evils Either now, or by remissness, new conceived, And so in progress to be hatc'hd, and borne, Are now to have no successive degrees, But here they live to end. Yet show some pity. I show it most of all, when I show justice; For than I pity those I do not know, Which a dismissed offence, would after gall And do him right, that answering one foul wrong Lives not to act another. Be satisfied; Your Brother dies to morrow; be content. So you must be the first that gives this sentence, And he, that suffers: Oh, it is excellent To have a Giants strength: but it is tyrannous To use it like a Giant. That's well said. Can great men thunder As Ioue himself does, Ioue would never be quiet, For every pelting petty Officer Would use his heaven for thunder; Nothing but thunder: Merciful heaven, Thou rather with thy sharp and sulphurous bolt Splits the un-wedgable and gnarled Oak, Then, the soft Mertill: But man, proud man, Dressed in a little brief authority, Most ignorant of what he's most assured, (His glassy Essence) like an angry Ape Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven, As makes the Angels weep: who with our spleens, Would all themselves laugh mortal. Oh, to him, to him wench: he will relent, he's coming: I perceiueed. Pray heaven she win him. We cannot weigh our brother with ourself, Great men may jest with Saints: 'tis wit in them, But in the less fowl profanation. Thou'rt i' th' right (Girl) more o' that. That in the captain's but a choleric word, Which in the Soldier is flat blasphemy. Art advised o' that? more on't. Why do you put these sayings upon me? Because Authority, though it err like others, Hath yet a kind of medicine in itself That skin's the vice o' th' top; go to your bosom, Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know That's like my brother's fault: if it confess A natural guiltiness, such as is his, Let it not sound a thought upon your tongue Against my brother's life.
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)
Be you content, (faire Maid) It is the Law, not I, condemne your brother, Were he my kinſman, brother, or my ſonne, It ſhould be thus with him: he muſt die to morrow. To morrow? oh, that's ſodaine, Spare him, ſpare him: Hee's not prepar'd for death; euen for our kitchins We kill the fowle of ſeaſon: ſhall we ſerue heauen With leſſe reſpect then we doe miniſter To our groſſe-ſelues? good, good my Lord, bethink you; Who is it that hath di'd for this offence? There's many haue committed it. I, well ſaid. The Law hath not bin dead, thogh it hath ſlept Thoſe many had not dar'd to doe that euill If the firſt, that did th' Edict infringe Had anſwer'd for his deed. Now 'tis awake. Takes note of what is done, and like a Prophet Lookes in a glaſſe that ſhewes what future euils Either now, or by remiſſeneſſe, new conceiu'd, And ſo in progreſſe to be hatc'hd, and borne, Are now to haue no ſucceſſiue degrees, But here they liue to end. Yet ſhew ſome pittie. I ſhew it moſt of all, when I ſhow Iuſtice; For then I pittie thoſe I doe not know, Which a diſmis'd offence, would after gaule And doe him right, that anſwering one foule wrong Liues not to act another. Be ſatisfied; Your Brother dies to morrow; be content. So you muſt be ye firſt that giues this ſentence, And hee, that ſuffers: Oh, it is excellent To haue a Giants ſtrength: but it is tyrannous To vſe it like a Giant. That's well ſaid. Could great men thunder As Ioue himſelfe do's, Ioue would neuer be quiet, For euery pelting petty Officer Would vſe his heauen for thunder; Nothing but thunder: Mercifull heauen, Thou rather with thy ſharpe and ſulpherous bol Splits the vn-wedgable and gnarled Oke, Then, the ſoft Mertill: But man, proud man, Dreſt in a little briefe authoritie, Moſt ignorant of what he's moſt aſſur'd, (His glaſsie Eſſence) like an angry Ape Plaies ſuch phantaſtique tricks before high heauen, As makes the Angels weepe: who with our ſpleenes, Would all themſelues laugh mortall. Oh, to him, to him wench: he will relent, Hee's comming: I perceiue't. Pray heauen ſhe win him. We cannot weigh our brother with our ſelfe, Great men may ieſt with Saints: tis wit in them, But in the leſſe fowle prophanation. Thou'rt i' th right (Girle) more o' that. That in the Captaine's but a chollericke word, Which in the Souldier is flat blaſphemie. Art auis'd o' that? more on't. Why doe you put theſe ſayings vpon me? Becauſe Authoritie, though it erre like others, Hath yet a kinde of medicine in it ſelfe That skins the vice o' th top; goe to your boſome, Knock there, and aske your heart what it doth know That's like my brothers fault: if it confeſſe A naturall guiltineſſe, ſuch as is his, Let it not ſound a thought vpon your tongue Againſt my brothers life.