Gomersall, Robert · published 1628 · first performed or written 1628 [1622-1628] (Annals) tragedy T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.72 · 490 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Darkness so dwell there, that I might be won To wish the cruel comfort of the Sun, Which erst I raved at: 'twas a narrow cave, Formed to the model of a lesser grave, Or straightened Coffin, all was length, for they Left not the height that I might kneel to pray. Was ever such a bed? could ever yet Cruelty boast of such a subtle wit To bury so! some that have entered Earth Alive, like me, yet by the usual mirth Of justice had their burial with meat, As if't should be their punishment to eat, From which I me barred, I had no food, but me, And yet a guest of famine; courtesy At last seized heaven, I died, and so though late, I both appeased and triumphed over Fate. But where am I? what ecstasy was this? How quickly we learn misery? no ghost Would have so courteously relinquished Hell To teach us happiness: if a kind star Had cast a Fortune on us beyond wish, We might expect the story from the star as soon as the dear benefit: but when grief That against which we would seal up our ears, When that is meant us, we shall surely hear, Though heaven do strain for a new Miracle, So to amaze us to a certainty: Though rotten carcases regain a voice, And hell is bounteous of intelligence, To give us tears. Why, than an end to tears, Let's scorn the sorrow, which we owe to hell: Now learn we the prodigious effects Of wise Ambition: for 'twere easy justice To ruin foolish usurpation, Heaven needs not stickle in't: but when those men Who are as accurate, as bad, who can So shape their vice into a virtuous mould, That we repine at the accusers more, Than at the guilty: when that these men fall, Who then will call that wise, which he sees bad? Such wisdom made, and ruined him: than ye That dazzle with your Majesty, and sit Too near to thunder, and not fear it, know Sforza, and learn a wise contempt of wisdom, Frailty attends your best, and strongest trick, And there's no fool unto the Politic. SOmewhat beyond an end? and can there b Tediousness counted an Apology? It was prolixity of speech offended, And can that error by more speech be mended? Your patience stints the wonder: that is it Hath dared us to be public, and to fit These times of tempest, with a blustering scene. If aught do please, if we have hit the mean, That neither cloys the Auditor, nor starves, Felicity hath crowned us, if ought swerves From plausible invention, know 'twas it Which we intend, which is in stead of wit. Tears grace a Tragedy, and we are glad To have the happy power to make you sad. Continue it, and our applause is high, Not from your Hand so much, as from your eye.
nodes 2062–2124 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 32 of 32 in this edition
Length
490 words · 633 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.719 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T10 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Darkneſſe ſo dwell there, that I might be wonne To wiſh the cruell comfort of the Sunne, Which earſt I rau'd at: twas a narrow caue, Form'd to the modell of a leſſer graue, Or ſtraitned Coffin, all was length, for they Left not the height that I might kneele to pray. Was euer ſuch a bed? could euer yet Cruelty boaſt of ſuch a ſubtle wit To bury ſo! ſome that haue entred Earth Aliue, like me, yet by the vſuall mirth Of iuſtice had their buriall with meat, As if't ſhould be their puniſhment to eate, From which I me barr'd, I had no food, but me, And yet a gueſt of famine; courteſie At laſt ceiz'd heau'n, I dy'd, and ſo though late, I both appeas'd and triumpht ouer Fate. But where am I? what extaſie was this? How quickely we learne miſery? no ghoſt Would haue ſo courteouſly relinquiſht Hell To teach vs happineſſe: if a kind ſtarre Had caſt a Fortune on vs beyond wiſh, We might expect the ſtory from the ſtarre Aſſoone as the deare benefit: but when griefe That againſt which we would ſeale vp our eares, When that is meant vs, we ſhall ſurely heare, Though heau'n doe ſtraine for a new Miracle, So to amaze vs to a certainty: Though rotten carkaſſes regaine a voice, And hell is bounteous of intelligence, To giue vs teares. Why, then an end to teares, Let's ſcorne the ſorrow, which we owe to hell: Now learne we the prodigious effects Of wiſe Ambition: for twere eaſie iuſtice To ruine fooliſh vſurpation, Heau'n needs not ſtickle in't: but when thoſe men Who are as accurate, as bad, who can So ſhape their vice into a vertuous mould, That we repine at the accuſers more, Then at the guilty: when that theſe men fall, Who then will call that wiſe, which he ſees bad? Such wiſdome made, and ruin'd him: then ye That dazle with your Maieſty, and ſit Too neere to thunder, and not feare it, know Sforza, and learne a wiſe contempt of wiſedome, Frailty attends your beſt, and ſtrongeſt tricke, And there's no foole vnto the Politicke. SOmewhat beyond an end? and can there b Tediouſneſſe counted an Apology? It was prolixity of ſpeech offended, And can that error by more ſpeech be mended? Your patience ſtints the wonder: that is it Hath dar'd vs to be publike, and to fit Theſe times of tempeſt, with a bluſtring ſcene. If ought doe pleaſe, if we haue hit the meane, That neither cloyes the Auditor, nor ſtarue, Felicity hath crown'd vs, if ought ſwarues From plauſible inuention, know 'twas it Which we intend, which is in ſtead of wit. Teares grace a Tragedy, and we are glad To haue the happy power to make you ſad. Continue it, and our applauſe is high, Not from your Hand ſo much, as from your eye.