Davenant, William · published 1629 · first performed or written 1628 [1626-1629] (Annals) tragedy · Unacted T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.90 · 485 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
I dare not so disgrace my Religion, And my love. 'tis time that I were dead, for I shall else Outlive my chief prerogative. I have Forgot how to command. unsheathe thy Sword! Or this breach of Duty shall teach methink, I ne'er enjoyed thy real love, and 'twas Not a mistake, that ushered thee to sin between My sheets, but a considerate lust— No provocation like to this, could tempt A danger from my Arm— Why dost thou dally thus with feeble motion? Bear up! and use more violence! Some surgery from heaven! Are you hurt, Sir? You willingly opposed your breast against My steel, and never sought t' endanger me With yours. ' thouhast performed, what my wish did prophesy: I'm pricked here, about the heart; and my veins Grow empty. Then glorious war, and all proud circumstance, That gives a soldier noise, for evermore farewell— Hold, Paradine. 'tis my last suit, that thou survive To minister a just revenge on those Whom I proscribe, help my quivering Limbs, And seat me in the Chair— Shall posterity read it in story And believe; a Prince that doth deserve to be The first i'th' List of those, that gathered noise In war, can be thus covetous t' expire In silence dark. Fall on my fatal point, And yet command that I survive the Tragedy! 'Twere in me an affectation trivial To cherish life, now Rhodolinda's false. For should I still preserve my soul in flesh, I know my mercy is so fond to her; I should forgive her all: and wert thou dead, My hope were then deprived of future justice. Live to revenge her falsehood. I know thy heart So sincere and noble, that I suspect not thee A sharer in her guilt. When thou Didst first confess th'adulterous crime, joined with Thy own mistake, through Hermegild's deep Art, My faith conceived the truth: for thy Nature Is much too blunt, and credulous for Court. Should I but speak each cunning circumstance— Contain thy breath! To hear that told, would make My soul wander in my last journey. Till thy relation brought it to my Ear, I never knew her false. Still my amazement doth increase! Were you Not told of this before! My knowledge only learned it of thy Tongue. Stay! Nor with Valdaura, you did ne'er project My death by poison? Never. Yet one reply, then make my joy exceed My wonder. Did you never in my bed, Commit a lustful stealth? Angels in that, are not more free from guilt. What Potter made this earthy Skull! pardon (Dear Valdaura) my dull suspect! Sing out Thy Hymns in heaven, and never listen more To my fond speech; for they have made me mad! I cannot gripe the Air. Mark how it steals Through all my knotty Fingers— Ecstasy! Now my last, and short minute is arrived; I do, resign my Crown—
nodes 2437–2505 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 36 of 39 in this edition
Length
485 words · 654 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.898 (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)
I dare not ſo diſgrace my Religion, And my loue. Tis time that I were dead, for I ſhall elſe Outliue my chiefe prerogatiue. I haue Forgot how to command. Vnſheath thy Sword! Or this breach of Duty ſhall teach me think, I ne'r inioy'd thy reall loue, and 'twas Not a miſtake, that vſher'd thee to ſinne betweene My ſheetes, but a conſiderate luſt— No prouocation like to this, could tempt A danger from my Arme— Why doſt thou dally thus with feeble motion? Beare vp! and vſe more violence! Some ſurgery from heauen! Are you hurt, Sir? You willingly oppos'd your breſt againſt My ſteele, and neuer ſought t' indanger me With yours. 'Thaſt perform'd, what my wiſh did prophecy: I'm prickd heere, about the heart; and my veines Grow empty. Then glorious war, and all proud circumſtance, That giues a ſouldier noyſe, for euermore farewell— Hold, Paradine. Tis my laſt ſute, that thou ſuruiue To miniſter a iuſt reuenge on thoſe Whom I proſcribe, helpe my quiuering Limmes, And ſeate me in the Chaire— Shall poſteritie read it in ſtory And beleeue; a Prince that doth deſerue to be The firſt ith' Liſt of thoſe, that gatherd noyſe In warre, can be thus couetous t' expire In ſilence darke. Fall on my fatall point, And yet command that I ſuruiue the Tragedy! 'Twere in me an affectation triuiall To cheriſh life, now Rhodolinda's falſe. For ſhould I ſtill preſerue my ſoule in fleſh, I know my mercy is ſo fond to her; I ſhould forgiue her all: and wert thou dead, My hope were then depriu'd of future iuſtice. Liue to reuenge her falſhood. I know thy heart So ſincere and noble, that I ſuſpect not thee A ſharer in her guilt. When thou Didſt firſt confeſſe th'adulterous crime, ioyn'd with Thy owne miſtake, through Hermegilds deepe Art, My faith conceiu'd the truth: for thy Nature Is much too blunt, and credulous for Court. Should I but ſpeak each cunning circumſtance— Containe thy breath! To heare that told, would make My ſoule wander in my laſt iourney. 'Till thy relation brought it to my Eare, I neuer knew her falſe. Still my amazement doth increaſe! Were you Not told of this before! My knowledge only learnt it of thy Tongue. Stay! Nor with Valdaura, you did ne'r proiect My death by poyſon? Neuer. Yet one reply, then make my ioy exceed My wonder. Did you neuer in my bed, Commit a luſtfull ſtealth? Angels in that, are not more free from guilt. What Potter made this earthy Skull! pardon (Deare Valdaura) my dull ſuſpect! Sing out Thy Hymnes in heauen▪ and neuer liſten more To my fond ſpeech; for they haue made mee mad! I cannot gripe the Ayre. Marke how it ſteales Through all my knotty Fingers— Extaſie! Now my laſt, and ſhort minute is ariu'd; I doe, reſigne my Crowne—