Carlell, Lodowick · published 1629 · first performed or written 1629 [c.1622-1629] (Annals) tragicomedy · King's Men · before the Court T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.80 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
Duke, be not deceived for after the discovery Of that secret which I will tell you, I'll give you an assurance with my sword, I do not fear. What secret is this? I did but now deny that I did love Clarinda, But now I call the heavens to witness Who must assist me in so just a quarrel, That I do love her equal with my life; And now I will maintain that I deserve To be better beloved by her than you. Come then, may the truest Lover Prove the Victor. First let me show you, How I acquit the obligation, I ought you, Clarinda loves me more than I can her, yet though She thus love me, I out of my gratefulness to you, Used the best part of my eloquence, To persuade her to marry you; and is not this A secret, and a discharging of the debt I owed you. These ears indeed can witness thou didst persuade her To marry me, but it was to satisfy Thy own base ends thy lust and thy ambition, Not out of thy gratitude to me as thou pretendest. My lust the vestal Virgins that keep in the holy fire, Have not more cold desires than I have. I in her Father's Garden late last night, Overheard thee tempt that bright Angel Which my soul adores, to acts of lust; And with such moving reasons, that flesh and blood Could never have resisted, considering That she loved thee; but that there was a power That governs above reason, guarded her From thy strong temptation. My Lord, that curiosity hath undone you, For I do call the heavens to witness, That what I then spoke when I seemed vicious, Was all dissembled; intending you the fruit Of that dissimulation; for when I once Have made myself a peer unworthy, I thought that she would then have turned The stream of her affection upon you. Can this be true? Sure fear makes him invent this; no sure, He cannot be a Coward. Lysander, Thou hast told me that, if it be true, Doth render thee a perfect man; but not A perfect lover: and trust me if there were A possibility that I could live without Clarinda, I should be friends with thee; but since she Is the mark at which we both aim, the one must By the blood of the other, purchase that happiness: And therefore guard yourself. My Lord, the injustice of your cause, Not Fortune hath disarmed you, and therefore yield. If fear of death could make me Forget Clarinda, wear the Victor's prize Than I perchance might yield; but since it cannot, Make use of your advantage. I scorn to gain a victory so poorly, But to this man that saved my life. You are a noble enemy, and have so won Upon me by my courtesy, that could you Quit your interest in Clarinda, I should with joy Share fortunes with you.
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: T0 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Duke, be not deceiu'd for after the diſcouery Of that ſecret which I will tell you, Ile giue you an aſſurance with my ſword, I doe not feare. What ſecret is this? I did but now deny that I did loue Clarinda, But now I call the heauens to witneſſe Who muſt aſſiſt me in ſo iuſt a quarrell, That I doe loue her equall with my life; And now I will maintaine that I deſerue To be better belou'd by her then you. Come then, may the trueſt Louer Proue the Victor. Firſt let me ſhew you, How I acquit the obligation, I ought you, Clarinda loues me more then I can her, yet though She thus loue me, I out of my gratefulneſſe to you, Vſed the beſt part of my eloquence, To perſwade her to marry you; and is not this A ſecret, and a diſcharging of the debt I ow'd you. Theſe eares indeed can witnes thou didſt perſwade her To marrie me, but it was to ſatisfie Thy owne baſe ends thy luſt and thy ambition, Not out of thy gratitude to me as thou pretendſt. My luſt the veſtall Virgins that keepe in the holy fire, Haue not more cold deſires then I haue. I in her Fathers Garden late laſt night, Ouerheard thee tempt that bright Angell Which my ſoule adores, to acts of luſt; And with ſuch mouing reaſons, that fleſh and blood Could neuer haue reſiſted, conſidering That ſhe lou'd thee; but that there was a power That gouernes aboue reaſon, garded her From thy ſtrong temptation. My Lord, that curioſity hath vndone you, For I doe call the heauens to witneſſe, That what I then ſpake when I ſeemed vicious, Was all diſſembled; intending you the fruit Of that diſſimulation; for when I once Haue made my ſelfe a peere vnworthy, I thought that ſhe would then haue turn'd The ſtreame of her affection vpon you. Can this be true? Sure feare makes him inuent this; no ſure, He cannot bee a Coward. Lyſander, Thou haſt told me that, if it be true, Doth render thee a perfect man; but not A perfect louer: and truſt me if there were A poſſibility that I could liue without Clarinda, I ſhould be friends with thee; but ſince ſhe Is the marke at which we both ayme, the one muſt By the bloud of the other, purchaſe that happines: And therefore gard your ſelfe. My Lord, the iniuſtice of your cauſe, Not Fortune hath difarm'd you, and therfore yeeld. If feare of death could make me Forget Clarinda, weare the Victors prize Then I perchance might yeeld; but ſince it cannot, Make vſe of your aduantage. I ſcorne to gaine a victory ſo poorely, But to this man that ſau'd my life. You are a noble enemy, and haue ſo won Vpon me by my courteſie, that could you Quit your intereſt in Clarinda, I ſhould with ioy Share fortunes with you.