Davenant, William · published 1630 · first performed or written 1627 [licensed for stage, Jan 12] (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · Blackfriars unassigned nearest T23 Husbands, wives and jealousy · 513 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T23: wife, husband, cuckold, jealousy, woman, jealous, mistress, love, house, honest.
Stay, stay, O my Husband, my dearest Lord? Will you permit such cruelty against Your own Wife. She, that hath so often slept Within your Bosom. O speak? do you want The natural touch? stay, stay, I will confess't. Stay, I'm of too easy, too soft a Soul. My Heartstrings (sure) are made of silk: and 'tis A subtle whore, she knows it well enough. But come, be brief. Charm me not with stories Of my former love between us. I see thee as thou art, and thou appear'st Like an entire, proportionable boil. Why speak'st thou not? Sorrow was ever slow of utterance, And I do tremble still. I knew the time, My duty hath been held in more regard Than now it is. All former interest Is quit forgot. Mark, did not I suspect, she would begin Her Charms again. Away with her. O stay, now, now, I will reveal all. Be nimble then: and tell me punctual truth, For my revenge is honest, and would not Willingly mistake, when it shall strike. 'tis true, your Sister's ravished by the Duke. Which fatal truth, this morning I received From her own mouth, But if I e'er did break My Marriage vows, or think unlawfully; Then may I lose my interest in Heaven. My duty, and my love remain still yours, And this constancy deserves some kindness. Therefore, if 'tis decreed that I must die: Let me die a modest death. Expose not Your poor wife, unto the cruelty Of Ravishers. What think ye sir? My thoughts continue in the former sense: I have a chaste, and virtuous wife; however You desired assurance from a trial So unkind as this. Still methinks that jewel which he gave her, Procured the same requital that my Sister made. But let it pass. I do conjure ye both, (As y'have been soldiers) to keep your Tongues, A safe distance from your Ears, Let not words Disperse what you have heard. 'tis external Reputation that keeps some Men from sin. Our faults once known, we do neglect to mend: Since Reputation suffers still: for that Admits of help, but it is never cured. And so the fatal jars 'tween Man, and Wife, If secret kept, dissension falls asleep. But if once known to Fame; Fame talks so loud She waketh it again. Your silence Signiors, Shall challenge much from my requital. Besides our obligations to your worth, Even both our honours would impose it As a virtue, not a trouble. We are Your humble servants. I will deserve you for my friends. Rise— You must be cleared by a stricter trial: Till when I do neglect the large Charter Of Husbands o'er their Wives: and command ye As a judge th'offender. Hence, and become My Prisoner in your Closet. Take heed, No curiosity in fear make you, To pry in my designs. I do obey ye cheerfully. O my heart! shall my industry, and hopes Find this period? My sufferance is tired. It is an old inconstancy in Fate, Soon to erect, and soon to ruinate.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Stay, ſtay, O my Husband, my deereſt Lord? Will you permit ſuch cruelty againſt Your owne Wife. She, that hath ſo often ſlept Within your Boſome. O ſpeake? doe you want The naturall touch ſtay, ſtay, I will confes't. Stay, I'm of too eaſie, too ſoft a Soule. My Heartſtrings (ſure) are made of ſilke: and 'tis A ſubtill whore, ſhe knowes it well enough. But come, be briefe. Charme me not with ſtorys Of my former loue betweene vs. I ſee thee as thou art, and thou appear'ſt Like an intire, proportionable Boyle. Why ſpeak'ſt thou not? Sorrow was euer ſlow of vterance, And I doe tremble ſtill. I knew the time, My duty hath bin held in more regard Then now it is. All former intereſt Is quit forgot. Marke, did not I ſuſpect, ſhe would begin Her Charmes agen. Away with her. O ſtay, now, now, I will reueale all. Be nimble then: and tell me punctuall truth, For my reuenge is honeſt, and would not Willingly miſtake, when it ſhall ſtrike. T'is true, your Sſter's rauiſh'd by the Duke. Which fatall truth, this morning I receau'd From her owne mouth, But if I ere did breake My Mariage vowes, or thinke vnlawfully; Then may I looſe my intereſt in Heauen. My duty, and my loue remaine ſtill yours, And this conſtancy deſerues ſome kindneſſe. Therefore, if t'is decreed that I muſt dye: Let me dye a modeſt death. Expoſe not Your poore vvife, vnto the cruelty Of Rauiſhers. What thinke ye ſir? My thoughts continue in the former ſence: I haue a chaſte, and virtuous vvife; howeuer You deſir'd aſſurance from a triall So vnkind as this. Still me thinks that Iewell which he gaue her, Procur'd the ſame requitall that my Siſter made. But let it paſſe. I doe coniure ye both, (As y'haue bin Souldiers) to keepe your Tongues, A ſafe diſtance from your Eares, Let not words Diſperſe what you haue heard. T'is externall Reputation that keepes ſome Men from ſinne. Our faults once knowne, we doe neglect to mend: Since Reputation ſuffers ſtill: for that Admits of helpe, but it is neuer cur'd. And ſo the fatall iarrs tweene Man, and Wife, If ſecret kept, diſſenſion falls aſleepe. But if once knowne to Fame; Fame talks ſo loude She waketh it agen. Your ſilence Signiors, Shall challenge much from my requitall. Beſides our obligations to your worth, Euen both our honors would impoſe it As a virtue, not a trouble. We are Your humble ſeruants. I will deſerue you for my friends. Riſe— You muſt be cleer'd by a ſtricter triall: 'Till when I doe neglect the large Charter Of Husbands o're their Wiues: and command ye As a Iudge th'offendor. Hence, and become My Priſoner in your Cloſet. Take heede, No curioſity in feare make you, To pry in my deſignes. I doe obay ye cheerefully. O my heart! ſhall my induſtry, and hopes Finde this period? My ſufferance is tir'd. It is an old inconſtancy in Fate, Soone to erect, and ſoone to ruinate.