Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A01840
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The tragedy of Orestes, vvritten by Thomas Goffe Master of Arts, and student of Christs Church in Oxford: and acted by the students of the same house
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Goffe, Thomas, 1591-1629.
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1633
(1633)
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STC 11982; ESTC S103295
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40,227
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68
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loue thou knowst I neuer looke too sterne Vpon a fault that could aske lenity But this is so transcendant and so great It must not be slipt without impunity To doe a haynous murder and i' th court I' th place of Iustice where the King might heare Vpon a chiefe attendant of the Kings Murder it selfe is past all expiation The greatest crime that Nature doth abhorre Not being is abominable to her And when we be make others not to be 'T is worse then bestiall and we did not so When onely we by natures ayd did liue A Heterogenious kinde as semibeasts When reason challeng'd scarce a part in vs But now doth manhood and ciuility Stand at the bar of iustice and there plead How much the 'r wronged and how much defac't When man doth die his hands in blood of man Iudgement it selfe would scarce a law enact Against the murderer thinking it a fact That man 'gainst man would neuer dare commit Since the worst things of nature doe not it Orest. O how his words now raile against a sinne Which beat vpon his conscious thoughts within His tongue speakes faire his inparts looke on them And they like Iury-men himselfe condemne Pyl. But O great King if iustice must haue right Let me stand only guilty in thy sight Orest. No 't is not King 't was I that did the deed And for my action let no other bleed Aegyst. In troth this make my doome it cannot fall Will none of you confesse Strophius weeps Orest. Yes I confesse Pylad. No King 't is I confesse Aegyst. How now Lord Strophius what affect you so That makes your teares be wrayers of some passion Stroph. My gracious soueraigns this strange spectacle Renues the memory of my once great losse And my deare Queens we once were blest with two Which so had link'd themselues in bands of Loue As these men now doe seeme to me they haue One streame of loue did in two hearts so glide One with the other liu'd with other dide And would my Queene be my competitor For our sons sake my suits should ioyne with her Since Iustice craues but one and both will goe Euen saue them both and right wrong iustice so Clytem. I good my loue let iustice come and looke If she can finde in all her statute booke Two men for the same crime should rightly die She will not say so iustice cannot lie And since they both will die let ones loue saue The others life and so both life shall haue Agam. In troth my Queen and my old Lord haue mou'd Well since your loues are both so strongly tide And friendship like an old acquaintance sends To her friend Iustice that she should be milde And looks with eyes of mercy on your fault Considering our immunity proclaim'd And such petitioners as you both haue got Death in our sentence now shall haue no part Whilst who should haue done worst confession striues Too much confession thus saues two mens liues But now we must demand what you made here What busines or condition you professe Pylad. Great King our duty owes to thee our liues And were we men that striu'd to set a cloud Before these gifts Art hath instructed vs Or we haue purchac't at a most deare rate Of cost and labour yet thy clemency Commands vs to lay open all to thee Yet for my selfe I rather count my state Blest that I lighted on this happy man Whose accurate and watchfull indagation Hath taught him for to heale the wounds of Nature By his exceeding skill in wholesome hearbs One that when I did thinke my thred of life Had beene quite cut did tie it vp againe And make it last recald my youthfull dayes And made me Aeson-like becom thus yong For which great practises I did owe my life And thence proceeded our late pious strife Aeg. Nay then I 'me glad our mercy did extend On men whom such rare vertues doe commend Or loue shall then grow greater and our court Shall entertaine you and 't may chance we will My queene and I make triall of your skill Orest. My gracious soueraigne words must not haue wings To passe and out-flye the bounds of truth Onely to win the Elixar of opinion But for my friend doth here professe so much And for my life doe stand so deeply bound That all my Art can ne're make recompence Please but your graces selfe and your deare queen Appoint the secrets of the safest roome To let me shew my selfe to none but you Though Nature dried vp with too much time Deny to spring in fruite from forth your loynes Or any other strange impediment Or Art preserues from sicknesse ruining And 't will be blest to shew it to a King Aegyst. Ha prethee let me speake with thee apart Thou strik'st on tunes now make me glad to heare We will commit our secresie to thee Cans't water barren wombs with such a dew Shall make 'em florish and wax green with fruit Although we cannot altogether blame That Nature hath been too vnkind to vs Yet we would plant each corner of our Realme With springing branches of our royall selfe To compasse in our selues and we stand in the midst Kings in their children doe great blessing finde And great men loue to propagate their kind Orest. Great Soueraigne boasting words shall ne're outweigh The things I will performe I speake not fame But what I first haue said I 'll doe the same Aegyst. We like thy temper well and we will trust Therefore this night we will appoint it so Thou shalt be guided to our secretst roome And there shalt vse thy skill which if it take Or loue shall honour thee for Physicks sake Exeunt Aegyst Clyt. Tind Orest. Good heauens I thanke you your effectuall power Hath shewed your iustice in this blessed houre They take Str. and Elect. back Now is occasion put thus murder layes The trap wherein it selfe it selfe betrayes Pyl. Old Lord a word with you Orest. and with you Lady Pyl. Had not you once a Son lou'd the young Prince Stop Yes Sir but Fates enuied my happines And holds both Prince and Son away too long Orest. And had not you a brother Lady once When heard you of him last he went trauell Elect. In truth I had but I can heare no news They discouer themselues Stro. O see my son welcome my dearest boy Elect. Our brother our Orestes is come home Stroph. 'T is they indeed O how my blood reuiues Let me embrace them O ye 'r welcome home Now is the Autumne of our sorrow done Elect. What silent place hath smothered you so long Of what great power haue you counsaile ta'ne Concerning the great plot you had in hand Orest. Vncle and sister we must not stand now Embracing much and bidding welcome home You see before I come how things doe stand My busines hastens and my friend and I Haue yet a greater proiect to performe Onely Electra we must haue your ayde To helpe with