Selected quad for the lemma: son_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A10790
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The heroinæ: or, The lives of Arria, Paulina, Lucrecia, Dido, Theutilla, Cypriana, Aretaphila; Heroinæ.
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Rivers, George.
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1639
(1639)
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STC 21063; ESTC S101215
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33,813
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186
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active this being often the fruit of a desperate dejected that ever of a well-settled mind Her valour was her crime her cowardize for as shee had the false spirit of a man unjustly to kill a man so had shee the true false spirit of a woman to act a greater lest she should sinke under a lesser evill Perhaps glorie transported her to an attempt as shee flattered her self above a man did shee not also descend into the cruell weaknesse of her sexe slay a man that had already paid earnest to a sleep never to awake that had already pawn'd himselfe to Death Did she not goe lower sacrifice his soule to the furie of furies her selfe Whither did her blind rage lead her to punish innocence to salve her honour that was not wounded This act carries little Valour in it lesse Vertue CYPRIANA THE Iland Cyprus Natures choycest storehouse where she had reposed the chiefest blessings of the earth flowing in wealth the wantonizer of the mind and by it once dedicated to the Queen of Love courted and feared of the neighbouring Nations while secure in her owne height the Othomannick Army infinite in number invincible in valour unappeas'd by cruelty breaks in like a sea that threatens to eat her into another Iland if not devoure her Christianity was their crime a wrong proud enough to unsheath a Turkish blade life was their greatest guilt which must bee wip'd off by cruell death That which to nature was preposterous the souldier made methodicall the infant torn from the mothers brest was mangled into as many atomes as it had lived minutes and hewed out into more Sacrifices then it had sins if sorrow was too weak to conquer the surviving distressed mother the sword therein courteous supplyed it and intomb'd both in the wombe from whence they did unfortunately spring Wives and Maids were first ravish'd then slaine for adultery Father and Daughter Mother and Sonne Brother and Sister were all incestuously piled up there was nothing wanting but new lives to satisfie the guilt of death The Iland was an heape of carkasses in despaire of being repeopled but by Cannibals or Crows Was ever cruelty so barbarously express'd Was ever steel refin'd for such cruelty Mustapha having almost dislimb'd the Iland bends his fury to the head besiegeth Salamina renowned for rich Citizens brave Buildings and stately Temples erected by the Telamonian Teucer during the Trojan sieige Dandalus the Governour forc'd to submit himselfe to the Turkish yoke after exquisite tortures is beheaded and to strike a greater terrour in the survivors his head is carryed upon the point of a sword through the razed Citie Nero had here seene his cruell wish accomplish'd the head of thousands of heads strooke off at one blow The highest rate the Citizen could amount to was too cheap for the securitie of life where innocence was punish'd in stead of treason Mustapha his sword now surfetted in humane bloud spurs on his sacrilegious furie to revenge him of the Gods he razeth the Temples whither the wretched Salaminians were fled for refuge the Altars are profan'd Hymens holy Tapers are lighted to rapes and adulteries at the very Altars Murders are their Sacrifices innocent lives drop like beades from their bloudy hands their more bloudy devotions Good Heaven where is your thunder awake your sleeping armory is not your whole Hoast blasphem'd Good Earth where is thy Earthquake cannot these monsters move thee The consecrated vessels are prophan'd to servile uses The shrines of Saints that call'd the adoration of farthest Pilgrims are demolish'd all holy and prophane a e miscellaniously sacrific'd to fire and sword Mustapha his rage and avarice appeas'd bethinks him of a present to appease Selimus his Masters lusts he sends captive the choicest beauties of both sexes doom'd to another destinie to the distain'd Carpathian Sea where his fleet lay at anchor The captives ship'd and ready to be wafted in their owne bloud to Byzantium when the divinely inspired Cypriana wrought the miracle worthy the memory of all time Shee servilly imployed in the powder-office with a countenance that gave a majesty to her miserie and scorn'd the subjection of sorrow resolves a powder-treason a candle shee had flaming in her hand but a purer flame shot from heaven into her breast from no other place could so generous a mind be fired This fire said shee purer then the element of fire shall both burne and cure shall extinguish the lurking inflammations of lust Nothing of Cyprus shall bee transported to Byzantium but my fame powerfull to perfume the contagion of their sin O Heaven to thee the Sanctuary of innocence flies my untainted soule if my spirit enlightned by thine act thy vengeance thy mercy reward mee if I transgresse thy Commission if I let out my life before thou requirest it pardon the weaknesse of my vertue pardon her that sacrificeth her self a spotlesse creature to thy most sacred throne If thy justice exclude mee thy pitie oh pitie these innocents rain all thy revenge on mee burie my name from the discovery of posterity let not them because they feel my fate feel thy vengeance Then gave shee fire to the Powder that knew as little mercie as the Turke The Masts and Sailes were hoysed nearer the Skies then when the boysterous element conspires a shipwrack the ribs torn from the body flew like murdering shot through the next ship where the unquench'd pitch seized the powder so that both were swallowed by the same fate Into these two ships were congested the Prime of the Turkish Souldiery the Cyprian captivitie dispatch'd by Mustapha to Selimus at Byzantium The miserable Salaminians now upon the shore paying the last office of affection to see the last of their wives and children were more delighted then terrified at the spectacle they look'd on death not as a punishment but as the most honourable divorce and last refuge of honour Death had in it more courtesie then horrour for as it was the last so it was the least of their evils Did they weepe at their misfortunes so did the Sea with a generall acclamation they thank'd the Gods that had heard their prayers desiring their friends should bee rather a prey to the mercilesse waves then Selimus lusts for which by the misfortune of beauty they were reserv'd untouch'd Mustapha now again whets his sword which before revenge had dull'd there was not a life that was not his prey till hee had left the Iland breathlesse then like a Tyger besmeard in the bloud of tamer beasts hee returnes to his Fleet and laden with the spoiles of the Countrey but most with infamie hoyseth Sailes to Bzyantium Now is he in the Carpathian sea where may hee see nothing but monsters ugly as himself may wind and water roar to him the name of bloud If sleepe charming-care steal on his restlesse mind may the Cyprian Ghosts awake him may every minute bee feare of endlesse death and may his sinne fright away his repentance then