Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
How did we think, that when the storms of war Were with our danger, care, and cost expelled From out these confines, and the warmth of peace Turned like a Spring to shine within your bounds, We should have sat secure? Or after all Those toils, that spent our strength, dried up our blood, Hastened the hand of time to seize our hairs, Before his date, and only in pursuit Of your (loved people) safety and content; Our own now fainting weariness of age Should taste that freedom which our labours bought In plenteous fullness for the poorest swain? And we have closed the Evening of our age Within a fearless slumber? But how weak Are all the hopes that wretched Princes fain! When in the calm of peace, while we suppose Our perils banished, and ourselves ingirt With such impenetrable love, as we Embrace our people with, then stand our lives Exposed to thickest dangers, which concealed Do strike the deeper, and are warded less. Such is the misery that follows State, That when we want abroad, we find at home Foes to besiege our lives. The discontent Of some aggrieved spirits, that think we stand 'Twixt their desires and them; and which is worse, The idle passions of unbridled youth, Rather than miss those hopes inflamed lust Has fired within their thoughts, will overturn Whole States, and climb up to their aimed ends By our heaped slaughters: Yet I least had thought Such Tragic Acts had known a woman's breast, Nor if I could, Althaea, would your life (Strong to retort suspicion) once permit Our least mistrust to stain your virtuous name: And had we not by heaven's appointment found Under your hand and seal the firmest proofs Of tempting our own blood to parricide; Suspicions strongest proofs had ne'er induced Our never lightly credulous belief To harbour your dislike? But should we now Neglect our safety, and our Countries good, When all the Providence of Fate conspires To bring those treacherous practises to light, Which Heaven abhors; we should contemn the Heavens, Abuse that form of justice we sustain, And stand as guilty of those wasteful ruins Our cruel mildness gives your actions scope To call upon your Country and ourselves. We therefore by the Laws denounce you guilty Of Treason 'gainst our person and the State. Were it for life my Lord I stood to speak, I scarce would give the breath that I must spend To save that life: But since your Grace does know A woman's prejudice has doomed our death, For my name's life I'll speak, and not for mine; If infamy might die when we do die, I would be silent: for know my gracious Lord. I scorn to beg a life, but come all armed In such a complete innocence, as dares Meet angry injustice in the jaws of death. And without trembling stand his violence. But that these Acts of blood, these horrid crimes Of parricide, of lust, and hellish sin,
seed 43: T1 · seed 44: T2 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
How did wee thinke, that when the ſtormes of warre Were with our danger, care, and coſt expell'd From out theſe confines, and the warmth of peace Turn'd like a Spring to ſhine within your bounds, We ſhould have ſate ſecure? Or after all Thoſe toiles, that ſpent our ſtrength, dry'd up our blood, Haſten'd the hand of time to ſeize our haires, Before his date, and onely in purſuit Of your (lov'd people) ſafty and content; Our owne now fainting wearineſſe of age Should taſte that freedome which our labours bought In plenteous fulneſſe for the pooreſt ſwaine? And we have clos'd the Evening of our age Within a fearleſſe ſlumber? But how weake Are all the hopes that wretched Princes faine! When in the calme of peace, while wee ſuppoſe Our perils baniſh'd, and our ſelves ingirt With ſuch impenetrable love, as we Embrace our people with, then ſtand our lives Expos'd to thickeſt dangers, which conceal'd Doe ſtrike the deeper, and are warded leſſe. Such is the miſerie that followes State, That when we want abroad, we finde at home Foes to beſiege our lives. The diſcontent Of ſome aggrieved ſpirits, that thinke we ſtand 'Twixt their deſires and them; and which is worſe, The idle paſſions of unbridl'd youth, Rather than miſſe thoſe hopes enflamed luſt Has fir'd within their thoughts, will overturne Whole States, and climbe up to their aymed ends By our heap'd ſlaughters: Yet I leaſt had thought Such Tragick Acts had knowne a womans breaſt, Nor if I could, Althea, would your life (Strong to retort ſuſpition) once permit Our leaſt miſtruſt to ſtaine your vertuous name: And had we not by heavens appointment found Vnder your hand and ſeale the firmeſt proofes Of tempting our owne blood to paricide; Suſpitions ſtrongeſt proofes had ne'r induc'd Our never lightly credulous beliefe To harbour your diſlike? But ſhould we now Neglect our ſafety, and our Countries good, When all the Providence of Fate conſpires To bring thoſe treacherous practiſes to light, Which Heaven abhorres; wee ſhould contemne the Heavens, Abuſe that forme of juſtice we ſuſtaine, And ſtand as guilty of thoſe waſtefull ruines Our cruell mildneſſe gives your actions ſcope To call upon your Countrey and our ſelves. We therefore by the Lawes denounce you guilty Of Treaſon 'gainſt our perſon and the State. Were it for life my Lord I ſtood to ſpeake, I ſcarce would give the breath that I muſt ſpend To ſave that life: But ſince your Grace does know A womans prejudice has doom'd our death, For my names life Ile ſpeake, and not for mine; If infamy might die when we doe die, I would be ſilent: for know my gracious Lord. I ſcorne to beg a life, but come all arm'd In ſuch a compleate innocence, as dares Meet angry injuſtice in the jawes of death. And without trembling ſtand his violence. But that theſe Acts of blood, theſe horrid crimes Of paricide, of luſt, and helliſh ſinne,