Rutter, Joseph / Corneille, Pierre · published 1637 · first performed or written 1637 [1637-1638] (Annals) not in BritDrama · before the Court T50 Fleets, armies and generals: war by sea typicality 0.80 · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T50: sea, honour, general, soldiers, men, ship, fight, soldier, king, vittori.
Few of those whom their duty binds to serve me, Can so acquit themselves, as thou hast done, Suffer then thy just praises, and at full Relate the story of thy Victory. Sir, you have heard how in this urgent danger, Which put the City in so great a tumult, A company of my friends met at my fathers, Moved me to go upon this enterprise, But I crave pardon of your Majesty: For daring to employ 'em without leave, The danger was at hand, So were my friends; The hazard of my head, made me I durst not Appear at Court, and I had rather lose My life in the defence of the whole State, Than give it up unto Cimena's plaints. I must excuse the heat of thy revenge, The State defended speaks in thy defence, Henceforth Cimena moves me but in vain, Whom if I hear 'tis but to give her comfort; But on with your relation. Under me This troop advanced with such a confidence, And so good order, that where ere they passed They diffused courage through the lookers on, Which so much moved 'em that although at first We numbered but five hundred, ere we reached The Port, we were increased into three thousand, Two thirds of these when I arrived, I hid Ith' bottom of our ships, which there I found, The rest, whose number every hour increased, Lay close to the ground, and in deep silence past The greatest part of that fair night away. To th' guard I gave command to do the like, Affirming stoutly that I had your order, For what I did. At length the glimmering star light Made us discover thirty sail coming up With a full tide, for the swollen Sea at once poured both itself, and them into our Haven, We let 'em pass discovering none of us Ith' haven, or the walls, and this our silence Made them so confident of our surprise, That presently they landed, fiercely running To meet the ruin which awaited them. Then rose we up, having received the signal From those within our ships; Who starting up in arms, did so confound The Moores, that they were frighted ere half landed. They came to pillage, but they met with War At Sea and Land, we bore 'em down before us, Many we slew i'th' place before they could Fall into rank or make the least resistance, When suddenly in spite of our endeavours, Their Princes rallied their dispersed troops, And from a shame they felt, to die so tamely, They took new courage, and restored their ranks, With their swords drawn, making their fight on foot, Then fell the bravest of our Soldiers Mixed with their Captains, the land, the water, Their Fleet, our Haven, seemed a field of slaughter Where death did only triumph; blood, and darkness Covered the place; what had their valour been, Who fought thus in the dark, had they been seen.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T45 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Few of thoſe whom their duty binds to ſerve me, Can ſo acquit themſelves, as thou haſt done, Suffer then thy juſt praiſes, and at full Relate the ſtory of thy Victory. Sir, you have heard how in this urgent danger, Which put the City in ſo great a tumult, A company of my friends met at my fathers, Mov'd me to goe upon this enterprize, But I crave pardon of your Majeſty: For daring to imploy 'um without leave, The danger was at hand, So were my friends; The hazard of my head, made me I durſt not Appeare at Court, and I had rather loſe My life in the defence of the whole State, Than give it up unto Cimena's plaints. I muſt excuſe the heat of thy revenge, The State defended ſpeakes in thy defence, Henceforth Cimena moves me but in vaine, Whom if I heare 'tis but to give her comfort; But on with your relation. Under me This troop advanc'd with ſuch a confidence, And ſo good order, that where ere they paſs'd They diffus'd courage through the lookers on, Which ſo much mov'd um that although at firſt We number'd but five hundred, ere we reacht The Port, we were increas'd into three thouſand, Two thirds of theſe when I ariv'd, I hid Ith' bottom of our ſhips, which there I found, The reſt, whoſe number every houre increas'd, Lay cloſe to the ground, and in deep ſilence paſt The greateſt part of that faire night away. To th' guard I gave commaund to doe the like, Affirming ſtoutly that I had your order, For what I did. At length the glimmering ſtar light Made us diſcover thirty ſaile comming up With a full tide, for the ſwolne Sea at once Powr'd both it ſelfe, and them into our Haven, We let 'um paſſe diſcovering none of us Ith' haven, or the wals, and this our ſilence Made them ſo confident of our ſurpriſe, That preſently they landed, fiercely running To meet the ruine which awaited them. Then roſe we up, having receiv'd the ſignall From thoſe within our ſhips; Who ſtarting up in armes, did ſo confound The Moores, that they were frighted ere halfe landed. They came to pillage, but they met with War At Sea and Land, we bore 'um down before us, Many we ſlew ith' place before they could Fall into ranke or make the leaſt reſiſtance, When ſudainly in ſpight of our endeavours, Their Princes rally'd their diſperſed troops, And from a ſhame they felt, to dye ſo tamely, They tooke new courage, and reſtor'd their ranks, With their ſwords drawne, making their fight on foot, Then fell the braveſt of our Souldiers Mixt with their Captains, the land, the water, Their Fleet, our Haven, ſeem'd a feild of ſlaughter Where death did onely triumph; blood, and darkneſſe Cover'd the place; what had their valour beene, Who fought thus in the darke, had they been ſeene.