Gascoigne, George / Kinwelmershe, Francis / Yelverton, ChristopherEuripides / Dolce, Lodovico · published 1575 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.85 · 494 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
Dear citizens, behold your Lord and King That Thebes set in quiet government, Now as you see, neglected of you all, And in these ragged ruthful weeds bewrapt, Ychased from his native country soil, Betakes himself (for so this tyrant will) To everlasting banishment: but why Do I lament my luckless lot in vain? Since every man must bear with quiet mind, The fate that heavens have erst to him assigned. EXample here, lo take by Oedipus, You Kings and Princes in prosperity, And every one that is desirous To sway the seat of worldly dignity, How fickle 'tis to trust in Fortunes wheel: For him whom now she hoisteth up on high, If so he chance on any side to reel, She hurls him down in twinkling of an eye: And him again, that growleth now on ground, And lieth low in dungeon of despair, Her whirling wheel can heave up at a bound, And place aloft in stay of stately chair. As from the Sun the Moon withdraws her face, So might of man doth yield dame Fortune place. LO here the fruit of high aspiring mind, Who weens to mount above the moving Skies: Lo here the trap that titles proud do find, See, ruin grows, when most we reach to rise: Sweet is the name, and stately is the reign Of kingly rule, and sway of royal seat, But bitter is the taste of Prince's gain, When climbing heads do hunt for to be great. Who would forecast the bank of restless toil, Ambitious wights do fraught their breasts withal, The growing cares, the fears of dreadful foil, To ill success that on such flight's doth fall, He would not strain his practise to achieve The largest limits of the mightiest states. But o, what fancies sweet do still relieve The hungry humour of these swelling hates? What poison sweet inflameth high desire? How soon the haughty heart is puffed with pride? How soon is thirst of sceptre set on fire? How soon in rising minds doth mischief slide? What bloody stirs doth glut of honour breed? th'ambitious son doth often surpresse his sire: Where nature's power unfeigned love should spread, There malice reigns and reacheth to be higher. O blind unbridled search of sovereignty, O tickle train of evil attained state, O fond desire of princely dignity, Who climbs too soon, he oft repentes too late. The golden mean, the happy doth suffice, They lead the posting day in rare delight, They fill (not feed) their uncontented eyes, They reap such rest as doth beguile the might, They not envy the pomp of haughty train, Ne dread the dint of proud usurping sword, But placed allow, more sugared joys attain, Than sway of lofty Sceptre can afford. Cease to aspire then, cease to soar so high, And shun the plague that pierceth noble breasts. To glittering courts what fondness is to fly, When better state in base Towers rests?
Gascoigne, George / Kinwelmershe, Francis / Yelverton, ChristopherEuripides / Dolce, Lodovico
Publication year (edition)
1575
First performance / composition (Annals)
1566
First performance (BritDrama)
1566 [1566-1567]
Genre (British Drama)
tragedy
Play type
Translation;Nonprofessional;University/Inns of Court
Edition / TCP / DEEP
edition 107 · TCP A01514 · DEEP 5007.03
Edition role
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2733–2796 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 44 of 68 in this edition
Length
494 words · 661 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.852 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T25 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Deare citizens, beholde your Lord and King That Thebes ſet in quiet gouernment, Now as you ſée, neglected of you all, And in theſe ragged ruthfull wéedes bewrapt, Ychaſed from his natiue countrey ſoyle, Betakes himſelf (for ſo this tirant will) To euerlaſting baniſhment: but why Do I lament my luckleſſe lot in vaine? "Since euery man muſt beare with quiet minde, "The fate that heauens haue earſt to him aſſignde. EXample here, loe take by Oedipus, You Kings and Princes in proſperitie, And euery one that is deſirous To ſway the ſeate of worldlie dignitie, How fickle tis to truſt in Fortunes whele: For him whome now ſhe hoyſeth vp on hie, If ſo he chaunce on any ſide to réele, She hurles him downe in twinkling of an eye: And him againe, that grovleth nowe on ground, And lieth lowe in dungeon of diſpaire, Hir whirling whéele can heaue vp at a bounde, And place aloft in ſtay of ſtatelie chaire. As from the Sunne the Moone withdrawes hir face, So might of man doth yéelde dame Fortune place. LO here the fruit of high aſpiring minde, Who wéenes to mount aboue the moouing Skies: Lo here the trap that titles proud do finde, Sée, ruine growes, when moſt we reach to riſe: Sweete is the name, and ſtatelie is the raigne Of kinglie rule, and ſwey of royall ſeate, But bitter is the taſt of Princes gaine, When climbing heades do hunte for to be great. Who would forecaſt the banke of reſtleſſe toyle, Ambitious wightes do freight their breſtes withall, The growing cares, the feares of dreadfull foyle, To yll ſucceſſe that on ſuch flightes doth fall, He would not ſtreyne his practize to atchieue The largeſt limits of the mightieſt ſtates. But oh, what fanſies ſwéete do ſtill relieue The hungrie humor of theſe ſwelling hates? What poyſon ſwéet inflameth high deſire? Howe ſoone the hautie heart is pufft with pride? Howe ſoone is thirſt of ſceptre ſet on fire? Howe ſoone in riſing mindes doth miſchief ſlide? What bloudie ſturres doth glut of honor bréede? Thambitious ſonne doth oft ſurpreſſe his ſire: Where natures power vnfained loue ſhould ſpread, There malice raignes and reacheth to be higher. O blinde vnbridled ſearch of Souereintie, O tickle traine of euill attayned ſtate, O fonde deſire of princelie dignitie, Who climbes too ſoone, he ofte repentes too late. The golden meane, the happie doth ſuffiſe, They leade the poſting day in rare delight, They fill (not féede) their vncontented eyes, They reape ſuch reſt as doth beguile the might, They not enuie the pompe of haughtie traine, Ne dreade the dinte of proude vſurping ſwoorde, But plaſte alowe, more ſugred ioyes attaine, Than ſwaye of loftie Scepter can afoorde. Ceaſe to aſpire then, ceaſe to ſoare ſo hie, And ſhunne the plague that pierceth noble breaſtes. To glittring courtes what fondneſſe is to flie, When better ſtate in baſer Towers reſts?