The Seven Champions of Christendom · chunk 14 of 43
Kirke, John · published 1638 · first performed or written 1635 [1634-1638] (Annals) romance · Red Bull Company (second) · Red Bull unassigned nearest T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi · 471 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
It pleases us: but now sir we must crave The like from you, and then to Court we hie To gratulate your welcome. Then know my Lord, Italian earth I claim, Mother of Arts, and Nurse of noble spirits; And in that Country, Rome, my place of birth, Great Mistress of the world, whose large-stretched arms o'er Land and Sea holds domination: Renowned for government in peace or war Even to the shore of scorching India, Their arms strike terror through the world: Kings were their vassals, and their awful swords Brought the known world to their subjection. Nor wonder not great King, that we should leave A Court that's fraughted with such happiness, For Christians glory and our country's fame We have adventured life and honour too. And both are lost I fear, unhappy men: Whom in my piety I should respect, The gods in justice causes me reject. Lay hands on 'em. On us? for what? Perform our will, in the delay is death. Is this your welcome, love, and gratitude? Your honour or your valour now will be of small assurance: What ill-fated star guided your hapless feet Into this land? these eyes that shot forth welcome, Now must send Ambassadors of death to your cold hearts, No acclamations now must fill your ears With joyful conquest: Apollo's Garland, That should grace your brows, Must deck your Coffins, the grave your chambers, And the worms must be The sad companions of your destiny. Boldly then prepare, For in your journey you have equal share. We missed your aims in this; 'Tis a strange turning from courteous welcome, To black threats of death. I'll ease your doubts, though not your misery; You both are Christians? We are. In being so, you post to your own ruin: The holy Gods, whom piety commands us to obey, Have from their Oracles sent this decree, whatever Christian sets his hapless foot On this forbidden ground unless he instantly Recant his faith, let him be made A bloody sacrifice to appease our wrath: Now here lies before ye the riches Of our kingdom, glory, and honour, The benefits of sweet and happy life, All the most choice delights, that with our love May be proposed to you; even these our beauties, Turn your amorous eyes, please your own fancies, And enrich yourselves where you best affect, Only relinquish the religion which now you hold, And turn unto our Gods; that done, As we are Emperor of Trebizon, All these shall be performed: but if through Pride, and hated wilfulness, you shall refuse Our proffer, a present death attends you. We are prepared. Then in your death this favour we will show, Because your valour hath so showed you both, To be borne High and Noble, we give this privilege, To choose your executioners.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It pleaſes us: but now ſir we muſt crave The like from you, and then to Court we hie To gratulate your welcome. Then know my Lord, Italian earth I claime, Mother of Arts, and Nurſe of noble ſpirits; And in that Countrey, Rome, my place of birth, Great Miſtris of the world, whoſe large-ſtretcht armes O're Land and Sea holds domination: Renown'd for government in peace or warre Even to the ſhoare of ſcorching India, Their armes ſtrike terrour through the world: Kings were their vaſſals, and their awfull ſwords Brought the knowne world to their ſubjection. Nor wonder not great King, that we ſhould leave A Court that's fraughted with ſuch happineſſe, For Chriſtians glory and our Countries fame We have adventur'd life and honour too. And both are loſt I feare, unhappy men: Whom in my piety I ſhould reſpect, The gods in juſtice cauſes me reject. Lay hands on 'em. On us? for what? Performe our will, in the delay is death. Is this your welcome, love, and gratitude? Your honour or your valour now will be of ſmall aſſurance: What ill-fated ſtarre guided your hapleſſe feete Into this land? theſe eyes that ſhot forth welcome, Now muſt ſend Embaſſadours of death to your cold hearts, No acclamations now muſt fill your eares With joyfull conqueſt: Apollos Garland, That ſhould grace your browes, Muſt decke your Coffins, the grave your chambers, And the wormes muſt be The ſad companions of your deſtiny. Boldly then prepare, For in your journey you have equall ſhare. We miſt your aimes in this; 'Tis a ſtrange turning from courteous welcome, To blacke threats of death. Ile eaſe your doubts, though not your miſery; You both are Chriſtians? We are. In being ſo, you poſt to your owne ruine: The holy Gods, whom piety commands us to obey, Have from their Oracles ſent this decree, What ever Chriſtian ſets his hapleſſe foote On this forbidden ground unleſſe he inſtantly Recant his faith, let him be made A bloody ſacrifice to appeaſe our wrath: Now here lies before yee the riches Of our kingdome, glory, and honour, The benefits of ſweete and happy life, All the moſt choyce delights, that with our love May be propos'd to you; even theſe our beauties, Turne your amorous eyes, pleaſe your owne fancies, And inrich your ſelves where you beſt affect, Onely relinquiſh the religion which now you hold, And turne unto our Gods; that done, As we are Emperour of Trebizon, All theſe ſhall be perform'd: but if through Pride, and hated wilfulneſſe, you ſhall refuſe Our proffer, a preſent death attends you. We are prepar'd. Then in your death this favour we will ſhew, Becauſe your valour hath ſo ſhew'd you both, To be borne High and Noble, we give this priviledge, To chuſe your executioners.