Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T50: sea, honour, general, soldiers, men, ship, fight, soldier, king, vittori.
And to his Christian crew, this (too short) tale he told, To comfort them which seemed to faint, & make the coward bold, Fellows in arms, quoth he, although I bear the charge, And take upon me chieftains name, of this unhappy barge, Yet are you all my pheares, and as one company, We must like true companions, together live and die, You see quoth he our foes, with furious force at hand, And in whose hands our handful here, unable is to stand, What resteth then to do, should we unto them yield? And wifully receive that yoke, which Christians cannot wield. Not sure, hereof be sure, our lives were so unsure, And though we live, yet so to live, as better death endure. To hear those hellish fiends in raging blasphemy, Defy our only Saviour, were this no misery? To see the fowl abuse of boys in tender years, The which I know must needs abhor all honest Christians ears. To see maids ravished, Wives, Women forced by fear, And much more mischief than this time can let me utter here. Alas, quoth he, I tell not all, my tongue is tied, But all the slaveries on the earth, we should with them abide. How much were better than, to die in worthy wise, And so to make our carcases, a willing Sacrifice. So shall we pay the debt, which unto God is due, So shall you die in his defence, who deind to die for you. And who with hardy hand, most Turkish tikes can quell, Let him account in conscience, to please his maker well. You see, quoth he, my son, wherewith he looked on me, Whom but a babe, yet have I brought, my partner here to be. For, him I must confess, my heart is pensive now, To leave him living thus in youth, to die I know not how. But since it pleaseth God, I may not murmur I, If God had pleased we both should live, and as God will we die. Thus with a braying sigh, his noble tongue he stayed, Commanding all the ordinance, in order to be laid. And placing all his men in order for to fight, Fallen groveling still upon his face, before them all in sight. And when in secret so, he whispered had a while, He raised his head with cheerful look, his sorrows to beguile: And with the rest he prayed, to God in heaven on high, Which ended thus, Thou only Lord, canst help in misery. This said (behold) the Turks enclosed us round about, And seemed to wonder that we durst resist so great a rout. Whereat they doubt not long, for though our power was slender, We sent them signs by Canon shot, that we meant not to tender. Then might we see them chafe, than might we hear them rage, And all at once they bend their force, about our silly cage. Our ordinance bestowed, our men themselves defend,
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)
And to his Chriſtian crewe, this (too ſhorte) tale he told, To comfort them which ſéemde to faint, & make the coward bold, "Fellowes in armes, quod hée, although I beare the charge, "And take vpon mée chieftaines name, of this vnhappy barge, "Yet are you all my pheares, and as one companie, "Wée muſt like true companions, togeather liue and die, "You ſée quod hée our foes, with furious force at hand, "And in whoſe handes our handfull heere, vnable is to ſtand, "What reſteth then to doe, ſhould we vnto them yéeld? "And wifully receiue that yoke, which Chriſtians cannot weld. "No ſure, hereof be ſure, our liues were ſo vnſure, "And though we liue, yet ſo to liue, as better death endure. "To heare thoſe helliſhe fiendes in raging blaſphemie, "Defye our onely Sauiour, were this no miſerie? "To ſée the fowle abuſe of boyes in tender yéeres, "The which I knowe muſt néedes abhorre all honeſt Chriſtians eares. "To ſée maides rauiſhed, Wiues, Women forſt by feare, "And much more miſchiefe than this time can let me vtter here. "Alas, quod he, I tell not all, my tongue is tyde, "But all the ſlaueries on the earth, we ſhould with them abide. "How much were better than, to dye in worthy wiſe, "And ſo to make our carkaſſes, a wylling Sacrifice. "So ſhall we paye the debt, which vnto God is due, "So ſhall you die in his defence, who deind to die for you. "And who with hardy hand, moſt Turkiſh tikes can quell, "Let him accompt in conſcience, to pleaſe his maker well. "You ſée, quod he, my ſonne, wherewith hée lookt on mée, "Whome but a babe, yet haue I brought, my partner here to bée. "For, him I muſt confeſſe, my heart is penſiue nowe, "To leaue him lyuing thus in youth, to die I know not how. "But ſince it pleaſeth God, I may not murmure I, "If God had pleaſed we both ſhould liue, and as God wyll we dye. Thus with a braying ſigh, his noble tongue he ſtayde, Commaunding all the ordinaunce, in order to be laide. And placing all his men in order for to fight, Fell groueling ſtyll vpon his face, before them all in ſight. And when in ſecréete ſo, he whiſpered had a while, He raiſde his head with chéerefull looke, his ſorrowes to beguile: And with the reſt he prayde, to God in heauen on hie, Which ended thus, Thou onely Lord, canſt helpe in miſerie. This ſayd (behold) the Turkes encloſde vs round about, And ſéemde to wonder that we durſt reſiſt ſo great a rout. Wherat they doubt not long, for though our power was ſlender, We ſent them ſignes by Canon ſhot, that we ment not to render. Then might we ſée them chafe, then might we heare them rage, And all at once they bent their force, about our ſilly cage. Our ordinaunce beſtowed, our men them ſelues defend,