The Misfortunes of Arthur (Certain Devices and Shows Presented to Her Majesty) · chunk 17 of 35
Hughes, Thomas / Fulbecke, William · published 1587 · first performed or written 1588 [Feb 28] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 482 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Ah too severe, far from a Father's mind. Compassion is as fit for Kings as wrath. laws must not lower. Rule oft admitteth ruth. So hate, as if there were yet cause to love: Take not their lives as foes, which may be friends. To spoil my son were to despoil myself: Oft, whiles we seek our foes, we seek our foils. Let's rather seek how to allure his mind With good deserts: deserts may win the worst. Where Cato first had saved a thief from death, And after was himself condemned to die: When else not one would execute the doom, Who but the thief did undertake the task? If too much bounty work so bad effects In thankless friends, what for a ruthless foe? Let Laws have still their course, the ill disposed Grudge at their lives, to whom they owe too much. But yet where men with reconciled minds Renew their love with recontinued grace, Atonement frames them friends of former foes, And makes the moods of swelling wrath to suage. No faster friendship, than that grows from grief, When melting minds with mutual ruth relent. How close the severed skin unites again, When salves have smoothly healed the former hurts? I never yet saw hurt so smoothly healed, But that the scar bewrayed the former wound: Yea, where the salve did soonest close the skin, The sore was oftener covered up than cured. Which festering deep and filled within, at last With sudden breach grew greater than at first, What then for minds, which have revenging moods, And ne'er forget the cross they forced bear? Whereto if reconcilement come, it makes The t'one secure, whiles tother works his will. Atonement field defeats, but oft defers Revenge: beware a reconciled foe. Well, what avails to linger in this life, Which Fortune but reserves for greater grief? This breath draws on but matter of mishap: Death only frees the guiltless from annoys. Who so hath felt the force of greedy Fates, And dured the last decree of grisly death, Shall never yield his captive arms to chains, ne'er drawn in triumph deck the victor's pomp. What mean these words? Is Arthur forced to fear, Is this the fruit of your continual wars, Even from the first remembrance of your youth? My youth (I grant) and prime of budding years Puffed up with pride and fond desire of praise, foreweening nought what perils might ensue, Adventured all, and raught to will the reigns. But now this age requires a sager course, And will advised by harms to wisdom yields. Those swelling spirits the self same cause which first Set them on gog, even Fortune's favours quailed. And now mine oftenest scapes do scare me most, I fear the trap, whereat I oft have tripped: Experience tells me plain that Chance is frail, And oft, the better passed, the worse to come.
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)
Ah too seuere, farre from a Fathers minde. Compassion is as fit for Kings as wrath. Lawes must not lowre. Rule oft admitteth ruthe. So hate, as if there were yet cause to loue: Take not their liues as foes, which may be friends. To spoile my sonne were to dispoile my selfe: Oft, whiles we seeke our foes, we seeke our foiles. Let's rather seeke how to allure his minde With good deserts: deserts may winne the worst. Where Cato first had saued a theefe from death, And after was himselfe condemnd to die: When else not one would execute the doome, Who but the theefe did vndertake the taske? If too much bountie worke so bad effects In thanklesse friends, what for a ruthlesse foe? Let Lawes haue still their course, the ill disposde Grudge at their liues, to whom they owe too much. But yet where men with reconciled mindes Renue their loue with recontinued grace, Attonement frames them friends of former foes, And makes the moodes of swelling wrath to swage. No faster friendship, than that growes from griefe, When melting mindes with mutuall ruth relent. How close the seuered skinne vnites againe, When salues haue smoothlie heald the former hurts? I neuer yet sawe hurt so smoothly heald, But that the skarre bewraid the former wound: Yea, where the salue did soonest close the skinne, The sore was oftner couered vp than cur'de. Which festering deepe and filde within, at last With sodaine breach grew greater than at first, What then for mindes, which haue reuenging moodes, And ne'r forget the crosse they forced beare? Whereto if reconcilement come, it makes The t'one secure, whiles t'other workes his will. Attonement sield defeates, but oft deferres Reuenge: beware a reconciled foe. Well, what auailes to linger in this life, Which Fortune but reserues for greater griefe? This breath drawes on but matter of mishap: Death onely frees the guiltlesse from anoies. Who so hath felt the force of greedie Fates, And dur'de the last decree of grislie death, Shall neuer yeeld his captiue armes to chaines, Ner drawne in triumph decke the victors pompe. What meane these wordes? Is Arthur forc'de to feare, Is this the fruit of your continuall warres, Euen from the first remembrance of your youth? My youth (I graunt) and prime of budding yeares Puft vp with pride and fond desire of praise, Foreweéning nought what perils might ensue, Aduentured all, and raught to will the raignes. But now this age requires a sager course, And will aduisde by harmes to wisedome yeélds. Those swelling spirits the selfe same cause which first Set them on gog, euen Fortunes fauours quaild. And now mine oftnest skapes doe skare me most, I feare the trappe, whereat I oft haue tript: Experience tels me plaine that Chance is fraile, And oft, the better past, the worse to come.