Marlowe, Christopher · published 1590 · first performed or written 1587 [1587-1588] (Annals) tragedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and so typicality 0.78 · 474 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T17: tamburlaine, persian, cyrus, king, mahomet, arms, mighty, assyrian, thousand, army.
FRom jigging veins of rhyming mother wits, And such conceits as clownage keeps in pay, we'll lead you to the stately tent of War. Where you shall hear the Scythian Tamburlaine: Threatening the world with high astounding terms And scourging kingdoms with his conquering sword View but his picture in this tragic glass, And then applaud his fortunes as you please. BRother Cosroe, I find myself aggrieved, Yet insufficient to express the same: For it requires a great and thundering speech: Good brother tell the cause unto my Lords, I know you have a better wit than I. Unhappy Persia, that in former age Hast been the seat of mighty Conquerors, That in their prowess and their policies, Have triumphed over Afrique, and the bounds Of Europe, where the Sun dares scarce appear, For freezing meteors and congealed cold: Now to be ruled and governed by a man, At whose birthday Cynthia with Saturn joined, And Ioue, the Sun and Mercurie denied To shed his influence in his fickle brain, Now Turkes and Tartars shake their swords at th Meaning to mangle all thy Provinces, Brother, I see your meaning well enough. And through your Planets I perceive you think, I am not wise enough to be a king, But I refer me to my noble men, That know my wit, and can be witnesses: I might command you to be slain for this, Meander, might I not? Not for so small a fault my sovereign Lord I mean it not, but yet I know I might, Yet live, yea, live, Mycetes wils it so: Meander, thou my faithful Counsellor, Declare the cause of my conceived grief, Which is (God knows) about that Tamburlaine. That like a Fox in midst of harvest time, Doth pray upon my flocks of Passengers. And as I hear, doth mean to pull my plumes, Therefore 'tis good and meet for to be wise. Oft have I heard your Majesty complain, Of Tamburlaine, that sturdy Scythian thief, That robs your merchants of Persepolis, Treading by land unto the Western Isles, And in your confines with his lawless train, Daily commits incivil outrages. Hoping (misled by dreaming prophecies) To reign in Asia, and with barbarous Armies, To make himself the Monarch of the East: But ere he march in Asia, or display His vagrant Ensign in the persian fields, Your Grace hath taken order by Theridama, Charged with a thousand horse, to apprehend And bring him Captive to your highness throne, Full true thou speakst, & like thyself my lord Whom I may term a Damon for thy love. Therefore 'tis best, if so it like you all, To send my thousand horse incontinent, To apprehend that paltry Scythian. How like you this, my honourable Lords? Is it not a kingly resolution? It cannot choose, because it comes from you.
seed 43: T18 · seed 44: T18 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
FRom iygging vaines of riming mother wits, And such conceits as clownage keepes in pay, Weele lead you to the stately tent of War. Where you shall heare the Scythian Tamburlaine: Threatning the world with high astounding tearms And scourging kingdoms with his cōquering sword View but his picture in this tragicke glasse, And then applaud his fortunes as you please. BRother Cosroe, I find my selfe agreeud, Yet insufficient to expresse the same: For it requires a great and thundring speech: Good brother tell the cause vnto my Lords, I know you haue a better wit than I. Vnhappie Persea, that in former age Hast bene the seat of mightie Conquerors, That in their prowesse and their pollicies, Haue triumpht ouer Affrike, and the bounds Of Europe, wher the Sun dares scarce appeare, For freezing meteors and coniealed colde: Now to be rulde and gouerned by a man, At whose byrth-day Cynthia with Saturne ioinde, And Ioue, the Sun and Mercurie denied To shed his influence in his fickle braine, Now Turkes and Tartars shake their swords at th Meaning to mangle all thy Prouinces, Brother, I see your meaning well enough. And thorough your Planets I perceiue you thinke, I am not wise enough to be a kinge, But I refer me to my noble men, That knowe my wit, and can be witnesses: I might command you to be slaine for this, Meander, might I not? Not for so small a fault my soueraigne Lord I meane it not, but yet I know I might, Yet liue, yea, liue, Mycetes wils it so: Meander, thou my faithfull Counsellor, Declare the cause of my conceiued griefe, Which is (God knowes) about that Tamburlaine. That like a Foxe in midst of haruest time, Dooth pray vpnon my flockes of Passengers. And as I heare, doth meane to pull my plumes, Therefore tis good and meete for to be wise. Oft haue I heard your Maiestie complain, Of Tamburlaine, that sturdie Scythian thiefe, That robs your merchants of Persepolis, Treading by land vnto the Westerne Isles, And in your confines with his lawlesse traine, Daily commits inciuill outrages. Hoping (misled by dreaming prophesies) To raigne in Asia, and with barbarous Armes, To make himselfe the Monarch of the East: But ere he march in Asia, or display His vagrant Ensigne in the Persean fields, Your Grace hath taken order by Theridimas, Chardg'd with a thousand horse, to apprehend And bring him Captiue to your Highnese throne, Ful true thou speakst, & like thy selfe my lord Whom I may tearme a Damon for thy loue. Therefore tis best, if so it lik you all, To send my thousand horse incontinent, To apprehend that paltrie Scythian. How like you this, my honorable Lords? Is it not a kingly resolution? It cannot choose, because it comes from you.