Herbert, Mary Sidney / Garnier, RobertSidney Herbert, Mary · published 1595 · first performed or written 1590 (Annals) tragedy T54 Antony and Cleopatra: love, death and mo typicality 0.85 · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T54: antony, caesar, anthony, cleopatra, antonius, love, death, die, heart, breast.
Alas! this was not this offence, but mine. Antony (ay me! who else so brave a chief!) Would not I should have taken Seas with him: But would have left me fearful woman far From common hazard of the doubtful war. O that I had believed! now, now of Rome All the great Empire at our beck should bend. All should obey, the vagabonding Scythes, The feared Germans, back-shooting Parthians, wandering Numidians, Britons far removed, And tawny nations scorched with the Sun. But I cared not: so was my soul possessed, (To my great harm) with burning jealousy: Fearing lest in my absence Antony Should leaving me retake Octavia. Such was the rigour of your destiny. Such was my error and obstinacy. But since Gods would not, could you do withal? Always from God's good haps, not harms, do fall. And have they not all power on men's affairs? They never bow so low, as worldly cares. But leave to mortal men to be disposed Freely on earth whatever mortal is. If we therein sometimes some faults commit, We may them not to their high majesties, But to ourselves impute; whose passions Plunge us each day in all afflictions. Wherewith when we our souls do thorned feel, Flattering ourselves we say they destinies are: That gods would have it so, and that our care Could not impeach but that it must be so. Things here below are in the heavens begot, Before they be in this our world borne: And never can our weakness turn awry The stayless course of powerful destiny. Nought here force, reason, humane providence, Holy devotion, noble blood prevails: And Ioue himself whose hand doth heavens rule, Who both to gods and men as King Commands, Who earth (our firm support) with plenty stores, mouse's air and sea with twinkling of his eye, Who all can do, yet never can undo What once hath been by their hard laws decreed. When Trojan walls, great Neptune's workmanship. Environed were with Greeks, and Fortunes wheel Doubtful ten years now to the camp did turn, And now again towards the town returned. How many times did force and fury swell In Hector's veins egging him to the spoil Of conquered foes, which at his blows did fly, As fearful sheep at feared wolves approach: To save (in vain: for why? it would not be) Poor walls of Troy from adversaries rage, Who died them in blood, and cast to ground Heaped them with bloody burning carcases. No, madam, think, that if the ancient crown Of your progenitors that Nilus ruled, Force take from you; the Gods have willled it so, To whom oft times Princes are odious. They have to every thing an end ordained; All worldly greatness by them bounded is: Some sooner, later some, as they think best: None their decree is able to infringe. But, which is more, to us disastered men Which subject are in all things to their will, Their will is hid: nor while we live, we know How, or how long we must in life remain.
seed 43: T51 · seed 44: T48 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Alas! this was not this offence, but mine. Antony (ay me! who else so braue a chiefe!) Would not I should haue taken Seas with him: But would haue lest me fearefull woman farre From common hazard of the doubtfull warre. O that I had beleeu'd! now, now of Rome All the great Empire at our beck should bende. All should obey, the vagabonding Scythes, The feared Germaines, back-shooting Parthians, Wandring Numidians, Brittons farre remou'd, And tawny nations scorched with the Sunne. But I car'd not: so was my soule possest, (To my great harme) with burning iealousie: Fearing least in my absence Antony Should leauing me retake Octauia. Such was the rigour of your desteny. Such was my errour and obstinacie. But since Gods would not, could you do withall? Alwaies from Gods good haps, not harms, do fall. And haue they not all power on mens affaires? They neuer bow so low, as worldly cares. But leaue to mortall men to be dispos'd Freely on earth what euer mortall is. If we therein sometimes some faults commit, We may them not to their high maiesties, But to our selues impute; whose passions Plunge vs each day in all afflictions. Wherwith when we our soules do thorned feele, Flatt'ring our selues we say they dest'nies are: That gods would haue it so, and that our care Could not empeach but that it must be so. Things here below are in the heau'ns begot, Before they be in this our wordle borne: And neuer can our weaknesse turne awry The stailesse course of powerfull destenie. Nought here force, reason, humaine prouidence, Holie deuotion, noble bloud preuailes: And Ioue himselfe whose hand doth heauens rule, Who both to gods and men as King Commands, Who earth (our firme support) with plenty stores, Mouses aire and sea with twinckling of his eie, Who all can doe, yet neuer can vndoe What once hath beene by their hard lawes decreed. When Troyan walles, great Neptunes workmanship. Enuiron'd were with Greekes, and Fortunes whele Doubtfull ten yeares now to the campe did turne, And now againe towards the towne return'd. How many times did force and fury swell In Hectors veines egging him to the spoile Of conquer'd foes, which at his blowes did fly, As fearefull sheepe at feared wolues approch: To saue (in vaine: for why? it would not be) Poore walles of Troy from aduersaries rage, Who died them in bloud, and cast to ground Heap'd them with bloudie burning carcases. No, Madame, thinke, that if the ancient crowne Of your progenitors that Nilus rul'd, Force take from you; the Gods haue will'd it so, To whome oft times Princes are odious. They haue to euery thing an end ordain'd; All worldly greatnes by them bounded is: Some sooner, later some, as they thinke best: None their decree is able to infringe. But, which is more, to vs disastred men Which subiect are in all things to their will, Their will is hid: nor while we liue, we know How, or how long we must in life remaine.