Anonymous · published 1592 · first performed or written 1592 [c.1589-1592] (Annals) tragedy · Unknown unassigned nearest T1 Death, grief and revenge · 510 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Not half so much am I a friend to Rhodes, As thou art enemy to thy Sovereign. I charge thee say wherein, or else by Mahomet, I'll hazard duty in my sovereign's presence. Not for thy threats, but for myself I say, It is not meet, that one so base as thou, Shouldst come about the person of a King. Must I give aim to this presumption? Your Highness knows, I speak in duteous love. Your Highness knows I spoke at your command, And to the purpose, far from flattery. Thinks thou I flatter, now I flatter not, What dismal Planets guides this fatal hour, Villain, thy brother's groans do call for thee. To wander with them through eternal night. Oh Soliman for loving thee I die, No Amurath, for murdering him thou diest: Oh Haleb how shall I begin to mourn, Or how shall I begin to shed salt tears. For whom no words nor tears can well suffice. Ah that my rich imperial Diadem, Could satisfy thy cruel destiny: Or that a thousand of our Turkish souls, Or twenty thousand millions of our foes, Could ransom thee from fell death's tyranny, To win thy life would Soliman be poor, And live in servile bondage all my days, Accursed Amurath, that for a worthless cause, In blood hath shortened our sweet Haleb's days, Ah what is dearer bond than brotherhood, Yet Amurath thou wert my brother too, If wilful folly did not blind mine eyes, ay, ay, and thou as virtuous as Haleb, And I as dear to thee as unto Haleb, And thou as near to me as Haleb was, Ah Amurath: why wert thou so unkind to him For uttering but a thwarting word? And Haleb, why did not thy heart's counsel, Bridle the fond intemperance of thy tongue? Nay wretched Solyman, why didst not thou Withhold thy hand, from heaping blood on blood, Might I not better spare one joy than both, If love of Haleb forced me on to wrath, Cursed be that wrath that is the way to death, If justice forced me on, cursed be that justice That makes the brother, Butcher of his brother, Come janissaries, and help me to lament, And bear my joys on either side of me: ay, late my joys, but now my lasting sorrow, Thus, thus, let Soliman pass on his way, Bearing in either hand his heart's decay. Now Death and Fortune which of all us three, Hath in the Actors shown the greatest power. Have not I taught Erastus and Perseda, By mutual tokens to seal up their loves? I but those tokens, the Ring and carcanet, Were Fortune's gifts, Love gives no gold or jewels. Why what is jewels, or what is gold but earth, An humour knit together by compression, And by the world's bright eye, first brought to light, Only to feed men's eyes with vain delight. loves works are more than of a mortal temper, I couple minds together by consent. Who gave Rhodes' princess to the Cyprian Prince: but Love.
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)
Not halfe so much am I a friend to Rhodes, As thou art enemy to thy Soueraigne. I charge thee say wherein, or else by Mahomet, Ile hazard dutie in my Soueraignes presence. Not for thy threats, but for my selfe I say, It is not meete, that one so base as thou, Shouldst come about the person of a King. Must I giue aime to this presumption? Your Highnesse knowes, I speake in dutious loue. Your Highnes knowes I spake at your command, And to the purpose, far from flattery. Thinks thou I flatter, now I flatter not, What dismall Planets guides this fatall hower, Villaine, thy brothers grones do call for thee. To wander with them through eternall night. Oh Soliman for louing thee I die, No Amurath, for murthering him thou dyest: Oh Haleb how shall I begin to mourne, Or how shall I begin to shed salt teares. For whom no wordes nor teares can well suffice. Ah that my rich imperiall Diadem, Could satisfie thy cruell destinie: Or that a thousand of our Turkish soules, Or twenty thousand millious of our foes, Could ransome thee from fell deaths tirannie, To winthy life would Soliman be poore, And liue in seruile bondage all my dayes, Accursed Amurath, that for a worthlesse cause, In bloud hath shortned our sweet Halebs dayes, Ah what is dearer bond then brotherhood, Yet Amurath thou wert my brother too, If wilfull folly did not blind mine eyes, I, I, and thou as vertuous as Haleb, And I as deare to thee as vnto Haleb, And thou as neere to me as Haleb was, Ah Amurath: why wert thou so vnkind to him For vttering but a th warting word? And Haleb, why did not thy harts counsell, Bridle the fond intemperance of thy tongue? Nay wretched Solyman, why didst not thou Withhould thy hand, from heaping bloud on bloud, Might I not better spare one ioy then both, If loue of Haleb forst me on to wrath, Curst be that wrath that is the way to death, If iustice forst me on, curst be that iustice That makes the brother, Butcher of his brother, Come Ianisaries, and helpe me to lament, And beare my ioyes on either side of me: I, late my ioyes, but now my lasting sorrow, Thus, thus, let Soliman passe on his way, Bearing in either hand his hearts decay. Now Death and Fortune which of all vs three, Hath in the Actors showne the greatest power. Haue not I taught Erastus and Perseda, By mutuall tokens to seale vp their loues? I but those tokens, the Ring and Carkanet, Were Fortunes gifts, Loue giues no gould or iewels. Why what is iewels, or what is gould but earth, An humor knit together by compression, And by the worlds bright eye, first brought to light, Onely to feed mens eyes with vaine delight. Loues workes are more then of a mortall temper, I couple minds together by consent. Who gaue Rhodes Princes to the Ciprian Prince: but Loue.