Peele, George / Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas · published 1623 · first performed or written 1594 [Jan 23 (24); poss. written 1590-1592] (Annals) tragedy · Pembroke's Men (?) T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.84 · 525 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
Let Rome herself be bane unto herself, And she whom mighty kingdom's curtsy too, Like a forlorn and desperate castaway, Do shameful execution on herself. But if my frosty signs and chaps of age, Grave witnesses of true experience, Cannot induce you to attend my words, Speak Rome's dear friend, as ' erst our Ancestor, When with his solemn tongue he did discourse To lovesick Dido's sad attending ear, The story of that baleful burning night, When subtle Greeks surprised King Priam's Troy: Tell us what Sinon hath bewitched our ears, Or who hath brought the fatal engine in, That gives our Troy, our Rome the civil wound. My heart is not compact of flint nor steel, Nor can I utter all our bitter grief, But floods of tears will drown my Oratory, And break my very uttrance, even in the time When it should move you to attend me most, Lending your kind hand Commiseration. here is a Captain, let him tell the tale, Your hearts will throb and weep to hear him speak. This Noble Auditory, be it known to you, That cursed Chiron and Demetrius Were they that murdered our Emperor's Brother, And they it were that ravished our Sister, For their fell faults our Brothers were beheaded, Our Father's tears despised, and basely cozened, Of that true hand that fought Rome's quarrel out, And sent her enemies unto the grave. Lastly, myself unkindly banished, The gates shut on me, and turned weeping out, To beg relief among Rome's Enemies, Who drowned their enmity in my true tears, And oped their arms to embrace me as a Friend: And I am turned forth, be it known to you, That have preserved her welfare in my blood, And from her bosom took the Enemy's point, Sheathing the steel in my adventurous body. Alas you know, I am no Vaunter I, My scars can witness, dumb although they are, That my report is just and full of truth: But soft, me thinks I do digress too much, Citing my worthless praise: Oh pardon me, For when no Friends are by, men praise themselves, Now is my turn to speak: Behold this Child, Of this was Tamora delivered, The issue of an Irreligious Moor, Chief Architect and plotter of these woes, The Villain is alive in Titus' house, And as he is, to witness this is true. Now judge what course had Titus to revenge These wrongs, unspeakable past patience, Or more than any living man could bear. Now you have heard the truth, what say you Romans'? Have we done aught amiss? show us wherein, And from the place where you behold us now, The poor remainder of Andronicuses, Will hand in hand all headlong cast us down, And on the ragged stones beat forth our brains, And make a mutual closure of our house: Speak Romans' speak, and if you say we shall, Lo hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall. Come come, thou reverent man of Rome, And bring our Emperor gently in thy hand, Lucius our Emperor: for well I know, The common voice do cry it shall be so.
Peele, George / Shakespeare, William / Middleton, Thomas
Publication year (edition)
1623
First performance / composition (Annals)
1594 [Jan 23 (24); poss. written 1590-1592]
First performance (BritDrama)
1592 [1584-1594]
Company (BritDrama)
Pembroke's Men (?)
Genre (British Drama)
tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional;Professional
Edition / TCP / DEEP
edition 214 · TCP A11954 · DEEP 5081.27
Edition role
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2437–2504 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 39 of 40 in this edition
Length
525 words · 691 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.839 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T1 · seed 44: T2 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Let Rome herſelfe be bane vnto herſelfe, And ſhee whom mightie kingdomes curſie too, Like a forlorne and deſperate caſtaway, Doe ſhamefull execution on her ſelfe. But if my froſtie ſignes and chaps of age, Graue witneſſes of true experience, Cannot induce you to attend my words, Speake Romes deere friend, as 'erſt our Aunceſtor, When with his ſolemne tongue he did diſcourſe To loue-ſicke Didoes ſad attending eare, The ſtory of that balefull burning night, When ſubtil Greekes ſurpriz'd King Priams Troy: Tell vs what Sinon hath bewicht our eares, Or who hath brought the fatall engine in, That giues our Troy, our Rome the ciuill wound. My heart is not compact of flint nor ſteele, Nor can I vtter all our bitter griefe, But floods of teares will drowne my Oratorie, And breake my very vttrance, euen in the time When it ſhould moue you to attend me moſt, Lending your kind hand Commiſeration. Heere is a Captaine, let him tell the tale, Your hearts will throb and weepe to heare him ſpeake. This Noble Auditory, be it knowne to you, That curſed Chiron and Demetrius Were they that murdred our Emperours Brother, And they it were that rauiſhed our Siſter, For their fell faults our Brothers were beheaded, Our Fathers teares deſpiſ'd, and baſely couſen'd, Of that true hand that fought Romes quarrell out, And ſent her enemies vnto the graue. Laſtly, my ſelfe vnkindly baniſhed, The gates ſhut on me, and turn'd weeping out, To beg reliefe among Romes Enemies, Who drown'd their enmity in my true teares, And op'd their armes to imbrace me as a Friend: And I am turned forth, be it knowne to you, That haue preſeru'd her welfare in my blood, And from her boſome tooke the Enemies point, Sheathing the ſteele in my aduentrous body. Alas you know, I am no Vaunter I, My ſcars can witneſſe, dumbe although they are, That my report is iuſt and full of truth: But ſoft, me thinkes I do digreſſe too much, Cyting my worthleſſe praiſe: Oh pardon me, For when no Friends are by, men praiſe themſelues, Now is my turne to ſpeake: Behold this Child, Of this was Tamora deliuered, The iſſue of an Irreligious Moore, Chiefe Architect and plotter of theſe woes, The Villaine is aliue in Titus houſe, And as he is, to witneſſe this is true. Now iudge what courſe had Titus to reuenge Theſe wrongs, vnſpeakeable paſt patience, Or more then any liuing man could beare. Now you haue heard the truth, what ſay you Romaines? Haue we done ought amiſſe? ſhew vs wherein, And from the place where you behold vs now, The poore remainder of Andronici, Will hand in hand all headlong caſt vs downe, And on the ragged ſtones beat forth our braines, And make a mutuall cloſure of our houſe: Speake Romaines ſpeake, and if you ſay we ſhall, Loe hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall. Come come, thou reuerent man of Rome, And bring our Emperour gently in thy hand, Lucius our Emperour: for well I know, The common voyce do cry it ſhall be ſo.