The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla · chunk 6 of 38
Lodge, Thomas · published 1594 · first performed or written 1588 [1586-1591] (Annals) tragedy · Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.88 · 490 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
Why fellow soldiers shall we fly the field, And carelessly forsake our General? What shall our vows conclude with no avail? First die sweet friends, and shed your purple blood, Before you lose the man that will you good. Then to it brave Italians out of hand: Sulla we come with fierce and deadly blows, To venge thy wrongs and vanquish all thy toes. You Roman soldiers, fellow mates in Arms, The blind fold Mistress of incertain chance, Hath turned these traitorous chimers from the top, And seated Sulla in the chiefest place. The place beseeming Sulla and his mind, For were the throne where matchless glory sits, empaled with furies threatening blood and death, Begirt with famine and those fatal fears That dwell below amidst the dreadful vast: Tut Sulla's sparkling eyes should dim with clear The burning brands of their consuming light, And master fancy with a forward mind, And mask repining fear with awful power. For men of baser metal and conceit Cannot conceive the beauty of my thought. I crowned with a wreath of warlike state, Imagine thoughts more greater than a crown, And yet befitting well a Roman mind. Then gentle ministers of all my hopes, That with your swords made way unto my wish, Hearken the fruits of your courageous fight, In spite of all these Roman Basilisks, That seek to quell us with their currish looks, We will to Pontus we'll have gold my hearts, Those oriental pearls shall deck our brows: And you my gentle friends, you Roman peers, Kind Pompey worthy of a consuls name. You shall abide the father of the state, Whilst these brave lads Lucretius and I, In spite of all these brawling Senators, Will, shall, and dare attempt on Asia, And drive Mithridates from out his doors. I Sulla, these are words of mickle worth, Fit for the master of so great a mind: Now Rome must stoop, for Marius and his friends Have left their arms, and trust unto their heels. But Pompey, if our Spanish jennets feet Have learned to post it of their mother wind, I hope to nip upon the grey beards heels, Till I have cropped his shoulders from his head. As for his son, the proud aspiring boy, His beardless face and wanton smiling brows, Shall (if I catch him) deck yond Capitol: The father, son, the friends, and soldiers all, That fawn on Marius, shall with fury fall. And what event shall all these troubles bring? This: Sulla in fortune will exceed a king. But friends and soldiers, with dispersed bands Go seek out Marius' fond confederates: some post along those unfrequented paths, That tracked by nooks unto the neighbouring sea: Murder me Marius, and maintain my life. And that his favourites in Rome may learn The difference betwixt my fawn and frown, Go cut them short, & shed their hateful blood, To quench these furies of my froward mood.
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)
VVhy fellow souldiers shall we flie the field, And carelesly forsake our Generall? VVhat shall our vowes conclude with no auaile? First die sweete friends, and shed your purple blood, Before you lose the man that wills you good. Then to it braue Italians out of hand: Scilla we come with fierce and dedly blowes, To venge thy wrongs and vanquish all thy toes. You Romaine souldiers, fellow mates in Armes, The blind fold Mistris of incertaine chaunce, Hath turnd these traiterous cmers from the top, And seated Scilla in the chiefest place. The place beseeming Scilla and his minde, For were the throne where matchles glorie sits, Empald with furies threatning blood and death, Begirt with famine and those fatall feares That dwell below amidst the dreadfull vast: Tut Scillaes sparkling eyes should dim with cleere The burning brands of their consuming light, And master fancie with a forward minde, And maske repining feare with awfull power. For men of baser mettall and conceipt Cannot conceiue the beautie of my thought. I crowned with a wreath of warlike state, Imagine thoughts more greater than a crowne, And yet befitting well a Romane minde. Then gentle ministers of all my hopes, That with your swords made way vnto my wish, Hearken the frutes of your couragious fight, In spite of all these Romane Basisks, That seeke to quell vs with their currish lookes, We will to Pontus weele haue gold my harts, Those orientall pearles shall decke our browes: And you my gentle rends, you Romane peeres, Kinde Pompey worthie of a Consulls name. You shall abide the father of the state, Whilst these braue lads Lucretius and I, In spight of all these brauling Senators, Will, shall, and dare attempt on Asia, And driue Mithridates from out his doores. I Scilla, these are words of mickle worth, Fit for the master of so great a minde: Now Rome must stoop, for Marius and his frends Haue left their armes, and trust vnto their heeles. But Pompey, if our Spanish Iennets feete Haue learnt to poast it of their mother winde, I hope to nip vpon the gray beards heeles, Till I haue cropt his shoulders from his head. As for his sonne, the proud aspiring boy, His beardlesse face and wanton smiling browes, Shall (if I catch him) decke yond Capitoll: The father, sonne, the frends, and souldiers all, That awne on Marius, shall with furie fall. And what euent shall all these troubles bring? This: Scilla in fortune will exceed a king. But frends and souldiers, with dispersed bands Goe seeke out Marius fond confederates: some poast along those vnfrequented paths, That trackt by nookes vnto the neighbring sea: Murther me Marius, and maintaine my life. And that his fauorites in Rome may learne The difference betwixt my fawne and frowne, Go cut them short, & shed their hatefull blood, To quench these furies of my froward mood.