The Wars of Cyrus, King of Persia · chunk 19 of 26
Anonymous · published 1594 · first performed or written 1588 [1587-1594] (Annals) tragedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and so typicality 0.79 · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T17: tamburlaine, persian, cyrus, king, mahomet, arms, mighty, assyrian, thousand, army.
No Ctesiphon unsheath thy bloody sword, And show it stained and cankered with the gore, that issued from that vaunting Persians' heart. What draw man, and show thy just conceal. thy pay is priest in ready numbered gold, My Lord and king I bear no bloody sword, Nor stained with gore of Persians Cyrus' heart, A prince he is far from delight in blood, Mild, lovely, virtuous, wise and bountiful, Able to reconcile his greatest foes, And make great princes of his meanest friends. Thy going was to compass Cyrus' death. How haps thy purpose ends without effect? The Persian prince inclines to terms of truce, and craves the friendship of Antiochus, So please my Lord the king to firm a peace, For brief whereof his letters I present, Signed and delivered with his royal hand, Sincerely tending to the same effect, Whereto if once your highness condescend, He will withdraw his armies from Assyria, And on the covenants sealed dissolve his camp. In case the Persian prince be so inclined, thy answer shall less offend my mind. This bearer coming to my camp armed with resolution to kill me, and entreated more honourably then either his treachery or thine could deserve. What reads my Lord aright, or doth he feign? That you shall know before you start again. Upon the instant purpose of his enterprise, it pleased God to confound him with such horror of conscience, that unconstrained he confessed the treason, & entreated pardon, vowing himself so far forth friend to Cyrus, that for his sake he would kill Antiochus. I was content to soothe the man in his villainy, because I would have thee know the difference twixt an open so & a dissembling friend, I give thee this notice, not because I love thee, or regard thy life but because a villain shall not triumph in the murder of him whom I account an honourable conquest of myself. Reward him according to his merits, & prepare to fight with me for thy own honour. Farewell. These thankless Persian whom I spared from death, Requites me with the betraying of my life, What answer maketh traitorous Ctesiphon? O prince my guilt is plain before my face, And witnessed with a PRINCE's seal, To slande upon denial were but vain, where open proof convicts me of offence, I say no more, but prostrate at your feet, Submit myself to mercy of my Lord, Such mercy as to traitors doth belong, Such, and no better Ctesiphon shall find, Disarm him of his martial habiliment. Disgrade him of all titles of regard, And then refer his attachment to your prince, This coat of arms, the badge of honour won, Through praise and virtue of thy ancestors, We rent it from that traitorous back of thine, And as an honour stained with villainy, In deep disdain we stamp it under foot, This sword that once was girt unto thy side, To be employed in service of thy prince, Now vowed to gore the bowels of his grace, we break it here upon thy traitorous head,
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)
No Cteſiphon vnſheath thy bloodie ſworde, And ſhew it ſtaind and cankred with the gore, that iſſued from that vaunting Perſians heart. What draw man, and ſhew thy iuſt conceale. thy pay is preſt in readie numbred golde, My Lord and king I beare no bloodie ſworde, Nor ſtaind with gore of Perſians Cyrus heart, A prince he is farre from delite in blood, Milde, louely, vertuous, wiſe and bountifull, Able to reconcile his greateſt foes, And make great princes of his meaneſt friends. Thy going was to compaſſe Cyrus death. How haps thy purpoſe ends without effect? The Perſian prince inclines to tearmes of truce▪ and craues the friendſhip of Antiochus, So pleaſe my Lord the king to firme a peace, For briefe whereof his letters I preſent, Signed and deliuered with his royall hand, Sincerely tending to the ſame effect, Whereto if once your highneſſe condiſcend, He will withdraw his armies from Aſſyria, And on the couenants ſealde diſſolue his campe. In caſe the Perſian prince be ſo inclinde, thy anſwere ſhall leſſe offend my mind. This bearer cōming to my camp armd with reſolution to kill me, and intreated more honorably then either his trecherie or thine could deſerue. What reades my Lord aright, or doth he faine? That you ſhall know before you ſtart againe. Vpon the inſtant purpoſe of his interprice, it pleaſed God to confound him with ſuch horror of conſcience, that vncōſtraind he cōfeſt the treaſon, & intreated pardon, vowing himſelfe ſo far forth friend to Cyrus, that for his ſake he would kill Antiochus. I was content to ſooth the man in his villanie, becauſe I would haue thee know the difference twixt an open ſo & a diſſembling friend, I giue thee this notice, not becauſe I loue thee, or regard thy life but becauſe a villain ſhall not triumph in the murder of him whom I account an honorable conqueſt of my ſelf▪ Reward him according to his merits, & prepare to fight with me for thy own honor. Farewell. Theis thankleſſe Perſian whom I ſpared from death, Bequites me with the betraying of my life, What anſwere maketh traiterous Cteſiphon? O prince my guilt is plaine before my face, And witneſde with a princes ſeale, To ſlande vpon deniall were but vaine, where open proofe conuicts me of offence, I ſay no more, but proſtrate at your feete, Submit my ſelfe to mercie of my Lord, Such mercie as to traitors doth belong, Such, and no better Cteſiphon ſhall finde, Diſarme him of his martiall abiliment. Diſgrade him of all titles of regarde, And then referre his attachment to your prince, This cote of armes, the badge of honor wn, Through praiſe and vertue of thy aunceſtors, We rent it from that traiterous backe of thine, And as an honour ſtainde with villanie, In deepe diſdaine we ſtampe it vnder foote, This ſworde that once was girt vnto thy ſide, To be employde in ſeruice of thy prince, Now vowde to gore the bowels of his grace, we breake it here vpon thy traiterous head,