Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T54: antony, caesar, anthony, cleopatra, antonius, love, death, die, heart, breast.
To view my misery, that purchased hers. No, I disdain that head that wore a Crown, Should stoop to take up that which others give: I must not be, unless I be mine own. 'tis sweet to die when we are forced to live. Nor had I troubled now the world thus long, And been indebted for this little breath, But that I fear, Caesar would offer wrong To my distressed seed after my death. 'tis that which doth my dearest blood control. 'tis that (alas) detains me from my Tomb, Whilst Nature brings to contradict my soul, The argument of mine unhappy womb. O luckless issue of a woeful Mother, Th' ungodly pledges of a wanton bed; You Kings designed, must now be slaves to other, Or else not be (I fear) when I am dead. It is for you I temporize with Caesar, And live this while for to procure your safety. For you I fain content, and sooth his pleasure, Calamity herein hath made me crafty. But 'tis not long, I'll see what may be done, And come what will, this stands, I must die free. I'll be myself, my thoughts do rest thereon, Blood, children, nature, all must pardon me. My soul yields honour up the victory, And I must be a Queen, forget a mother: Yet mother would I be, were I not I, And Queen would I not now be, were I other. But what know I, if th'heavens have decreed, And that the sins of Egypt have deserved, The Ptolemies should fail, and none succeed, And that my weakness was thereto reserved. That I should bring confusion to my state, And fill the measure of iniquity: Licentiousness in me should end her date, Begun in ill-dispensed liberty. If so it be, and that my heedless ways, Have this so great a dissolation raised, Yet let a glorious end conclude my days, Though life were bad, my death may yet be praised, That I may write in letters of my blood, A fit memorial for the times to come: To be example to such Princes good That please themselves, and care not what become. And Anthony, because the world doth know, That my misfortune hath procured thine, And my improvidence brought thee follow, To lose thy glory, and to ruin mine: By grappling in the Ocean of our pride, To sink each other's greatness both together, Both equal shipwreck of our states t'abide, And like destruction to procure to either: If I should now (our common fault) survive, Than all the world must hate me if I do it, Sith both our errors did occasion give, And both our faults have brought us both unto it. I being first enamoured with thy greatness, Thou with my vanity bewitched wholly: And both betrayed with th'outward pleasant sweetness, The one ambition spoiled, th'other folly. For which, thou hast already duly paid, The statute of thy errors dearest forfeit: Whereby thy gotten credit was decayed, Procured thee by thy wanton deadly surfeit. And next is my turn, now to sacrifice
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)
To view my misery, that purchast hers. No, I disdaine that head that wore a Crowne, Should stoope to take vp that which others giue: I must not be, vnlesse I be mine owne. Tis sweet to die when we are forst to liue. Nor had I troubled now the world thus long, And beene indebted for this little breath, But that I feare, Caesar would offer wrong To my distressed seede after my death. Tis that which dooth my deerest blood controule. Tis that (alas) detaines mee from my Tombe, Whilst Nature brings to contradict my soule, The argument of mine vnhappy wombe. O lucklesse issue of a wofull Mother, Th' vngodly pledges of a wanton bed; You Kings design'd, must now be slaues to other, Or els not bee (I feare) when I am dead. It is for you I temporise with Caesar, And liue this while for to procure your safetie. For you I fayne content, and soothe his pleasure, Calamitie heerein hath made me crasty. But tis not long, Ile see what may be done, And come what will, this stands, I must die free. Ile be my selfe, my thoughts doe rest thereon, Blood, chyldren, nature, all must pardon mee. My soule yeelds honour vp the victory, And I must bee a Queene, forget a mother: Yet mother would I be, were I not I, And Queene would I not now be, were I other. But what know I, if th'heauens haue decreed, And that the sinnes of Egipt haue deseru'd, The Ptolomeyes should faile, and none succeed, And that my weakenes was thereto reseru'd. That I should bring confusion to my state, And fill the measure of iniquitie: Licentiousnes in mee should end her date, Begunne in ill-dispensed libertie. If so it be, and that my heedles waies, Haue this so great a dissolation rais'd, Yet let a glorious end conclude my dayes, Though life were bad, my death may yet be prais'd, That I may write in letters of my blood, A fit memoriall for the times to come: To be example to such Princes good That please themselues, and care not what become. And Anthony, because the world doth know, That my mis-fortune hath procured thine, And my improuidence brought thee folow, To lose thy glory, and to ruine mine: By grapling in the Ocean of our pride, To sinke each others greatnes both together, Both equall shipwrack of our states t'abide, And like destruction to procure to eyther: If I should now (our common faulte) suruiue, Then all the world must hate mee if I doe it, Sith both our errors did occasion giue, And both our faults haue brought vs both vnto it. I beeing first inamour'd with thy greatnes, Thou with my vanity bewitched wholy: And both betrayd with th'outward pleasant sweetnes, The one ambition spoyld, th'other folly. For which, thou hast already duly paid, The statute of thy errors dearest forfeit: VVhereby thy gotten credite was decayd, Procur'd thee by thy wanton deadly surfeit. And next is my turne, now to sacrifize