Daniel, Samuel · published 1599 · first performed or written 1593 [revised 1607] (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 499 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
And is this all the good of being borne great? Then wretched greatness, proud rich misery, Pompous distress, glittering calamity. Is it for this th' ambitious Fathers swear, To purchase blood & death for them and theirs? Is this the issue that their glories get, To leave a sure destruction to their heyroes? O how much better had it been for me, From low descent, derived of humble birth, T'have eat the sweet-sour bread of poverty, And drunk of Nilus streams in Nilus' earth: Under the covering of some quiet Cottage, Free from the wrath of heaven, secure in mind, Untouched when sad events of prince's dotage Confounds what ever mighty it doth find. And not t'have stood in their way, whose condition Is to have all made clear, and all thing plain Between them and the mark of their ambition, That nothing let, the full sight of their reign. Where nothing stands, that stands not in submission; Where greatness must all in itself contain. King's will be alone, Competitors must down, Near death he stands, that stands too near a Crown. Such is my case, for Caesar will have all. My blood must seal th' assurance of his state: Yet ah weak state that blood assure him shall, Whose wrongful shedding, Gods & men do hate. Injustice never escapes unpunished still, Though men revenge not, yet the heavens wil. And thou Augustus that with bloody hand, Cuttest off succession from another's race, Mayst find the heavens thy vows so to withstand, That others may deprive thine in like case. When thou mayst see thy proud contentious bed Yielding thee none of thine that may inherit: Subvert thy blood, place others in their stead, To pay this thy injustice her due merit. If it be true (as who can that deny Which sacred Priests of Memphis do foresay) Some of the offspring yet of Antonis, Shall all the rule of this whole Empire sway; And then Augustus, what is it thou gainest By poor Antillus' blood, or this of mine? Nothing but this thy victory thou slainest, And pullest the wrath of heaven on thee and thine. In vain doth man contend against the star's, For that he seeks to make, his wisdom mars. Yet in the meantime we whom Fates reserve, The bloody sacrifices of ambition, We feel the smart what ever they deserve, And woindure the present times condition. The justice of the heavens revenging thus, Doth only satisfy itself, not us. Yet 'tis a pleasing comfort that doth ease Affliction in so great extremity, To think their like destruction shall appease Our ghosts, who did procure our misery. But dead we are, uncertain what shall be, And living, we are sure to feel the wrong: Our certain ruin we ourselves do see. They joy the while, and we know not how long. But yet Caesario, thou must die content, For men will moon, and God revenge th'innocent. Thus he complain'd, & thus thou hearest my shame.
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)
And is this all the good of beeing borne great? Then wretched greatnesse, proud rich misery, Pompous distresse, glittering calamity. Is it for this th' ambitious Fathers swear, To purchase bloud & death for thē and theirs? Is this the issue that their glories get, To leaue a sure destruction to their heyros? O how much better had it beene for me, From low descent, deriu'd of humble birth, T'haue eat the sweet-sowre bread of pouertie, And drunke of Nilus streams in Nilus earth: Vnder the cou'ring of some quiet Cottage, Free from the wrath of heauen, secure in mind, Vntoucht when sad euents of princes dotage Confounds what euer mighty it doth find. And not t'haue stood in their way, whose condition Is to haue all made cleere, and all thing plaine Betweene them and the marke of their ambition, That nothing let, the ful sight of their raigne. Where nothing stands, that stands not in submission; Where greatnesse must all in it selfe containe. Kings will be alone, Competitors must downe, Neere death he stands, that stands too neere a Crowne. Such is my case, for Caesar will haue all. My bloud must seale th' assurance of his state: Yet ah weake state that blood assure him shall, Whose wrongfull shedding, Gods & men do hate. Iniustice neuer scapes vnpunisht still, Though men reuenge not, yet the heauens wil. And thou Augustus that with bloodie hand, Cutt'st off succession from anothers race, Maist find the heauens thy vowes so to withstand, That others may depriue thine in like case. When thou maist see thy proud contentious bed Yeelding thee none of thine that may inherite: Subuert thy blood, place others in their sted, To pay this thy iniustice her due merite. If it be true (as who can that denie Which sacred Priests of Memphis doe fore-say) Some of the of-spring yet of Antonis, Shall all the rule of this whole Empire sway; And then Augustus, what is it thou gainest By poore Antillus blood, or this of mine? Nothing but this thy victorie thou slainest, And pull'st the wrath of heauen on thee and thine. In vaine doth man contend against the starr's, For that he seekes to make, his wisdom marr's. Yet in the mean-time we whom Fates reserue, The bloodie sacrifices of ambition, We feele the smart what euer they deserue, And woindure the present times condition. The iustice of the heauens reuenging thus, Doth onely satisfie it selfe, not vs. Yet tis a pleasing comfort that doth ease Affliction in so great extremitie, To thinke their like destruction shall appease Our ghosts, who did procure our miserie. But dead we are, vncertaine what shall bee, And liuing, we are sure to feele the wrong: Our certaine ruine we our selues do see. They ioy the while, and we know not how long. But yet Caesario, thou must die content, For men will mone, and God reuenge th'innocent. Thus he cōplain'd, & thus thou hear'st my shame.