Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1599 (Annals) history · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 523 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.
O For a Muse of Fire, that would ascend The brightest Heaven of Invention: A Kingdom for a Stage, Princes to Act, And Monarches to behold the swelling Scene. Then should the Warlike Harry, like himself, Assume the Port of Mars, and at his heels (Leashed in, like Hounds) should Famine, Sword, and Fire Crouch for employment. But pardon, Gentles all: The flat vnraysed Spirits, that hath dared, On this unworthy Scaffold, to bring forth So great an Object. Can this Cockpit hold The vasty fields of France? Or may we cram Within this Wooden O, the very Casks That did affright the Air at Agincourt? O pardon: since a crocked Figure may Attest in little place a Million, And let us, Ciphers to this great Account, On your imaginary Forces work. Suppose within the Girdle of these Walls Are now confined two mighty Monarchies, Whose high, vp-reared, and abutting Fronts, The perilous narrow Ocean parts asunder. Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts: Into a thousand parts divide one Man, And make imaginary Puissance. Think when we talk of Horses, that you see them, Printing their proud hooves i' th' receiving Earth: For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our Kings, Carry them here and there: jumping o'er Times; Turning th' accomplishment of many years Into an Hourglass: for the which supply, Admit me Chorus to this History; Who Prologue-like, your humble patience pray, Gently to hear, kindly to judge our Play. MY Lord, I'll tell you, that self Bill is urged, Which in th' eleventh year of the last King's reign Was like, and had indeed against us past, But that the scambling and unquiet time Did push it out of farther question. But how my Lord shall we resist is now? It must be thought on: if it pass against us, We lose the better half of our Possession: For all the Temporal Lands, which men devout By Testament have given to the Church, Would they strip from us; being valued thus, As much as would maintain, to the King's honour, Full fifteen Earls, and fifteen hundred Knights, Six thousand and two hundred good Esquires: And to relief of Lazars, and weak age Of indigent faint Souls, past corporal toil, A hundred Almshouses, right well supplied: And to the Coffers of the King beside, A thousand pounds by th' year. Thus runs the Bill. This would drink deep. 'Twould drink the Cup and all. But what prevention? The King is full of grace, and fair regard. And a true lover of the holy Church. The courses of his youth promised it not. The breath no sooner left his Father's body, But that his wildness, mortified in him, Seemed to dye too: yea, at that very moment, Consideration like an Angel came, And whipped th' offending Adam out of him; Leaving his body as a Paradise, T' invelop and contain Celestial Spirits. Never was such a sudden Scholar made: Never came Reformation in a Flood, With such a heady currance scouring faults: Nor never Hydra-headed Wilfulness So soon did lose his Seat; and all at once; As in this King.
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)
O For a Muſe of Fire, that would aſcend The brighteſt Heauen of Inuention: A Kingdome for a Stage, Princes to Act, And Monarchs to behold the ſwelling Scene. Then ſhould the Warlike Harry, like himſelfe, Aſſume the Port of Mars, and at his heeles (Leaſht in, like Hounds) ſhould Famine, Sword, and Fire Crouch for employment. But pardon, Gentles all: The flat vnrayſed Spirits, that hath dar'd, On this vnworthy Scaffold, to bring forth So great an Obiect. Can this Cock-Pit hold The vaſtie fields of France? Or may we cramme Within this Woodden O, the very Caskes That did affright the Ayre at Agincourt? O pardon: ſince a crocked Figure may Atteſt in little place a Million, And let vs, Cyphers to this great Accompt, On your imaginarie Forces worke. Suppoſe within the Girdle of theſe Walls Are now confin'd two mightie Monarchies, Whoſe high, vp-reared, and abutting Fronts, The perillous narrow Ocean parts aſunder. Peece out our imperfections with your thoughts: Into a thouſand parts diuide one Man, And make imaginarie Puiſſance. Thinke when we talke of Horſes, that you ſee them, Printing their prowd Hoofes i' th' receiuing Earth: For 'tis your thoughts that now muſt deck our Kings, Carry them here and there: Iumping o're Times; Turning th' accompliſhment of many yeeres Into an Howre-glaſſe: for the which ſupplie, Admit me Chorus to this Historie; Who Prologue-like, your humble patience pray, Gently to heare, kindly to iudge our Play. MY Lord, Ile tell you, that ſelfe Bill is vrg'd, Which in th' eleuēth yere of ye laſt Kings reign Was like, and had indeed againſt vs paſt, But that the ſcambling and vnquiet time Did puſh it out of farther queſtion. But how my Lord ſhall we reſiſt is now? It muſt be thought on: if it paſſe againſt vs, We looſe the better halfe of our Poſſeſſion: For all the Temporall Lands, which men deuout By Teſtament haue giuen to the Church, Would they ſtrip from vs; being valu'd thus, As much as would maintaine, to the Kings honor, Full fifteene Earles, and fifteene hundred Knights, Six thouſand and two hundred good Eſquires: And to reliefe of Lazars, and weake age Of indigent faint Soules, paſt corporall toyle, A hundred Almes-houſes, right well ſupply'd: And to the Coffers of the King beſide, A thouſand pounds by th' yeere. Thus runs the Bill. This would drinke deepe. 'Twould drinke the Cup and all. But what preuention? The King is full of grace, and faire regard. And a true louer of the holy Church. The courſes of his youth promis'd it not. The breath no ſooner left his Fathers body, But that his wildneſſe, mortify'd in him, Seem'd to dye too: yea, at that very moment, Conſideration like an Angell came, And whipt th' offending Adam out of him; Leauing his body as a Paradiſe, T' inuelop and containe Celeſtiall Spirits. Neuer was ſuch a ſodaine Scholler made: Neuer came Reformation in a Flood, With ſuch a heady currance ſcowring faults: Nor neuer Hidra-headed Wilfulneſſe So ſoone did looſe his Seat; and all at once; As in this King.