Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.68 · 502 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
Rather, contend to sleep, and live like them, That holding golden sleep in special price, Rubbed with sweet oils, swim silver Tiber thrice, And every even, with neat wine steeped be: Or, if such love of writing ravish thee, Then dare to sing unconquered Caesar's deeds; Who cheers such actions, with abundant meeds. That, father, I desire; but when I try, I feel defects in every faculty: Nor is't a labour fit for every pen, To paint the horrid troops of armed men; The lances burst, in GALLIA'S slaughtered forces; Or wounded Parthians, tumbled from their horses: Great Caesar's wars cannot be fought with words. Yet, what his virtue in his peace affords, His fortitude, and justice thou canst show; As wise LUCILIUS, honoured SCIPIO. Of that, my powers shall suffer no neglect, When such sleight labours may aspire respect: But, if watch not a most chosen time, The humble words of FLACCUS cannot climb The attentive ear of CAESAR; nor must I With less observance shun gross flattery: For he, reposed safe in his own merit, Spurns back the gloss of a fawning spirit. But, how much better would such accents sound, Then, with a sad, and serious verse to wound PANTOLABUS, railing in his saucy jests? Or NOMENTANUS spent in riotous feasts? " In satires, each man (though untouched) complains As he were hurt; and hates such biting strains. What shall I do? MILONIUS shakes his heels In ceaseless dances, when his brain once feels The stirring fervour of the wine ascend; And that his eyes false number apprehend. CASTOR his horse; POLLUX loves handy fights: Thousand heads, a thousand choice delights. My pleasure is in feet, my words to close, As, both our better, old LUCILIUS does: He, as his trusty friends, his books did trust With all his secrets; nor, in things unjust, Or actions lawful, ran to other men: So, that the old man's life, described was seen As in a votive table in his lines; And to his steps my Genius inclines, Lucanian, or Apulian, I not whether; For the Venusian colony ploughs either: Sent thither, when the Sabines were forced thence (As old fame sings) to give the place defence 'Gainst such, as seeing it empty, might make road Upon the empire; or there six abode: Whether th' Apulian borderer it were, Or the Lucanian violence they fear. But this my style no living man shall touch, If first I be not forced by base reproach; But, like a sheathed sword, it shall defend My innocent life; for, why should I contend To draw it out, when no malicious thief Robs my good name, the treasure of my life? O JUPITER, let it with rust be eaten, Before it touch, or insolently threaten The life of any with the least disease; So much I love, and woe a general peace. But, he that wrongs me (better, I proclaim, He never had assayed to touch my fame.) For he shall weep, and walk with every tongue
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 922–987 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 27 of 57 in this edition
Length
502 words · 708 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.683 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
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)
Rather, contend to sleepe, and liue like them, That holding golden sleepe in speciall price, Rub'd with sweet oiles, swim siluer Tyber thrice, And euery eu'en, with neat wine steeped be: Or, if such loue of writing rauish thee, Then dare to sing vnconquer'd CAESARS deeds; Who cheeres such actions, with aboundant meeds. That, father, I desire; but when I trie, I feele defects in euery facultie: Nor is't a labour fit for euery pen, To paint the horrid troups of armed men; The launces burst, in GALLIA'S slaughtred forces; Or wounded Parthians, tumbled from their horses: Great CAESARS warres cannot be fought with words. Yet, what his vertue in his peace affords, His fortitude, and iustice thou canst show; As wise LVCILIVS, honor'd SCIPIO. Of that, my powers shall suffer no neglect, When such sleight labours may aspire respect: But, if watch not a most chosen time, The humble wordes of FLACCVS cannot clime The' attentiue eare of CAESAR; nor must I With lesse obseruance shunne grosse flatterie: For he, reposed safe in his owne merit, Spurnes backe the gloses of a fawning spirit. But, how much better would such accents sound, Then, with a sad, and serious verse to wound PANTOLABVS, railing in his sawcie iests? Or NOMENTANVS spent in riotous feasts? "In satyres, each man (though vntoucht) complaines "As he were hurt; and hates such biting straines. What shall I doe? MILONIVS shakes his heeles In ceaslesse dances, when his braine once feeles The stirring feruour of the wine ascend; And that his eyes false number apprehend. CASTOR his horse; POLLVX loues handie fights: Thousand heads, a thousand choise delights. My pleasure is in feet, my words to close, As, both our better, old LVCILIVS does: He, as his trustie friends, his bookes did trust With all his secrets; nor, in things vniust, Or actions lawfull, ran to other men: So, that the old mans life, describ'd was seene As in a votiue table in his lines; And to his steps my Genius inclines, Lucanian, or Apulian, I not whether; For the Venusian colonie plowes either: Sent thither, when the Sabines were forc'd thence (As old fame sings) to giue the place defence 'Gainst such, as seeing it emptie, might make rode Vpon the empire; or there sixe abode: Whether th' Apulian borderer it were, Or the Lucanian violence they feare. But this my stile no liuing man shall touch, If first I be not forc'd by base reproch; But, like a sheathed sword, it shall defend My innocent life; for, why should I contend To draw it out, when no malicious thiefe Robs my good name, the treasure of my life? O IVPITER, let it with rust be eaten, Before it touch, or insolently threaten The life of any with the least disease; So much I loue, and woe a generall peace. But, he that wrongs me (better, I proclame, He neuer had assai'd to touch my fame.) For he shall weepe, and walke with euery tongue