Alexander, William · published 1604 · first performed or written 1603 (Annals) tragedy T38 Death, parting and grief at court typicality 0.88 · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T38: queen, king, death, dead, heart, life, die, lord, royal, news.
Heaven bruise me all to powder with thy thunder, That I no more may in the world remain The object of thy wrath, and Fortune's wonder; Spoiled of all hope; yet kept for greater pain. Ah! art thou dead, and do I lieu behind thee? Thy faulty husband thinkst thou so to fly? If it be thus, than I know where to find thee. This only grieves me that too late I die. O Alexander, what such heinous ill Have I done thee, that thou requit'st me thus? Whom of thy friends, or kindred did I kill? This cruelty comes undeserved of us. Think that thou hadst just causes to make war: Yet upon women should thy wrath be wroken? This tyranny shall all thy Triumph mar, And ever shall to thy reproach be spoken. Sir, without cause you guilty him esteem. I know her death did grievously displease him: A wondrous thing (which few, or none would deem) He took it so, that nothing could appease him. even as my Sovereign now, so then he smarted; And when he came to ease your mother's grief, As if that his own mother had departed; He seemed to need, not for to give relief. If any sparks of that respect remain, Which should with reason move thy mind to ruth, I pray the Tiriotes now be plain, Or else strange torments shall exact the truth: I loathe to let this question scape my mouth, Which both I blush to crave, and long to know, be't possible so insolent a youth Did never tempt the treasure which I owe? Could this imperious Prince in flower of age Have such a peerless beauty in his power, And yet not seek to quench his ardent rage With the destruction of her honour's flower? Spare not to tell upon what deadly shelf My joy is perished quite, and I defaced. The fear of evil is worse than th'evil itself: it's to die twice, to die, and die disgraced. Let not those love-bred fears abuse your thought: By all the world no fable I contrive. If I speak partially, or lie in aught, Earth open up, and swallow me alive. He whom your Grace so wrongfully suspects, No, not in thought, hath once your Queen abused, But as his sister still in all respects, As chastely, and as honourably used. When fortune first our warlike troops had scattered, And with great slaughter put them all to flight; We, whom she late so lovingly had flattered, Were made the patterns of that changelings might. For having found a Crown trod on the ground. O lasting shame that cannot be recured. We straight imagined that some cruel wound Had killed my Lord, and wailed it as assured. Would God I then had died, as I desired, So t'have prevented those ensuing harms; Before my honour and my hap expired, With Crown on head, & with my Queen in arms.
seed 43: T44 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Heauen bruſe me all to powder with thy thunder, That I no more may in the world remaine The obiect of thy wrath, and Fortunes wonder; Spoil'd of all hope; yet kept for greater paine. Ah! art thou dead, and doe I lieu behinde thee? Thy faultie husband thinkſt thou ſo to flie? If it be thus, then I know where to finde thee. This onely greeues me that too late I die. O Alexander, what ſuch hainous ill Haue I done thee, that thou requit'ſt me thus? Whom of thy friendes, or kindred did I kill? This crueltie comes vndeſeru'd of vs. Think that thou hadſt iuſt cauſes to make warre: Yet vpon women ſhould thy wrath be wroken? This Tirrannie ſhall all thy Triumphe marre, And euer ſhall to thy reproach be ſpoken. Sir, without cauſe you guiltie him eſteeme. I know her death did grieuouſlie diſpleaſe him: A wondrous thing (which few, or none would deeme) He tooke it ſo, that nothing could appeaſe him. Euen as my Soueraigne now, ſo then he ſmarted; And when he came to eaſe your mothers griefe, As if that his owne mother had departed; He ſeem'd to need, not for to giue reliefe. If any ſparkes of that reſpect remaine, Which ſhould with reaſon mooue thy minde to ruth, I pray the Tiriotes now be plaine, Or els ſtrange torments ſhall exact the truth: I loth to let this queſtion ſcape my mouth, Which both I bluſh to craue, and long to know, Iſt poſſible ſo inſolent a youth Did neuer tempt the treaſure which I owe? Could this imperious Prince in flowre of age Haue ſuch a peereleſſe beautie in his power, And yet not ſeeke to quench his ardent rage With the deſtruction of her honours flowre? Spare not to tell vpon what deadly ſhelfe My ioy is periſh'd quite, and I defac'd. The feare of euill is worſe then th'euill it ſelfe: I'ts to die twiſe, to die, and die diſgrac'd. Let not thoſe loue-bred feares abuſe your thought: By all the world no fable I contriue. If I ſpeake partiallie, or lie in ought, Earth open vp, and ſwallow me aliue. He whom your Grace ſo wrongfully ſuſpects, No, not in thought, hath once your Queene abuſ'd, But as his ſiſter ſtill in all reſpects, As chaſtlie, and as honourablie vſ'd. When fortune firſt our warlike troupes had ſcattered, And with great ſlaughter put them all to flight; We, whom ſhe late ſo louingly had flattered, Were made the patternes of that changlings might. For hauing found a Crowne troad on the ground. O laſting ſhame that cannot be recur'd. We ſtraight imagin'd that ſome cruell wound Had kild my Lord, and wail'd it as aſſur'd. Would God I then had died, as I deſir'd, So t'haue preuented thoſe enſuing harmes; Before my honour and my hap expir'd, With Crowne on head, & with my Queene in armes.