Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1603 (Annals) tragedy T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and so typicality 0.75 · 495 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T17: tamburlaine, persian, cyrus, king, mahomet, arms, mighty, assyrian, thousand, army.
This high attempt, as we would wish succeeds, What hosts have we o'erthrown, what Cities razed? Lo, populous Asia trembles at our deeds, And martial Europe doth remain amazed; Greece, (which both Mars and Pallus did defend:) A humble supplicant before thee falls, Rebellious Thebes, which durst with thee contend; Lies now entombed within her broken walls; That Sea-commanding Tyre, reposing much In liquid Towers that Neptune reared in vain, Hath now confirmed thy forces to be such, That nothing can resist thy just, disdain. No doubt the ancient Grecians, Ghosts are glad To see the fierce Barbarians brought so low, Yet are for envy of thy fortune sad, And though un-bodied blush at this overthrow: Miltiades by all men was admired, Who once in Greece their flying troops pursued, And he who with a stratagem retired, And Salamina's straits with blood imbrued; But yet for all the Captains of that age, The eastern Monarch's Empire was enlarged, Who in their Country (flaming all with rage,) The Sea with ships, the land with Armies charged▪ He with more swarms of men than Autumn's clusters, Drank Rivers dry, and marched on Neptune's back, By measure, not by number, made his musters, Did scourge the winds, strived mountains plains to make; All Europe feared then to be forced to bow, Whilst th' earth did groan to bear so great an host, But thou hast come, seen, and over-comed them now, Even in the bounds wherein their power was most. That haughty foe, who vilipended oft Our predecessors force, and scorned our own, Now laid as low, as he was once aloft, With his disgrace, must make thy valour known; He doth by this acknowledge his distress, In labouring thus to have his friends restored, This message (mighty Prince) imports no less, By his request thy conquest is decored; For the recovery of his captived Queen, He offered hath innumerable gold; A mass so great, that such was never seen, More (as they brag) than Maccdon can hold: My counsel is, that you aceept his offers, And with his daughters render her again, Who would make war, must not have empty coffers, Where one for glory, thousands sight for gain; And if those Lady's guarded Captives stay, It cost and trouble breeds to fit their state; Thus more to charge, or charges to defray; To vex or ease, advise, and not too late. If come to traffic in a servile sort, And like a Merchant bend but to embrace (All else despised) that which might gains import, Then your opinion purchase might a place: But soon I surfeit of such melting things, And famish but for fame, and Crowns of Kings. If Alexander, I, so would I do. If I Parmenio were, so would I too. So you bind Soldiers, let them Dames redeem. Save thankes, or praise, no treasure I esteem. Even good proves ill when done unto a foe. What greater glory then to conquer so?
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 278–341 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 5 of 35 in this edition
Length
495 words · 674 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T17 — Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and soldanscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.746 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T18 · seed 44: T18 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
This high attempt, as we would wiſh ſucceeds, What hoſts have we o'rethrown, what Cities raz'd? Loe, populous Aſia trembles at our deeds, And martiall Europe doth remaine amaz'd; Greece, (which both Mars and Pallus did defend:) A humble ſupplicant before thee falles, Rebellious Thebes, which durſt with thee contend; Lyes now entomb'd within her broken walles; That Sea-commanding Tyre, repoſing much In liquid Towers that Neptune rear'd in vaine, Hath now confirm'd thy forces to be ſuch, That nothing can reſiſt thy juſt, diſdaine. No doubt the ancient Grecians, Ghoſts are glad To ſee the fierce Barbarians brought ſo low, Yet are for envy of thy fortune ſad, And though un-bodied bluſh at this o're-throw: Miltiades by all men was admir'd, Who once in Greece their flying troupes purſu'd, And he who with a ſtratagem retir'd, And Salamina's ſtraits with bloud imbru'd; But yet for all the Captaines of that age, The eaſterne Monarches Empire was enlarg'd, Who in their Country (flaming all with rage,) The Sea with ſhippes, the land with Armies charg'd▪ He with moe ſwarmes of men then Autumnes cluſters, Dranke Rivers dry, and march'd on Neptunes backe, By meaſure, not by number, made his muſters, Did ſcourge the windes, ſtriv'd mountaines plaines to make; All Europe fear'd then to be forc'd to bow, Whilſt th' earth did groane to beare ſo great an hoſt, But thou haſt come, ſeene, and over-com'd them now, Even in the bounds wherein their pow'r was moſt. That haughty foe, who vilipended oft Our predeceſſors force, and ſcorn'd our owne, Now laid as low, as he was once aloft, With his diſgrace, muſt make thy valour knowne; He doth by this acknowledge his diſtreſſe, In labouring thus to have his friends reſtor'd, This meſſage (mighty Prince) imports no leſſe, By his requeſt thy conqueſt is decor'd; For the recovery of his captiv'd Queene, He offred hath innumerable gold; A maſſe ſo great, that ſuch was never ſeene, More (as they bragge) then Maccdon can hold: My counſell is, that you aceept his offers, And with his daughters render her againe, "Who would make warre, muſt not have empty coffers, "Where one for glory, thouſands ſight for gaine; And if thoſe Ladies guarded Captives ſtay, It coſt and trouble breeds to fit their ſtate; Thus more to charge, or charges to defray; To vexe or eaſe, adviſe, and not too late. If come to trafficke in a ſervile ſort, And like a Merchant bent but to embrace (All elſe deſpis'd) that which might gaines import, Then your opinion purchaſe might a place: But ſoone I ſurfet of ſuch melting things, And famiſh but for fame, and Crownes of Kings. If Alexander, I, ſo would I doe. If I Parmenio were, ſo would I too. So you binde Souldiers, let them Dames redeeme. Save thankes, or praiſe, no treaſure I eſteeme. Even good proes ill when done unto a foe. What greater glory then to conquer ſo?