Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1603 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and so · 509 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T17: tamburlaine, persian, cyrus, king, mahomet, arms, mighty, assyrian, thousand, army.
Now call your valorous ancestors to mind, Whom from the Grecians tribute still required, And of whose deeds rare monuments we find, Whose merits make their memories admired; Shall of your deeds, posterity be dumb, Which doth your father's names (though dead) adore? I am resolved, my triumph, or my tomb, A Laurel, or a Cypress shall decore. What doubtful silence thus your thoughts detains? We need advise with nought but with our swords; He who the Persians wont worth retains, Will answer now with deeds, and not with words. Let us accompany our King in Arms, Through bloody squadrons to this fatal strife: No profit can be had without some harms, By slaughter only we must look for life; And when our host (as I hope) doth prevail, Our Country shall have peace, we praise of right; And if our fortune (not our courage) fail, We die with honour in our Sovereign's sight; Let us (if vanquished) scorn base breath to buy, A noble death may greater glory give, Do to overcome, and yet not fear to dye: 'Tis needful that we fight, not that we live. My words will first your Majesty displease, Yet duty makes me speak where silence spill; The best Physician cures a sharp disease, With some sour potion that corruption kills; And skilful Pilots when they fear a storm, To save the ship, will cast out precious things, You in some sort may imitate their form, For else a tempest total ruin brings. Since bend against the Gods, how can we speed? To all our actions, fortune is opposed, We must of force some other way proceed, So have the heavens of our affairs disposed: Give (Sir,) the state, at least your titles place On some more happy man, not in effect, But with your shadow cloath him for a space, Till he your Realms from ruin may protect. This storm once calmed, that now disturbs your state, And Asia free from any foreign host, He shall with haste resign the Sovereign seat, These Kingdoms gained again, which you have lost: All Bactria yet abides at your command, The Indians, lo, would dye to do you good, Yea, many thousand thousands armed stand, Bend for your State to offer up their blood; What? should we rush like beasts to needless strife? Be well prepared, and then your fortune try, Brave minds should death despise, not loathing life: For fear of danger cowards crave to dye. But virtue first all hopes accounts doth cast, And of each mean to help maturely thinks, Then, when all else is done, death is the last, The which to meet true courage never shrinks. Now for the time, let Bactria be our seat, To Bessus for the form your Crown resign, Who, when he once hath re-advanced your state, Shall with your foes o'erthrow his charge confine. Wretch travel'st thou thy Sovereign to betray? Such treason darest thou to our ears impart? Such treason under trust? stay traitor stay, My sword shall search what lurks within thy heart.
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)
Now call your valorous anceſtors to minde, Whom from the Grecians tribute ſtill requir'd, And of whoſe deeds rare monuments we finde, Whoſe merits make their memories admir'd; Shall of your deeds, poſterity be dumbe, Which doth your fathers names (though dead) adore? I am reſolv'd, my triumph, or my tombe, A Laurell, or a Cypreſſe ſhall decore. What doubtfull ſilence thus your thoughts detaines? We need adviſe with nought but with our ſwords; He who the Perſians wonted worth retaines, Will anſwer now with deeds, and not with words. Let us accompany our King in Armes, Through bloudy ſquadrons to this fatall ſtrife: "No profit can be had without ſome harmes, By ſlaughter onely we muſt looke for life; And when our hoſt (as I hope) doth prevaile, Our Country ſhall have peace, we praiſe of right; And if our fortune (not our courage) faile, We dye with honour in our Soveraignes ſight; Let us (if vanquiſh'd) ſcorne baſe breath to buy, A noble death may greater glory give, Doe to o're-come, and yet not feare to dye: 'Tis needfull that we fight, not that we live. My words will firſt your Majeſtie diſpleaſe, Yet duty makes me ſpeake where ſilence ſpilles; "The beſt Phyſitian cures a ſharpe diſeaſe, "With ſome ſowre potion that corruption killes; "And skilfull Pilots when they feare a ſtorme, "To ſave the ſhip, will caſt out pretious things, You in ſome ſort may imitate their forme, For elſe a tempeſt totall ruine brings. Since bent againſt the Gods, how can we ſpeed? To all our actions, fortune is oppos'd, We muſt of force ſome other way proceed, So have the heavens of our affaires dispos'd: Give (Sir,) the ſtate, at leaſt your titles place On ſome more happy man, not in effect, But with your ſhadow cloath him for a ſpace, Till he your Realmes from ruine may protect. This ſtorme once calm'd, that now diſturbes your ſtate, And Aſia free from any forraigne hoſte, He ſhall with haſte reſigne the Soveraigne ſeat, Theſe Kingdoms gain'd againe, which you have loſt: All Bactria yet abides at your command, The Indians, loe, would dye to doe you good, Yea, many thouſand thouſands armed ſtand, Bent for your State to offer up their bloud; What? ſhould we ruſh like beaſts to needleſſe ſtrife? Be well prepar'd, and then your fortune try, "Brave mindes ſhould death deſpiſe, not loathing life: "For feare of danger cowards crave to dye. "But vertue firſt all hopes accounts doth caſt, "And of each meane to helpe maturely thinkes, "Then, when all elſe is done, death is the laſt, "The which to meet true courage never ſhrinkes. Now for the time, let Bactria be our ſeate, To Beſſus for the forme your Crowne reſigne, Who, when he once hath re-advanc'd your ſtate, Shll with your foes o'rethrow his charge confine. Wretch travell'ſt thou thy Soveraign to betray? Such treaſon dar'ſt thou to our eares impart? Such treaſon under truſt? ſtay traitour ſtay, My ſword ſhall ſearch what lurkes within thy heart.