Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1604 (Annals) tragedy T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and so typicality 0.82 · 458 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.
Some of the wisemen than I heard remained, Who from their former sentence did recoil, And said▪ no danger was, since I had reigned, Then did dismiss me for my native soil; Where when I had my blooming season spent, To weakened wrath your lines did strength afford, Informing us that many Medes were bend For his great cruelty to leave their Lord; And wished (if to their Sceptre I aspired) That I should move the Persians to rebel, Which did succeed even as my soul desired: For they disdained in bondage base to dwell; When my encouraged troops all armed did stand, Ere they from Strangers could attend relief, I quickly marched, encountering with that band, Of which the King had chanced to make you chief. lo how those wretches whom the heavens would wrack, (To plagues exposed) of judgement are unarmed: The King of me his Captain strait did make, And looked for help of him whom he had harmed; Yet was th'old wrong so rooted in my heart, My Country's thraldom, and mine own disgrace, That all the horrors mischief could impart Seemed nought to me, so my disdain took place. On those whom they have wronged, none should rely: Just rancour unrevenged, can never dye. This enterprise at first so well did speed, That since, your Greatness still began to rise, Which may by time to brave a story breed, As may be precious in all Prince's eyes. Behold how Croesus with his riches blind, Durst even encounter with my warlike band; And whilst a prosperous course betrayed his mind, Did not suspect what power was in my hand; But he and his confederates have seen How victory doth still my troops attend, And Persia must be once all Asia's Queen, On whom for servants Princes shall depend; Now Croesus is o'ercome, this Town surprised, And Lydia charged with gold, doth yield rich spoils; The League unprosp'rous, Egypt hath despised, This is the happy end of all our toils. But ah! one sour unseasons all my sweets, Whose praise through all the peopled circuit fleets, And with his love each generous courage warms; Then when (though weak in troops) in courage strong, Th' Egyptian Chariots desperately he charged There (whilst he fought infortunately long) Mars from terrestrial bands his soul enlarged. No doubt that Dame this trouble hardly bears, Who only seemed for him to like of life, I heard him (whilst she bathed his breast with tears) Oft wish by proof to merit such a wife. When their farewell was sealed, last speeches spent, She kissed the Coach that did contain her trust, And with eyes big with pearl, gazed where he went, Still till her sight was choked with clods of dust.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2341–2397 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 37 of 46 in this edition
Length
458 words · 603 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T17 — Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and soldanscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.824 (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)
Some of the wiſe-men then I heard remain'd, VVho from their former ſentence did recoyle, And ſaid▪ no danger was, ſince I had raign'd, Then did diſmiſſe me for my native ſoile; VVhere when I had my blooming ſeaſon ſpent, To weakened wrath your lines did ſtrength afford, Informing us that many Medes were bent For his great cruelty to leave their Lord; And wiſh'd (if to their Scepter I aſpir'd) That I ſhould move the Perſians to rebell, VVhich did ſucceed even as my ſoule deſir'd: For they diſdain'd in bondage baſe to dwell; VVhen my encourag'd troups all arm'd did ſtand, Ere they from Strangers could attend releefe, I quickly march'd, encountring with that band, Of which the King had chanc'd to make you chiefe. "Loe how thoſe wretches whom the heavens would wrack, "(To plagues expoſ) of judgement are unarm'd: "The King of me his Captaine ſtraight did make, "And look't for help of him whom he had harm'd; "Yet was th'old wrong ſo rooted in my heart, "My Countries thraldome, and mine owne diſgrace, "That all the horrours miſchiefe could impart "Seem'd nought to me, ſo my diſdaine took place. "On thoſe whom they have wrong'd, none ſhould relye: "Iuſt rancour unreveng'd, can never dye. This enterpriſe at firſt ſo well did ſpeed, That ſince, your Greatneſſe ſtill began to riſe, Which may by time to brave a ſtory breed, As may be pretious in all Princes eyes. Behold how Craeſus with his riches blinde, Durſt even encounter with my warre-like band; And whil'ſt a proſp'rous courſe betray'd his minde, Did not ſuſpect what pow'r was in my hand; But he and his confederates have ſeene How victory doth ſtill my troupes attend, And Perſia muſt be once all Aſia's Queene, On whom for ſervants Princes ſhall depend; Now Croeſus is o'recome, this Towne ſurpris'd, And Lydia charg'd with gold, doth yeeld rich ſpoyles; The League unproſp'rous, Aegypt hath deſpiſ'd, This is the happy end of all our toiles. But ah! one ſowre unſeaſons all my ſweets, Whoſe praiſe through all the peopled circuit fleets, And with his love each generous courage warmes; Then when (though weake in troups) in courage ſtrong, Th' Aegyptian Chariots deſperately he charg'd There (whil'ſt he fought infortunately long) Mars from terreſtriall bands his ſoule enlarg'd. No doubt that Dame this trouble hardly beares, Who onely ſeem'd for him to like of life, I heard him (whil'ſt ſhe bath'd his breaſt with teares) Oft wiſh by proofe to merit ſuch a wife. When their farewell was ſeal'd, laſt ſpeeches ſpent, She kiſſ'd the Coach that did containe her truſt, And with eyes bigge with pearle, gaz'd where he went, Still till her ſight was choak'd with clods of duſt.