The Wonder of Women, or Sophonisba · chunk 26 of 26
Marston, John · published 1606 · first performed or written 1605 [1605-1606] (Annals) tragedy · Children of the Queen's Revels · Blackfriars unassigned nearest T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi · 472 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
Mark Scipio, Trust him that breaks a vow? How then trust thee? O misdoubt him not, when he's thy slave like me Scipio, Massinissa, General. King. Liu's there no mercy for one soul of Carthage But must see baseness? Wouldst thou joy thy peace, Deliver Sophonisba straight and cease, Do not grasp that which is too hot to hold, We grace thy grief, and hold it with soft sense. Enjoy good courage, but void insolence. I tell thee Rome and Scipio deign to bear, So low a breast as for her say, we fear. Do not, do notilet not the fright of Nations Know so vile terms. she rests at thy dispose To my soul joy, shall Sophonisba then With me go bound and wait on Scipio's wheel? When th'whole world's giddy one man cannot reel, Starve thy lean hopes, and Romans now behold A sight would sad the Gods? make Phoebus' cold. Look Scipio, see what hard shift we make To keep our vows; here, take I yield her thee, And Sophonisba I keep vow thou art still free. Burst my vexed heart, the torture that most racks An enemy, is his foes royal acts. The glory of thy virtue live for ever, Brave hearts may be obscured, but extinct never. Take from the General of Rome this crown, This robe of triumph, and this conquests wreathe This sceptre, and this hand for ever breath, Rome's very minion: Live worth thy fame As far from faintings as from now base name. Thou whom like sparkling steel the strokes of Chance Made hard and firm; and like wild fire turned The more cold fate, more bright thy virtue burnt, And in whole seas of miseries didst flame. On thee loved creature of a deathless fame Rest all my honour: O thou for whom I drink So deep of grief, that he must only think, Not dare to speak) that would express my woe, Small rivers murmur, deep gulfs silent flow, My grief is here, not here, heave gently then, Women's right wonder, and just shame of men. And now with lighter passion, though with most just fear I change my person, and do hither bear Another's voice, who with a phrase as weak As his deserts now willed me, (thus formed) speak, If words well sensed, best suiting subject grave, Noble true story may once boldly crave, Acceptance gracious, if he whose fierce, Envy not others nor himself admires. If scenes exempt from ribaldry or rage, Of taxings indiscreet, may please the stage, If such may hope applause, he not commands Yet craves as due, the justice of your hands But freely he protests howe'er it is, Or well or ill, or much, not much amiss, With constant modesty he doth submit, To all, save those, that have more tongue than wit.
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)
Marke Scipio, Trust him that breaks a vow? How thē trust thee? O misdoubt him not, when hee's thy slaue like me Scipio, Massinissa, Generall. King. Liu's there no mercy for one soule of Carthage But must see basenes? Wouldst thou ioy thy peace, Deliuer Sophonisba straight and cease, Do not graspe that which is too hote to hold, We grace thy griefe, and hold it with soft sense. Inioy good courage, but voide insolence. I tell thee Rome and Scipio daine to beare, So low a breast as for her say, we feare. Do not, doe notilet not the fright of Nations Know so vile termes. Shee rests at thy dispose To my soule ioy, shall Sophonisba then With me go bound and waite on Scipios wheele? VVhen th'whole worlds giddy one man cānot reele, Starue thy leane hopes, and Romans now behold A sight would sad the Gods? make Phaebus cold. Looke Scipio, see what hard shift we make To keepe our vowes; here, take I yeeld her thee, And Sophonisba I keepe vow thou art still free. Burst my vext heart, the torture that most rackes An enimie, is his foes royall actes. The glory of thy vertue liue for euer, Braue heartes may be obscur'd, but extinct neuer. Take from the Generall of Rome this crowne, This roabe of triumph, and this conquests wreath This scepter, and this hand for euer breath, Romes very minion: Liue worth thy fame As far from faintings as from now base name. Thou whom like sparkling steele the strokes of Chance Made hard and firme; and like wild fier turnd The more cold fate, more bright thy vertue burnd, And in whole seas of miseries didst flame. On theelou'd creature of a deathlesse fame Rest all my honour: O thou for whom I drinke So deepe of greefe, that he must onely thinke, Not dare to speake) that would expresse my woe, Small riuers murmur, deepe gulfes silent flow, My griefe is here, not here, heaue gently then, Womens right wonder, and iust shame of men. And now with lighter passion, though with most iust feare I change my person, and do hether beare Anothers voyce, who with a phrase as weak As his deserts now will'd me▪ (thus form'd) speake, If wordes well senc'd, best suting subiect graue, Noble true story may once boldly craue, Acceptance gratious, if he whose fiers, Enuy not others nor him selfe admires. If sceans exempt from ribaldrie or rage, Of taxinges indiscreet, may please the stage, If such may hope applause, he not commandes Yet craues as due, the iustice of your hands But freely he protests how ere it is, Or well or ill, or much, not much amisse, With constant modesty he doth submit, To all, saue those, that haue more tongue then wit.