The Devil's Charter, or Pope Alexander the Sixth · chunk 1 of 45
Barnes, Barnabe · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · before the Court T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour typicality 0.65 · 486 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T0: duke, lord, duchess, love, court, madam, prince, honour, grace, lady.
GRacious spectators do not here expect, Visions of pleasure, amorous discourse: Our subject is of blood and Tragedy, Murder, foul Incest, and Hypocrisy. Behold the Strumpet of proud Babylon, Her Cup with fornication foaming full Of God's high wrath and vengeance for that evil, Which was imposed upon her by the Devil. SEnt from the Crystal Palace of true Fame, And bright star-chamber of eternal souls, Severed from angels' fellowship awhile, To dwell with mortal bodies here on earth: I Francis Guicciardine a Florentine, Am by the powerful and commanding Muse, (Which beareth domination in our souls) Sent down to let you see the Tragedy, Of Roderigo Borgia lately Pope, Called the sixth Alexander, with his son Proud Caesar: to present unto your eyes, Their faithless, fearless, and ambitious lives: And first by what ungodly means and Art, He did attain the Triple-Diadem, This vision offered to your eyes declares. Thus first with golden bribes he did corrupt The purple conclave: then by devilish art Sathan transfigured like a Pronotary To him makes offer of the triple Crown For certain years agreed betwixt them two. The life of action shall express the rest. Renowned Lodowik our warlike Cousin, Auspiciously encountered on the skirts Of Piedmont, we greet you joyfully. Thrice and forever most renowned Charles, A faithful tongue from an unfeigned heart As a just herald full of truth and honour On the behalf of forlorn Italie Needing and craving at your Princely hands, The patronage and true protection Of such a Potent and victorious King Humbly salutes your royal Majesty. The ship of which sometime well guided state, Is through tempestuous times malignity By worthless Pilots, foolish Governors Mutually factious, like to sink through Schism Into the bottom of the black abysm Through th'imposition of necessity. Do not! oh do not then (most Christian Charles) Do not forsake her holding up her hands For succour to your royal Clemency: Her sails are rent, masts spent and rudder brook And under water such wide open leaks As under water soon will make her sink. Having been bilged upon so many shelves, So torn, so rotten and so long unrigged, And playing with the waves to and again As one not governed with help of helm. One than whom nature in his vows to God, Hath tied to tender her forlone estate With eyes foreseeing and compassionate, Retenders her to your high Majesty, A Christian Prince so wise so valiant: Undoubted heir unto the Crown of Naples, By lawful right of that great house of Anjou: Of which your grace is well known lawful heir, By th'issues of that Charles the first, that first Of the blood royal of the Crown of France, Obtained that Kingdom ages many passed. These reasons wherewith Lodowik Sforza moved, To move your Majesty with martial force To pass these mountains to possess your own. March then most Christian and renowned Prince,
seed 43: T0 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
GRacious spectators doe not heere expect, Visions of pleasure, amorous discourse: Our subiect is of bloud and Tragedie, Murther, foule Incest, and Hypocrisie. Behold the Strumpet of proud Babylon, Her Cup with fornication foaming full Of Gods high wrath and vengeance for that euill, Which was imposd vpon her by the Diuill. SEnt from the Christall Palace of true Fame, And bright Starre-Chamber of eternall soules, Seuerd from Angels fellowship awhile, To dwell with mortall bodies here on earth: I Francis Guicciardine a Florentine, Am by the powerfull and commanding Muse, (Which beareth domination in our soules) Sent downe to let you see the Tragedie, Of Roderigo Borgia lately Pope, Calld the sixt Alexander, with his sonne Proud Caesar: to present vnto your eyes, Their faithlesse, fearelesse, and ambitious liues: And first by what vngodly meanes and Art, Hee did attaine the Triple-Diadem, This vision offerd to your eyes declares. Thus first with golden bribes he did corrupt The purple conclaue: then by diuelish art Sathan transfigur'd like a Pronotarie To him makes offer of the triple Crowne For certaine yeares agreed betwixt them two. The life of action shall expresse the rest. Renouned Lodowik our warlike Couzen, Auspiciously encountred on the skirtes Of Piemont, we greete you ioyfully. Thrise and foreuer most renowned Charles, A aithfull tongue from an vnfained heart As a iust herrold full of uth and honor On the behalfe of forlorne talie Needing and crauing a your Princely hands, The patronage and true protection Of such a Potent and victorious King Humbly salutes your royall Maiesty. The shippe of which some-time well guided state, Is through tempestious times malignity By worthlesse Pilots, foolish Gouerners Mutually factious, like to sinck through Schisme Into the bottome of the blacke abisme Through th'imposition of necssity. Do not! oh do not then (most Christian Charles) Do not forsake hir holding vp hir hands For succor to your royall Clemency: Hir sayles are rent, mastes spent and rudder brooke And vnder water such wide open leakes As vnder water soone will make her sinke. Hauing beene bilg'd vpon so many shelues, So torne, so rotten and so long vnrig'd, And playing with the waues to and againe As one not gouerned with helpe of hee. One then whome nature in his vowes to God▪ Hath tied to tender her forlone estate With eyes fore-seeing and compassionate▪ Retenders her to your high Maiestie, A Christian Prince so wise so valiant: Vndoubted heire vnto the Crowne of Naples, By lawfull right of that greate house of Aniou: Of which your grace is well knowne lawfull heire, By th'issues of that Charles the first, that first Of the bloud royall of the Crowne of France, Obtain'd that Kingdome ages manie past. These reasons weare with Lodowik Sforza mou'd, To moue your Maiesty with martiall force To passe these mountaines to possesse your owne. March then most Christian and renowned Prince,