The Devil's Charter, or Pope Alexander the Sixth · chunk 3 of 45
Barnes, Barnabe · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · before the Court T31 Popes, cardinals and the crown typicality 0.71 · 456 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T31: cardinal, pope, king, lord, majesty, holy, rome, france, church, lords.
High Muse, which whilom virtues patronized, In whose eternal rolls of memory The famous acts of Princes were comprised By force of everliving History: What shall we do to call thee back again? True Chronicler of all immortal glory, When here with mortal men nought is devised, But how all stories with foul vice to stain: So that alas thy gracious Oratory, Which with mere truth and virtue sympathized, Is silent; and we Poets now with pain, (Which in Castalian Fountains dipped our quills) Are forced of men's impiety to plain; And well thou wotest, wrought against our wills, In rugged verse, vile matters to contain: And herein lurks the worst of mortal ills, That Rome (which should be virtues Paradise) Bare of all good, is wilderness of vice. How luculent and more conspicuous Even than the sun, in clearest Majesty, His vehement and more than hellish thirst Soaring to perch upon the spire of honour Displaces his bastard wings: and in that nest Where princely Falcons, or Ioues kingly Birds, Should hatch their young ones, plants his ravenous Harpies, His graceless, impious, and disastrous sons, Even in the sovereign Chair of domination. But chiefly one, that devilish Cardinal, Proud Caesar, farst, with fierce impiety: His Oracle and instrument of shame In all nefarious plots and practises, Is now become as wicked as himself: But haste we now, lest any should suspect us. Much conference with Pasquill may detect us. Dio viguarda signor illustrissimo: whether in such haste my noble Lord thus early? signor Barbarossa in happy time well encountered, for I have some business this morning with my brother the Duke of Candie, wherein I would both use your counsel and countenance. My good Lord Viselli, the countenance of your devoted poor friend, is of less value than his counsel, yet both of very small validity: such as they be, with his life and best fortunes he sincerely sacrificeth all to your service. Pardon me dear sir no service more than reciprocal, and in due parity betwixt us, and since we be so near it, let us not pass Pasquill without an Ave: what scandalous hieroglyphics have we here? A. S. P. M. avaritia, Superbia, Perfidiae, Malitiae, Alexander, Sextus, Pontifex, Maximus. Against my Lord the pope's holiness such blasphemous impudence, such intolerable bitterness! M. P. S. A. These are the same letters with the first beginning at the last, Magnum Petrum Sequitur Antichristus. Phy Diabolo, our blessed Alexander (being Saint Peeters successor) this devilish libeler calls Antichrist. Pause there my Lord a little, somewhat here concerns my Lord the Cardinal Borgia. Read it good Barbarossa. Alexander Caesarem suum Galero et purpura donavit vt menstruoso spiritus sui veneno, universum simul conclave suffocaret. Oh most intolerable abomination?
seed 43: T38 · seed 44: T38 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
High Muse, which whilome vertues patronized, In whose eternall rowles of memory The famous acts of Princes were comprized By force of euer-liuing Historie: What shall wee doe to call thee backe againe? True Chronicler of all immortall glory, When here with mortall men nought is deuis'd, But how all stories with foule vice to staine: So that alas thy gratious Oratorie, Which with meere truth and vertue simpathiz'd, Is silent; and wee Poets now with paine, (Which in Castalian Fountaines dip'd our quilles) Are forc'd of mens impietie to plaine; And well thou wotet, wrought against our wills, In rugged verse, vile matters to containe: And herein lurkes the worst of mortall ills, That Rome (which should be Vertues Paradice) Bare of all good, is wildernesse of vice. How luculent and more conspicuous Euen then the sunne, in cleerest Maiestie, His vehement and more then hellish thirst Soaring to pearch vpon the spire of honour Disples his bastard wings: and in that nest Where princely Fawlcons, or Ioues kingly Birds, Should hatch their young ones, plants his rauenous Harpies, His graceless, impious, and disastrous sonnes, Euen in the soueraigne Chaire of domination. But chiefly one, that diuelish Cardinall, Proud Caesar, farst, with fierce impietie: His Oracle and instrument of shame In all nefarious plotts and practises, Is now become as wicked as himselfe: But hast we now, least any should suspect vs. Much conference with Pasquill may detect vs. Dio viguarda Signior illustrissimo: whether in such hast my noble Lord thus early? Signior Barbarossa in happy time well encountred, for I haue some businesse this morning with my brother the Duke of Candie, wherein I would both vse your counsell and countenance. My good Lord Viselli, the countenance of your deuoted poore friend, is of lesse value then his counsell, yet both of very small validity: such as they be, with his life and best fortunes he sincerely sacrificeth all to your seruice. Pardon mee deere sir no seruice more then reciprocall, and in due paritie betwixt vs, and since wee be so neere it, let vs not passe Pasquill without an Aue: what scandalous hyerogliphickes haue wee heere? A. S. P. M. Auaritia, Superbia, Perfidiae, Malitiae, Alexander, Sextus, Pontifex, Maximus. Against my Lord the Popes holinesse such blasphemous impudence, such intollerable bitternesse! M. P. S. A. These are the same letters with the first beginning at the last, Magnum Petrum Sequitur Antichristus. Phy Diabolo, our blessed Alexander (beeing Saint Peeters successor) this diuilish libeller calls Antichrist. Pause there my Lord a litle, some-what here concernes my Lord the Cardinall Borgia. Read it good Barbarossa. Alexander Caesarem suum Galero et purpura donauit vt menstruoso spiritus sui veneno, vniuersum simul conclaue suffocaret. Oh most intollerable abhomination?