The Devil's Charter, or Pope Alexander the Sixth · chunk 6 of 45
Barnes, Barnabe · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · before the Court unassigned nearest T40 Sin, guilt and violent loss within famil · 516 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T40: brother, death, life, die, heaven, sin, live, father, blood, soul.
Ms blessed reuerend and renowned father, The love by nature to my brother Candy, embraceth me sometimes in plainer sort To clear my conscience issuing from pure love, It is mere love which moves these passions, When I do counsel or advise your good. I know dear brother when your counsel tends Unto my good it issueth from pure love. As when I tax your princely conscience Like an unpitted penitentiary, Brother with reverence of his Holiness Your heart is too much spiced with honesty. I and I fear me he will find it so, Your brother Caesar tells you very true: You must not be so ceremonious Of oaths and honesty, Princes of this world Are not pricked in the books of conscience, You may not break your promise for a world: Learn this one lesson look ye mark it well, It is not always needful to keep promise, For Princes (forced by mere necessity To pass their faithful promises) again Forced by the same necessity to break promise. And for your more instructions learn these rules! If any Cedar, in your forest spread, And overpeer your branches with his top, Provide a axe to cut him at the root, Suborn informers or by snares entrap That King of Flies within the spider's Web; Or else ensnare him in the Lions toils. What though the multitude applaud his fame: Because the vulgar have wide open ears Mutter amongst them and possess their hearts That his designments wrought against the state By which yea wound him with a public hate. So let him perish, yet seem pitiful Cherish the weakness of his stock and race As if alone he merited disgrace. Suffer your Court to mourn his funerals, But burn a bonfire for him in your Chamber. Caesar delivereth Oracles of truth. 'tis well said Caesar, yet attend a little, And bind them like rich bracelets on thine arms Or as a precious jewel at thine ear. Suppose two factious Princes both thy friends Ambitious both, and both competitors, Advance in hostile arms against each other join with the strongest to confound the weak But let your wars foundation touch his Crown, Your nearest Charity concerns yourself; Else let him perish; yet seem charitable. As if you were merely composed of virtue: Believe me Candy things are as they seem, Not what they be themselves; all is opinion: And all this world is but opinion. Look what large distance is twixt Heaven and Earth, So many leagues twixt wealth and honesty: And they that live puling upon the fruits Of honest consciences; starve on the Common. Caesar can tell thee this in ample sort. And Caesar love him, love him heartily; Though mildness do possess thy brother Candie, It is a gentle vice, vicining virtue. Under correction of your Holiness, Those wars which virtue levies against vice, Are only known to some particulars Which have them written in their consciences. Those are the same they seem and in such wars Your son shall make remonstrance of his valour, And so become true Champion of the Church.
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)
Ms blessed reuerend and renowned father, Th lou by nture to my brother Candy, me some-times in plainer sort To clee my conscience issuing from pure loue, It is meere loue which mooues these passions, When I do counse or aduise your good. I know deere brother when your counsell tends Vnto my good it issueth from pure loue. As when I tax your princely conscience Like an vnpitted penetentiarie, Brother with reuerence of his Holinesse You eart is too much spic'd with honesty. I and I feare me he will ind it so, Your brother Caesar tells you very true: You must not be so ceremonious Of oathes and honesty, Princes of this world Are not pickt in the bookes of conscience, You may not breake your promise for a world: Learne this one lesson looke yee marke it well, It is not alwaies needfull to keepe promise, For Princes (forc'd by meere necessity To passe their faithfull promisses) againe Forc'd by the same necessity to breake promise. And for your more instructions learne these rules! If any Cedar, in your forrest spread, And ouer-peee your branches with his top, Prouide n axe to cut him at the roote, Suborne informers or by snares intrap That King of Flies within the Spiders Webbe; Or els insnare him in the Lions toyles. What though the multitude applaud his fame: Because the vulgar haue wide open eares Mutter amongst them and possesse their hearts That his designements wrought against the state By which yea wound him with a publicke hate. So let him perish, yet seeme pittifull Cherrish the weakenesse of his stocke and race As if alone he meritted disgrace. Suffer your Court to mourne his funeralls, But burne a bone-fire for him in your Chamber. Caesar deliuereth Oracles of truh. Tis well sayd Caesar, yet attend a little, And binde them like rich bracelets on thine armes Or as a precious iewell at thine eare. Suppose two factious Princes both thy friends Ambitious both, and both competitors, Aduance in hostile armes against each other Ioyne with the strongest to confound the weake But let your wars foundation touch his Crowne, Your neerest Charity concernes your selfe; Els let him perish; yet seeme charitable. As if you were meerely compos'd of vertue: Beleeue me Candy things are as they seeme, Not what they be themselues; all is opinion: And all this world is but opinion. Looke what large distance is twixt Heauen and Earth, So many leagues twixt wealth and honesty: And they that liue puling vpon the fruits Of honest consciences; starue on the Common. Caesar can tell thee this in ample sorte. And Caesar loue him, loue him hartily; Though mildenesse do possesse thy brother Cande, It is a gentle vice, vicining vertue. Vnder correction of your Holinesse, Those warres which vertue leues against vce, Are onely knowne to some particulers Which haue them wrytten in their consciences. Those are the same they seeme and in such warres Your sonne shall make remonstrance of his valour, And so become true Champion of the Church.