The Devil's Charter, or Pope Alexander the Sixth · chunk 31 of 45
Barnes, Barnabe · published 1607 · first performed or written 1606 (Annals) tragedy · King's Men · before the Court unassigned nearest T50 Fleets, armies and generals: war by sea · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T50: sea, honour, general, soldiers, men, ship, fight, soldier, king, vittori.
Caesar at one word to discharge my conscience, Were there a Cannon there to be discharged Upon this fruitful womb the nurse of Children, And I sure piece mell to be torn withal, If I would not surrender up this fort Your Cannon shot should plough these bowels up, That vow to God and my dear husband made: I never will infringe with perfidy: I know thee bloody Caesar: the dishonour, In yielding up thy reverend purple robes Which should protect widows and Orphans rights, Appeareth well in taking unjust arms, To wrong the Widows and the Fatherless Either fight Caesar or forsake the field, Persuade thyself alive I will not yield. Then I will show you what wars destiny, Prognosticates, bring forth her ransom hither If nature be not quite extinguished These pledges shall enfranchize you from war I brought them to this purpose; that in them, You with your friends might live in liberty. Never but with advantages dear Lord. Monster of misery what think'st thou Cesar That I will yield mine honour for their safety? Be not deceived thou hast surprised my Children, Riario's riches left in my tuition And borne out of these bowels; but dear boys, Courage yourselves I will defend your honours: I tell thee Cesar these my boys are taught To bear with patience fates inevitable These carry Sforza's spirit and their fathers; I dare gage life and ask them they will choose, To lack their lives before they lose their honours. Caesar in this hath offered like himself, He proffereth to preserve your town untouched: Your goods, your wives, your lives, your liberties: But mark what fruits thy bitterness brings forth, To make thine hard heart infamous for ever, Before thy face these boys shall lose their lives If thou surrender not without more parley. Bloody Busyris I defy thy malice, I spit defiance in thy coward's face. Traitor to God and man hadst thou been Caesar, Insisting on high terms of worth and honour Thou wouldst consider that their blood is Noble, Thou wouldst consider that they be but children, Thou wouldst consider that thou art a warrior And that such noble blood spilled with dishonour And trammed in with insidious treachery, By God nor man in heaven nor earth below Can be forgotten or abolished. Brave general you parley with a woman, Whose heart is obstinate, whose hands are feeble, Seemeth in vain and over tedious. Speak at a word cannon is my next parley, You will not yield your state to save their lives. I will not Caesar. Cut of both their heads. Let us entreat our mother noble general, For to deliver up the state of Furly And will you save our lives then. Good Captain do not kill us. If she will yield the state your lives are safe. Good mother for my father's sake that's dead, And for mine uncle sake part of your bowels And for our own sakes yield yourselves and save us. Good sweet mother save us.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T2 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Caesar at one word to discharge my conscience, Were there a Cannon there to be dischardg'd Vpon this fruitfull wombe the nurse of Children, And I sure peece mell to be torne withall, If I would not surrender vp this forte Your Cannon shot should plowe these bowells vp, That vow to God and my deere husband made: I neuer will infringe with perfedy: I know thee bloudy Caesar: the dishonor, In yeelding vp thy reuerend purple roabes Which should protect widowes and Orphanes rightes, Appeareth well in taking vniust armes, To wrong the Widowes and the Fatherlesse Either fight Caesar or forsake the field, Perswade thy selfe aliue I will not yeeld. Then I will shew you what warres desteny, Prognosticates, bring forth her ransome hither If nature be not quite extinguished These pledges shall enfranchize you from warre I brought them to this purpose; that in them, You with your friends might liue in liberty. Neuer but with advantages deere Lord. Monster of misery what think'st thou Csar That I will yeeld mine honor for their safety? Be not deceiu'd thou hast surpriz'd my Children, Riarioes riches left in my tuition And borne out of these bowells; but deere boyes, Courage your selues I will defend your honors: I tell thee Csar these my boyes are taught To beare with patience fates ineuitable These carry Sforzaes spirit and their fathers; I dare gage life and aske them they will chuse, To lack their liues before they loose their honors. Caesar in this hath offered like himselfe, He proffereth to preserue your towne vntouch't: Your goods, your wiues, your liues, your liberties: But marke what fruites thy bitternesse brings forth, To make thine hard heart infamous for euer, Before thy face these boyes shall loose their liues If thou surrender no without more palee. Bloudy I defie thy malice, I spit defiance in thy cowards face. Traytour to God and man had'st thou beene Caesar, Inssting on high tearmes of worth and honor Thou woulst consider that their bloud is Noble, Thou wouldst consider that they be but children, Thou wouldst consider that thou art a warrier And that such noble bloud spilt with dishonor And tram'd in with insideous trechery, By God nor man in heauen nor earth below Can be forgotten or abolished. Braue generall you parlee with a woman, Whose heart is obstinate, whose hands are freeble, Seemeth in vaine and ouer tedious. Speake at a word cannon is my next parlee, You will not yeed your state to saue their liues. I will not Caesar. Cut of both their heads. Let vs intreat our mother noble generall, For to deliuer vp the state of Furly And will you saue our liues then. Good Captaine do not kill vs. If she will yeeld the state your liues are safe. Good mother for my fathers sake that's dead, And for mine Vncle sake part of your bowells And for our owne sakes yeeld your selues and saue vs. Good sweete mother saue vs.