Alexander, William · published 1607 · first performed or written 1607 [1605-1607] (Annals) tragedy T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.75 · 487 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
How can my breast but burst whilst sobs rebound? Since once the seat of joys now not the same: May not huge horrors press me to the ground, In thinking what I was, and what I am. I was a great man's wife, a greater's mother, Even she to whom the heavens their best did give: Yet I, even I, more plagued than any other, In dungeons now of desolation live. My son that was the glory of his time, Stain of times passed, and light of times to come: (O frail mortality, O slithery slime,) Though having all o'ercomed, death did o'ercome. And I (dejected wretch) whose dying eyes, He was by Nature's custom bound t'have closed: Was not to shut his stars with th'ivory skies, That tapestry where majesty reposed. But ah! his falling in a foreign part, Hath (if it can b'enlarged) enlarged my grief: Else I on him would melted have my heart, And spent myself t'have purchased his relief. Yet though I was not present at his death, He shall not be defrauded of my tears: But for his funeral fires my flaming breath Doth smoke, and to his ghost a tribute bears. Ah, to what corner rolls my watery sight? Where it not finds some matter to bemoan: O foolish eyes! why lose ye not your light? Since that your treasure is to ruin gone. Once of all Queens I might the fortune scorn, To whom just love that great man did engage: Whose match in worth the world hath never borne, Nor never shall enrich another age. When those perfections whiles transport my mind Which admiration only doth dilate: I'm woe that me the destinies designed, To be the partner of his glorious state. And I repent that to his sight I passed, Though highly graced on a festival day: A feast that many a time must make me fast, And with slow woe that flying mirth defray. Then if my fortune had not blinded me, But ah! whose judgement had it not bereaved? Whilst the world's Monarch deigned to like of me, I had th'event of my high flight conceived. He of th'Asian Prince whose state did then decline, Had both the wife and daughters at his will: Whose beauty's glory would have darkened mine, Yet free from snares retained his fancies still. Then when my father chose out from the rest, Those virgins all whom Fame affirmed for rare: Though having viewed them all, he loved me best, Then thought most fortunate (if not most fair.) And when his martial nobles were dismayed, That he himself with captives had allied: He by that means (as love had dited) said, Took from the vanquished shame, from victor's pride. Then me as Empress all did entertain, Though his inferior far in all respects: Till I from him by death divorced remain, Whom with his son now all the world neglects.
nodes 1311–1370 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 21 of 54 in this edition
Length
487 words · 640 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.746 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T10 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
How can my breaſt but burſt whilſt ſobs rebound? Since once the ſeate of ioys now not the ſame: May not huge horrors preſſe me to the ground, In thinking what I was, and what I am. I was a great mans wife, a greaters mother, Euen ſhe to whome the heauens their beſt did giue: Yet I, euen I, more plagu'd than any other, In dungeons now of deſolation liue. My ſonne that was the glorie of his time, Staine of times paſt, and light of times to come: (O fraile mortalitie, O ſliderie ſlime,) Though hauing all orecom'd, death did orecome. And I (deiected wretch) whoſe dying eies, He was by Natures cuſtome bound t'haue cloſde: Was not to ſhut his ſtarres with th'iuorie skies, That tapeſtried where maieſtie repoſde. But ah! his falling in a forraine part, Hath (if it can b'enlargde) enlargde my griefe: Elſe I on him would melted haue my hart, And ſpent my ſelfe t'haue purchaſde his reliefe. Yet though I was not preſent at his death, He ſhall not be defrauded of my teares: But for his funerall fires my flaming breath Doth ſmoake, and to his ghoſt a tribute beares. Ah, to what corner rolles my watry ſight? Where it not findes ſome matter to bemone: O fooliſh eies! whie looſe ye not your light? Since that your treaſure is to ruine gone. Once of all Queenes I might the fortune ſcorne, To whom iuſt loue that great man did engage: Whoſe match in worth the world hath neuer borne, Nor neuer ſhall enrich another age. When thoſe perfections whiles tranſport my minde Which admiration onely doth dilate: I'm woe that me the deſtinies deſignde, To be the partner of his glorious ſtate. And I repent that to his ſight I paſt, Though highly gracde on a feſtiuall day: A feaſt that many a time muſt make me faſt, And with ſlowe woe that flying mirth defray. Then if my fortune had not blinded me, But ah! whoſe iudgement had it not bereau'd? Whilſt the worlds Monarke daignd to like of me, I had th'euent of my high flight conceiu'd. He of th'Aſian Prince whoſe ſtate did then decline, Had both the wife and daughters at his will: Whoſe beauties glorie would haue darkned mine, Yet free from ſnares retainde his fancies ſtill. Then when my father choſe out from the reſt, Thoſe virgins all whom Fame affirmd for rare: Though hauing viewd them all, he lou'd me beſt, Then thought moſt fortunate (if not moſt faire.) And when his martiall nobles were diſmaid, That he himſelfe with captiues had alide: He by that meanes (as loue had dited) ſaide, Tooke from the vanquiſht ſhame, from victors pride. Then me as Empreſſe all did entertaine, Though his inferior farre in all reſpects: Till I from him by death diuorcde remaine, Whom with his ſonne now all the world neglects.