Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 [1605-1607] (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.70 · 477 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
I think all Monarchies are like the Moon, Which now eclipsed, now under cloud, now clear, Grows by degrees, and is (when full) undone: Yet Aeson-like renewed doth reappear: For, lo they first, but small begin to shine, And when they once their Spheric form obtain, Do coldly languish, and (till changed) decline, Yet (fall'n) in other realms do rise again. Assyria once made many nations bow, Than next, all power was in the Persians hand, And Macedonians last (grown Monarches now) Amongst themselves divided cannot stand. A secret fate (alternatly) all things Doth in this circle circularly lead: Still generation from corruption springs, That some may live, of force some must be dead; Each Element another's strength devours; Th'air to the fire succumbs, the fire to rain, The waters strive to drown the Earth with showers, Which it by vapours vomits out again; Thus (w●th a Gordian knot together bound) All things are made, un-made, and made again: Whilst ruin found'st, perfection doth confound: Free from some change no State can long remain; But what in th'earth more dangerously stands Than Sovereignty (though rated at such worth) Which like the stormy Gods tumultuous bands, Doth fly from th'East to West, from South to North? A long experience now makes this not strange, That mighty States whose reines one only leads, Be oft distracted, and constrained to change, As too great bodies for so little heads, Since every commonwealth (where all men's wits Do join in one to breed the public ease) Hath many fevers and pestiferous fits, Which physic oft, oft poison must appease: For (ah) the multitude more rash than wise, A Hydra-headed beast which humour blinds; Doth passionately praise; or else despise, As some preposterous fancies move their minds; From vice and virtue oft like danger flows; Whilst th'one breeds envy, and the other hate: As jealousy, or emulation grows, Those oft are crushed who do support a state. Whilst some their betters, others equals scorn; The popular authority decays, And when it dies the Monarchy is borne, Whose violence disorders fury stays; The raines of state it with most ease doth sway, Of power (as joined in one) the strongest kind: Still whilst it (humbly high) doth bold a way Twixt tyranny and too remiss a mind; But though States ruled by one, may flourish long, Whilst one can well command, and all obey, Whilst guerdon goodness, vengeance follows wrong, That (virtue cherished) vice is made decay: Yet (if nought else) Time doth great States o'ercome: And all are bounded by some fatal hour; What mis-adventures many ways may come To dissipate the most united power? O! huge mishaps a Monarchy may mar, When prosperous Times do (forced by fates) expire, To further which oft strangers must make war, And mutinous subjects sometime may conspire? As jealous fear (when braved by danger) moves,
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2626–2690 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 41 of 54 in this edition
Length
477 words · 679 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.701 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T25 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I thinke all Monarchies are like the Moone, Which now eclips'd, now under cloud, now cleare, Growes by degrees, and is (when full) undone: Yet Aeſon-like renew'd doth re-appeare: For, loe they firſt, but ſmall beginne to ſhine, And when they once their Spherick forme obtaine, Doe coldly languiſh, and (till chang'd) decline, Yet (falne) in other realmes doe riſe againe. Aſsyria once made many nations bow, Then next, all power was in the Perſians hand, And Macedonians laſt (grown Monarchs now) Amongſt themſelves divided cannot ſtand. "A ſecret fate (alternatly) all things "Doth in this circle circularly leade: "Still generation from corruption ſprings, "That ſome may live, of force ſome muſt be dead; "Each Element anothers ſtrength devours; "Th'aire to the fire ſuccumbes, the fire to raine, "The waters ſtrive to drowne the Earth with ſhowres, "Which it by vapours vomits out againe; "Thus (wth a Gordian knot together bound) "All things are made, un-made, and made againe: "Whilſt ruine founds, perfection doth confound: "Free from ſome change no State can long remaine; "But what in th'earth more dangerouſly ſtands "Then Soveraignty (though rted at ſuch worth) "Which like the ſtormy Gods tumultuous bands, "Doth flie from th'Eaſt to Weſt, from South to North? A long experience now makes this not ſtrange, That mighty States whoſe reines one only leades, Be oft diſtracted, and conſtrain'd to change, As too great bodies for ſo little heads, Since every common-wealth (where all mens wits Doe joyne in one to breed the publike eaſe) Hath many fevers and peſtiferous fits, Which phyſick oft, oft poiſon muſt appeaſe: For (ah) the multitude more raſh then wiſe, A Hydra-headed beaſt which humor blindes; Doth paſſionately praiſe; or elſe deſpiſe, As ſome prepoſt'rous fancies move their minds; "From vice and vertue oft like danger flowes; "Whilſt th'one breeds envie, and the other hate: "As jealouſie, or emulation growes, "Thoſe oft are cruſh'd who doe ſupport a ſtate. "Whilſt ſome their betters, others equals ſcorne; "The popular authority decayes, "And when it dies the Monarchie is borne, "Whoſe violence diſorders fury ſtaies; "The raines of ſtate it with moſt eaſe doth ſwaie, "Of power (as joyn'd in one) the ſtrongeſt kind: "Still whilſt it (humbly high) doth bold a way "Twixt tyrannie and too remiſſe a minde; "But though States rul'd by one, may flouriſh long, "Whilſt one can well command, and all obey, "Whilſt guerdon goodneſſe, vengeance followes wrong, "That (vertue cheriſh'd) vice is made decay: "Yet (if nought elſe) Time doth great States orecome: "And all are bounded by ſome fatall houre; "What miſ-adventures many wayes may come "To diſſipate the moſt united pow'r? "O! huge miſhaps a Monarchie may marre, "When proſp'rous Times doe (forc'd by fates) expire, "To further which oft ſtrangers muſt make warre, "And mut'nous ſubjects ſom-time may conſpire? "As jealous feare (when brav'd by danger) moves,