Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 [1605-1607] (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.85 · 467 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.
What then himself can be more near to man? When bragged by danger who would not be moved? And if Olympias had not died in time By offering up her blood to work my peace, Then mine had been the harm, and hers the crime, I but prevented her a little space; And if her offspring had survived her death, Whose rising could not but procure our fall, Ye, now who nought but sovereignty do breath, Had breathed obedience, or not breathed at all. You from a dangerous yaoke have us relieved, Which (I suspect) we should have tried too soon: And why then should we labour to seem grieved At that thing done, which we wish not undone? No, no, since all for sovereignty do strive, And have once tasted what it is to reign, Each one of us would rather die, then live To bear a subjects servile yoke again. And though perchance with Alexander Son; (If heir to him in worth, as of his state) We might have most respected places won, As special pillars of the Prince's seat. Though greater than the rest, as of before, It would have vexed us, less than one to fall: The fall from first to second grieves one more, Then from the second to the last of all; Our envied glory had destruction brought, And would have made us odious to remain: It dangerous is for subjects to be thought Such as desire, or yet deserve to reign. When any Tempest threatened had his Throne, He would have sought for surety at our cost: When jealousy (minds worm) hath seized on one, The greatest virtues are suspected most. Yea, though we could to quite our state consent, Us from suspicion nought but death could purge: Still greatness must turmoil, or then torment, If borne a burden, if laid down a scourge. But when we have within our bosom weighed The ruin of all Alexander's race, Whom without blushing we might have obeyed, By right succeeding in our Sovereign's place. How can our souls but highly be ashamed, If one below them far emboldened thus, Doth seek by wrong that which by right they claimed, And by their o'erthrow would insult o'er us? Nor need I more as in suspense remain, To mask my meaning with ambiguous words, No, no, our words may as his deeds be plain, Which fame (and that not whispring) now records: Ye hear how that Antigonus of l●te, (Whose thoughts (winged with good success) soar too high) Doth strive above the rest to raise his State, And by all means doth fortune frankly ply. Since to his hands Eumenes was betrayed, Lo quite transported by praepost'rous pride, (As if in nought adebted to our aid) To yield our due he cannot now abide.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2868–2925 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 45 of 54 in this edition
Length
467 words · 601 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.852 (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)
"What then himſelfe can be more neere to man? "When bragg'd by danger who would not be mov'd? And if Olympias had not di'd in time By offring up her blood to worke my peace, Then mine had beene the harme, and hers the crime, I but prevented her a little ſpace; And if her off-ſpring had ſurviv'd her death, Whoſe riſing could not but procure our fall, Yee, now who nought but ſoveraignty doe breath, Had breath'd obedience, or not breath'd at all. You from a dangerous yaoke have us releev'd, Which (I ſuſpect) we ſhould have tri'd too ſoone: "And why then ſhould we labour to ſeeme griev'd "At that thing done, which we wiſh not unone? No, no, ſince all for ſoveraignty do ſtrive, And have once taſted what it is to raigne, Each one of vs would rather die, then live To beare a ſubjects ſervile yoke againe. And though perchance with Alexander Sonne; (If heire to him in worth, as of his ſtate) We might have moſt reſpected places wonne, As ſpeciall pillars of the Princes ſeate. "Though greater then the reſt, as of before, "It would have vex'd us, leſſe then one to fall: "The fall from firſt to ſecond grieves one more, "Then from the ſecond to the laſt of all; Our envi'd glory had deſtruction brought, And would have made us odious to remaine: "It dangerous is for ſubiects to be thought "Such as deſire, or yet deſerve to raigne. When any Tempeſt threatned had his Throne, He would have ſought for ſurety at our coſt: "When Iealouſie (mindes worme) hath ſeaz'd on one, "The greateſt vertues are ſuſpected moſt. "Yea, though we could to quite our ſtate conſent, "Us from ſuſpition nought but death could purge: "Still greatneſſe muſt turmoile, or then torment, "If borne a burthen, if layd downe a ſcourge. But when we have within our boſome weigh'd The ruine of all Alexanders race, Whom without bluſhing we might have obey'd, By right ſucceeding in our Soveraignes place. How can our ſoules but highly be aſham'd, If one below them farre emboldned thus, Doth ſeeke by wrong that which by right they claim'd, And by their o'retrow would inſult o're us? Nor neede I more as in ſuſpenſe remaine, To maske my meaning with ambiguous wordes, No, no, our words may as his deeds be plaine, Which fame (and that not whi ring) now records: Ye heare how that Antigonus of lte, (Whoſe thoughts (wing'd with good ſucces) ſoare too high) Doth ſtrive above the reſt to raiſe his State, And by all meanes doth fortune frankely ply. Since to his hands Eumenes was betrai'd, Loe quite tranſported by praepoſt'rous pride, (As if in nought adebted to our ayde) To yeeld our due he cannot now abide.