Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 [1605-1607] (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and so · 517 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T17: tamburlaine, persian, cyrus, king, mahomet, arms, mighty, assyrian, thousand, army.
Then let us from Antigonus in haste Demand our share of what he did attain; Since in this war we did our Treasure waste, We should be likewise partners of the gain: But if against our suit his ears he bar, And do with scornful words contemn our claim, Then may our messenger denounce the war, And we shall shortly prosecute the same. A mutual band must made amongst us be, To make one fortune common to us all, And from henceforth we must all four agree To stand together, or together fall. And since the Princely buds for which we cared, (How ever dead) are dead, what ere we do, So to procure from men the more regard, We with the state must take the title too. And we must both be crowned, and known for kings, The diadem of Greatness is the Tower: All vulgar judgements lean on th'outward things, And reverence State, where they obey but power. IS there a Heaven? and are there Heavenly Powers To whose decree terrestrial things are thrall? Or would the Tyrant that begets the hours, (Eternity not spared) extinguish all? Lo, Nature travels now, as big with change, Since mortals all humanity have lost, And in th'old Chaos, or some mass more strange To leave their essence all things earthly boast. Can reasonable souls (from reason barred) Even strive which most in cruelty exceeds? What eye hath seen? or yet what ear hath heard Such monstrous chances, and prodigious deeds? Th'Arabian Robbers, nor the Scythians wild, With savage beasts, which do (as barbarous) haunt With such foul facts have not themselves defiled, As those who of civility do vaunt. Since Greeks (grown barbarous) basely are inclined, All virtue vanished is, all good forgot. O careless Heavens! wretched Earth! Cho. what loads thy mind? A multitude of murders. Cho. what? Nun. what not? We know that since our Sovereign lost his breath, Th'earth hath been bathed with many a crimson flood; Perdiccas did procure Meleager's death, And his own Soldiers drowned his breath with blood, Th'Athenians prey Leonatus did remain, And (by Eumenes' subtlety dismayed) Neoptolemus and Craterus were slain, Then by his own Eumenes was betrayed. Man with his skill against his knowledge strives, Where death his way attends, that way he tends, And t' Atropos the fatal razor gives, To cut the thread on which his life depends. When Asia's victor after all his wars, Great Babylon to view had bend his mind; Both I, and others, studious of the Stars, Did show that there his ruin was designed; And to his successors we oft have shown The means by which their fate might be controlled, Yet was our skill contemned, and they o'erthrown, As we foretold, and as they now have told. They have told much, and yet I must tell more, Their news were evil, yet were they not the worst. And have the Heaven reserved more plagues in store? As if we yet were not enough accursed. As th'earth in pride, the Heavens in plagues abounds; Our highest hopes have perished but of late.
seed 43: T18 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Then let us from Antigonus in haſte Demand our ſhare of what he did attaine; Since in this warre we did our Treaſure waſte, We ſhould be likewiſe partners of the gaine: But if againſt our ſuite his eares he barre, And doe with ſcornefull words contemne our claime, Then may our meſſenger denounce the warre, And we ſhall ſhortly proſecute the ſame. A mutuall band muſt made amongſt us be, To make one fortune common to us all, And from hence-forth we muſt all foure agree To ſtand together, or together fall. And ſince the Princely buds for which we car'd, (How ever dead) are dead, what ere we doe, So to procure from men the more regard, We with the ſtate muſt take the title too. And we muſt both be crown'd, and knowne for kings, "The diadem of Greatneſſe is the Tower: "All vulgar judgements leane on th'outward things, "And reverence State, where they obey but pow'r. IS there a Heaven? and are there Heavenly Pow'rs To whoſe decree terreſtriall things are thrall? Or would the Tyrant that begets the houres, (Eternity not ſpar'd) extinguiſh all? Loe, Nature travels now, as big with change, Since mortals all humanity have loſt, And in th'old Chaos, or ſome maſſe more ſtrange To leave their eſſence all things earthly boaſt. Can reaſonable ſoules (from reaſon barr'd) Even ſtrive which moſt in cruelty exceeds? What eye hath ſeene? or yet what eare hath heard Such monſtrous chances, and prodigious deedes? Th'Arabian Robbers, nor the Scythians wild, With ſavage beaſts, which doe (as barbarous) haunt With ſuch foule facts have not themſelves defil'd, As thoſe who of civility doe vaunt. Since Greekes (growne barbarous) baſely are inclin'd, All vertue vaniſh'd is, all good forgot. O careleſſe Heavens! wretch'd Earth! Cho. what loads thy minde? A multitude of murders. Cho. what? Nun. what not? We know that ſince our Soveraigne loſt his breath, Th'earth hath beene bath'd with many a crimſon flood; Perdiccas did procure Meleagers death, And his owne Souldiers drown'd his breath with blood, Th'Athenians prey Leonatus did remaine, And (by Eumenes ſubtiltie diſmai'd) Neoptolemus and Craterus were ſline, Then by his owne Eumenes was betrai'd. "Man with his skill againſt his knowledge ſtrives, "Where death his way attends, that way he tends, "And t' Atropos the fatall razor gives, "To cut the threed on which his life depends. "When Aſia's victor after all his warres, Great Babylon to view had bent his mind; Both I, and others, ſtudious of the Starres, Did ſhew that there his ruine was deſign'd; And to his ſucceſſors we oft have ſhowne The meanes by which their fate might be controul'd, Yet was our skill contemn'd, and they o'rethrowne, As we fore-told, and as they now have told. They have told much, and yet I muſt tell more, Their newes were evill, yet were they not the worſt. And have the Heaven reſerv'd more plagues in ſtore? As if we yet were not enough accurſt. "As th'earth in pride, the Heavens in plagues abounds; Our higheſt hopes have periſh'd but of late.