Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 [1605-1607] (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.88 · 456 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.
No charge on th'earth more weighty to discharge, Then that which of a kingdom doth dispose: O! those who manage must the reynes of state, Till their pale Ghost embark in Charon's Barge, They never need t'attend a true repose: How hard is it to please each wans conceit, When gaining one, they must another lose? Thus, hardly Kings themselves can evenly bear, Whom if severe (as cruel) subjects hate; Contempt dare to the mild itself oppose; Who spare in time, as niggards are despised, Men from too frank a mind, exactions fear, Though in all shapes (as Proteus used) disguised, Kings by some scandal always are surprised. Yet one might well with every thing comport, Which on opinion only doth depend, If further danger followed not by deeds, But every Monarch (Lo) in many a sort Death (laid in ambush) always doth attend; Of some by mutinous swords the life forth bleeds; By unsuspected poison others end, Which whilst they always labour to prevent, A thousand deaths within their breasts life breeds; Lo, this is all for which the great contend, Who, (whilst their pride themselves and others spoils) With their dominions do their cares augment: And O vain man who toil'st to double toils, Though still the victory the Victor foils: Thus Alexander could not be appeased, Whilst be to raise his state did ways prepare, Which when made most, diminished most remained, Where (with his father's bounds had he been pleased) He might have left our Crown sure to his heir, Who by his conquest nought but death hath gained; Yet for no pains a number now doth spare, To work for that by which his wreak was wrought, Which (though from it they rage to be restrained) Would (if possessed) their pleasures but impair; Yet they by harm of others seek the thing Which by their harm of others will be sought: To him and his, each of them death would bring, That it might once be said he was a King. We may securely sitting on the shore, Whilst great men do (as tossed on th' Ocean) grone, Taught by their toils, esteem much of our rest: For this doth thousands with affliction store, Which of the world as most unhappy moan, If they but chance to view some few more blessed, Where if they would but mark, how many a one More wretched than they in misery doth live, It strait would calm the most unquiet breast; The Cottage oft is happier than the Throne; To think our own state good, and others ill: It could not but a great contentment give: There much consists in the conceit and will: To us all things are as we think them still.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 3426–3481 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 54 of 54 in this edition
Length
456 words · 589 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.877 (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)
"No charge on th'earth more weighty to diſcharge, "Then that which of a kingdome doth diſpoſe: "O! thoſe who manage muſt the reynes of ſtate, "Till their pale Ghoſt imbarke in Charons Barge, "They never need t'attend a true repoſe: "How hard is it to pleaſe each wans conceit, "When gaining one, they muſt another loſe? "Thus, hardly Kings themſelves can evenly beare, "Whom if ſevere (as cruell) ſubjects hate; "Contempt dare to the milde it ſelfe oppoſe; "Who ſpare in time, as niggards are deſpis'd, "Men from too franke a minde, exactions feare, "Though in all ſhapes (as Proteus us'd) diſguis'd, "Kings by ſome ſcandall alwaies are ſurpris'd. Yet one might well with every thing comport, Which on opinion onely doth depend, If further danger follow'd not by deeds, But every Monarch (Loe) in many a ſort Death (laid in ambuſh) alwaies doth attend; Of ſome by mut'nous ſwords the life forth bleeds; By unſuſpected poyſon others end, Which whilſt they alwaies labour to prevent, A thouſand deaths within their breaſts life breeds; Loe, this is all for which the great contend, Who, (whilſt their pride themſelves and others ſpoiles) With their dominions doe their cares augment: "And O vaine man who toylſt to double toyles, "Though ſtill the victory the Victor foiles: Thus Alexander could not be appeas'd, Whilſt be to raiſe his ſtate did wayes prepare, Which when made moſt, diminiſh'd moſt remain'd, Where (with his fathers bounds had he beene pleas'd) He might have left our Crowne ſure to his heire, Who by his conqueſt nought but death hath gayn'd; Yet for no paines a number now doth ſpare, To worke for that by which his wreake was wrought, Which (though from it they rage to be reſtrain'd) Would (if poſſeſt) their pleaſures but impaire; Yet they by harme of others ſeeke the thing Which by their harme of others will be ſought: "To him and his, each of them death would bring, "That it might once be ſaid he was a King. "We may ſecurely ſitting on the ſhore, "Whilſt great men doe (as toſs'd on th' Ocean) grne, "Taught by their toyles, eſteeme much of our reſt: "For this doth thouſands with affliction ſtore, "VVhich of the world as moſt unhappy moane, "If they but chance to view ſome few more bleſt, "VVhere if they would but marke, how many a one "More wretch'd then they in miſery doth live, "It ſtraight would calme the moſt unquiet breſt; "The Cottage oft is happier then the Throne; "To thinke our owne ſtate good, and others ill: "It could not but a great contentment give: "There much conſiſts in the conceit and will: "To us all things are as we thinke them ſtill.