Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.80 · 509 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
The highest in the heaven who knows all hearts, Do know my thoughts as pure as are their Stars, And that (constrained) I came from foreign parts To seem uncivil in the civil wars. I moved that war which all the world bemoanes, Whilst urged by force to free myself from fears; Still when my hand gave wounds, my heart gave groans; No Romen blood was shed, but I shed tears: But how could any elevated spirit, Who had for honour hazarded his blood, Yield willingly (by foes outrageous spite) To be defrauded of th'expected good: When as a multitude of battles won, Had made Rome's Empires, and my glory great; And that the Gauls (oft vanquished) had begun To bear the yoke which they disdained of late. Then glorious Pompey, my proud son-in-law, And Cato (who still crossed what I designed) From favouring me the people did withdraw, And had a successor for spite assigned; Not that he should succeed in dangerous broils, But (even through envy) as they had ordained, That he might triumph so of all my toils, And rob the glory which I dearly gained; With such indignity who could comport, When prising honour dearer than the light? No (whilst my soul rests sovereigning of this fort) None shall have power to rob me of my right: And yet by Iove who all the world commands, To use such violence I did mislike: And would have oft abandoned all my bands, If that mine enemies would have done the like; But yet the multitude, which floating still (As waves with winds) are carried with conceits, With nought but my disgrace would bond their will, And I committed all unto the fates. Yet when at Rubicon I stood perplexed, And weighed the horror of my high attempt, My stormy soul a thousand fancies vexed, Which resolution buried in contempt. Nought in a Captain more confounds his foes, Then of a venturous course, the swift effects, Since (so quite crushed) ere they their thoughts dispose, All good advice a care confused neglects. Though when you marched to Rome, your power was small, The sudden news so thundered in each ear, That (as if heaven had fall'n upon them all) If bred amazement, and th'amazement fear. Some secret destiny (as then was seen) Doth guide men's actions, and their judgement bounds: Those who by hosts could not have frighted been, A shadow, or a rumour oft confounds: All hasty dangers so surprise the mind, That fear prevents the resolution's power, Or else the fates make curious Reason blind, When heavens determined have a fatal hour. Great Pompey (lo) who was grown aged in arms, And had triumphed o'er all the world's three parts, Whilst (quite discouraged, by imagined harms) Fled Rome, though without reach of th'enemies' darts. As to a torrent all gave place to you, And whom they called a rebel made their Lord; Your successor Domitius (forced to bow) Did trust your favour, more than fear your sword. When in th' Iberian bounds you did arrive,
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 382–446 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 7 of 50 in this edition
Length
509 words · 678 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.803 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T1 · seed 44: T2 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
The higheſt in the heaven who knows all hearts, Do know my thoughts as pure as are their Starres, And that (conſtrain'd) I came from forraine parts To ſeeme uncivill in the civill warres. I mov'd that warre which all the world bemoanes, Whil'ſt urg'd by force to free my ſelfe from feares; Still when my hand gave wounds, my heart gave groanes; No Romans bloud was ſhed, but I ſhed teares: But how could any elevated ſpright, Who had for honour hazarded his blood, Yeeld willingly (by foes outragious ſpight) To be defrauded of th'expected good: When as a multitude of battels wonne, Had made Romes Empires, and my glory great; And that the Gauls (oft vanquiſh'd) had begun To beare the yoke which they diſdain'd of late. Then glorious Pompey, my proud ſonne-in-law, And Cato (who ſtill croſſ'd what I deſign'd) From favouring me the people did with-draw, And had a ſucceſſour for ſpight aſſign'd; Not that he ſhould ſucceed in dangerous broils, But (even through envy) as they had ordain'd, That he might triumph ſo of all my toils, And rob the glory which I dearly gain'd; With ſuch indignity who could comport, When prizing honour dearer then the light? No (whil'ſt my ſoule reſts ſoverainge of this fort) None ſhall have powr to rob me of my right: And yet by Iove who all the world commands, To uſe ſuch violence I did miſlike: And would have oft abandon'd all my bands, If that mine enemies would have done the like; But yet the multitude, which floting ſtill (As waves with windes) are carried with conceits, With nought but my diſgrace would bound their will, And I committed all unto the fates. Yet when at Rubicon I ſtood perplex'd, And weigh'd the horrour of my high attempt, My ſtormy ſoule a thouſand fancies vex'd, Which reſolution buried in contempt. "Nought in a Captaine more confounds his foes, "Then of a ventrous courſe, the ſwift effects, "Since (ſo quite cruſh'd) ere they their thoughts diſpoſe, "All good advice a care confuſ'd neglects. Though when you march'd to Rome, your pow'r was ſmall, The ſudden news ſo thundred in each eare, That (as if heaven had falne upon them all) If bred amazement, and th'amazement feare. "Some ſecret deſtiny (as then was ſeene) "Doth guide mens actions, and their judgement bounds: "Thoſe who by hoſts could not have frighted beene, "A ſhadow, or a rumour oft confounds: "All haſtie dangers ſo ſurpriſe the minde, "That feare prevents the reſolutions power, "Or elſe the fates make curious Reaſon blinde, "When heavens determin'd have a fatall houre. Great Pompey (loe) who was growne ag'd in armes, And had triumph'd o're all the worlds three parts, Whil'ſt (quite diſcourag'd, by imagin'd harmes) Fled Rome, though without reach of th'enemies darts. As to a torrent all gave place to you, And whom they call'd a rebell made their Lord; Your ſucceſſour Domitius (forc'd to bow) Did truſt your favour, more then feare your ſword. When in th'Iberian bounds you did arrive,