Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.75 · 485 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.
Though what you burden Caesar with were true, Necessity hath purged his part from crime, Who was (foes force to shun) forced to pursue, And urged by danger to attempt in time. To th'enemies' envy more obliged he rests, Then to his wit which no such courses scanned: For when quite barred from using of requests, Th'occasion than invited to command. His thoughts when calm, to storm fond foes did tempt: True worth disdains to suffer open wrong: A gallant courage kindled by contempt Burns with revenge, whilst fury makes one strong. O Decius, now a wrong account you cast, The purpose, not th'event, declares the mind: Tread back the steps of all his actions past, And what he compassed had been long designed. As by some spirit inspired, proud Scylla said, That there in Caesar many Marian's were, And Rome in ti●e was warned to be afraid Of that evill-girded youth, with smooth-combed hair; Then when (as still to quietness a foe) The memory of Marius he renewed, By re-erecting Tyrant's statues so, His thoughts all bend to tyranny were viewed. That people-pleaser might have been perceived, By courteous compliments below his rank, Who (lavishing forth gifts) the world deceived, And to gain more than his, of his proved frank. Though nought at all indulgent to his wife, By prostrated pudicity disgraced; Yet did he save th'adulterous Clodius' life, To soothe the multitude, whose steps he traced. These be the means by which Ambition mounts, Without most humble, when within most high, As if it fled from that things which it hunts, Still wasting most, when it for most doth ply. Then he (still tyranny bend to embrace) Was thought conjoined with Catiline to be, And, had wise Cato's counsel taken place, Might with the rest have suffered death by me. Yet having deeply dived in some men's souls, With factious followers being pined oft, He got the Consulship which nought controls, And matching pride with power, did look aloft; To flatter them who now must flatter him, His power to make unlawful laws prevailed, And those to cross who scorned he so should climb, He furnished was with force, where reason failed: But yet because he could not be assured To rule alone according to his will, To govern France, he craftily procured, So to be strengthened with an Army still. As Rome first warred at home, till being strong, She thought her power might foreign Realms o're-co So Caesar warred against strange Nations long, Till that he thought his Might might conquer Rome. Then having all that force or fate assigns, Of discontentment he did cause pretend, So to dissemble fore-conceived designs: One soone may find a fault that would offend: But when he first in a prodigious dream, His mother seemed incestuously to use, It might have shown to his eternal shame, How of his birth the bounds he did abuse.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 706–769 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 12 of 50 in this edition
Length
485 words · 656 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.746 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T2 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Though what you burden Caeſar with were true, Neceſſity hath purg'd his part from crime, Who was (foes force to ſhunne) forc'd to purſue, And urg'd by danger to attempt in time. To th'enemies envy more oblig'd he reſts, Then to his wit which no ſuch courſes ſcan'd: For when quite barr'd from uſing of requeſts, Th'occaſion then invited to command. His thoughts when calme, to ſtorm fond foes did tempt: "True worth diſdaines to ſuffer open wrong: "A gallant courage kindled by contempt "Burns with revenge, whil'ſt fury makes one ſtrong. O Decius, now a wrong account you caſt, The purpoſe, not th'event, declares the minde: Tread backe the ſteps of all his actions paſt, And what he compaſſ'd had beene long deſign'd. As by ſome ſprite inſpir'd, proud Scilla ſaid, That there in Caeſar many Marians were, And Rome in tie was warn'd to be afraid Of that evill-girded youth, with ſmooth-comb'd haire; Then when (as ſtill to quietneſſe a foe) The memory of Marius he renew'd, By re-erecting Tyrants ſtatues ſo, His thoughts all bent to tyranny were view'd. That people-pleaſer might have beene perceiv'd, By courteous complements below his rank, Who (laviſhing forth gifts) the world deceiv'd, And to gaine more then his, of his prov'd franke. Though nought at all indulgent to his wife, By proſtrated pudicity diſgrac'd; Yet did he ſave th'adultrous Clodius life, To ſooth the multitude, whoſe ſteps he trac'd. "Theſe be the meanes by which Ambition mounts, "Without moſt humble, when within moſt high, "As if it fled from that things which it hunts, "Still waſting moſt, when it for moſt doth plie. Then he (ſtill tyranny bent to embrace) Was thought conjoyn'd with Catiline to be, And, had wiſe Cato's counſell taken place, Might with the reſt have ſuffered death by me. Yet having deeply div'd in ſome mens ſoules, With factious followers being pined oft, He got the Conſul-ſhip which nought controuls, And matching pride with pow'r, did look aloft; To flatter them who now muſt flatter him, His pow'r to make unlawfull laws prevail'd, And thoſe to croſſe who ſcorn'd he ſo ſhould clime, He furniſh't was with force, where reaſon fail'd: But yet becauſe he could not be aſſur'd To rule alone according to his will, To governe France, he craftily procur'd, So to be ſtrengthened with an Army ſtill. As Rome firſt warr'd at home, till being ſtrong, She thought her power might forraine Realmes o're-co So Caeſar warr'd againſt ſtrange Nations long, Till that he thought his Might might conquer Rome. Then having all that force or fate aſſignes, Of diſcontentment he did cauſe pretend, So to diſſemble fore-conceiv'd deſignes: "One ſoone may finde a fault that would offend: But when he firſt in a prodigious dreame, His mother ſeem'd inceſtuouſly to uſe, It might have ſhown to his eternall ſhame, How of his birth the bounds he did abuſe.