Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.86 · 567 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.
O! with what joy I swallow up those words, Words worthy of thy worth, and of thy name: But (Brutus) do not fear, this cause affords In danger many, but few mates in fame; When Anthony proud Caesar's image crowned, By silent sorrow all the people told In what a depth of woes their thoughts were drowned, That bondage-bragging Comet to behold. What do those scrolls thrown in thy chair import: Which, what thou art, to brave thy courage, brings? Be those the fancies of the vulgar sort? No, none but noble minds dream of great things; Of other Praetor's people look for shows, And distributions whose remembrance dies, Whilst bloody Fencers fall with mutual blows, And Africkes' monsters do amaze their eyes; But from thy hands they liberty attend, (By birthright due) the glory of thy race, And bend for thee, their blood will frankly spend, So thou succeed in thy great Parents place. He (Rome redeeming) Tarquin did o'erthrow, Though from his birth obeyed, and without strife; A rising tyrant then bring boldly low, To what extinguished was, who would give life. I weigh thy words with an afflicted heart, Which for compassion of my Country bleeds: And would to God that I might only smart, So that all others scaped what mischief breeds; Then, never man himself from death did free, With a more quiet and contented mind, Then I would perish, if I both could be To Caesar thankful, to my Country kind: But though that great man's grace to me enlarged, May challenge right in my affection's store, Yet must the greatest debt be first discharged, I own him much, but to my Country more. This is my breast hath great dissension bred: I Caesar love, but yet Rome's enemy hate, And as Iove lives, I could be moved to shed My blood for Caesar, Caesar's for the State. I for my father's death loathed Pompey long, Whilst just disdain did boil within my breast: Yet when he warred to venge the common wrong, I joined with him, because his cause was best. A mind to reign if Caesar now reveal, I will in time precipitate his end: Thus (never armed but for the Commonweal) I helped a foe, and now must hurt a friend. Lest of his favour thou the poison prove, From swallowing of such baits in time now spare, No tyrant (trust me) can entirely love, Nor none who for himself doth only care: He by this course doth cunningly intent (Thy virtue slacked) to undermine thy mind: Thy well-known courage purposed to disbend, Thus (though with silken bonds) he would thee bind; This of each tyrant is the common tread, To wreak all those in whom most worth he finds; Or (whilst that terrors toss his jealous head) By subtlety to snare the greatest minds: As, for the Praetorship when we did strive, Then both were held in hope, that so deceived, Each th''others harms might study to contrive Through emulation and disdain conceived. Thus subtle Caesar by such sleights hath toiled To sow dissension, that we both might pause Of private wrongs, and (by such means embroiled) Still courting him, neglect the common cause. But nought must make us th' one t'another strange, Who should in time the tyrant's course restrain: Let other men lament, we must revenge, I scorn to bear a sword, and to complain.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 1103–1174 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 18 of 50 in this edition
Length
567 words · 754 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.864 (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)
O! with what joy I ſwallow up thoſe words, Words worthy of thy worth, and of thy name: But (Brutus) doe not feare, this cauſe affords In danger many, but few mates in fame; When Anthony proud Caeſars image crown'd, By ſilent ſorrow all the people told In what a depth of woes their thoughts were drown'd, That bondage-bragging Comet to behold. What doe thoſe ſcroules throwne in thy chaire import: Which, what thou art, to brave thy courage, brings? Be thoſe the fancies of the vulgar ſort? No, none but noble mindes dreame of great things; Of other Pretors people looke for ſhowes, And diſtributions whoſe remembrance dyes, Whilſt bloudy Fencers fall with mutuall blowes, And Africkes monſters doe amaze their eyes; But from thy hands they liberty attend, (By birth-right due) the glory of thy race, And bent for thee, their bloud will frankely ſpend, So thou ſucceed in thy great Parents place. He (Rome redeeming) Tarquin did o'rethrow, Though from his birth obey'd, and without ſtrife; A riſing tyrant then bring boldly low, To what extinguiſh'd was, who would give life. I weigh thy words with an afflicted heart, Which for compaſſion of my Country bleeds: And would to God that I might onely ſmart, So that all others ſcap'd what miſchiefe breeds; Then, never man himſelfe from death did free, With a more quiet and contented minde, Then I would periſh, if I both could be To Caeſar thankefull, to my Country kinde: But though that great mans grace to me enlarg'd, May chalenge right in my affections ſtore, Yet muſt the greateſt debt be firſt diſcharg'd, I owe him much, but to my Country more. This is my breſt hath great diſſenſion bred: I Caeſar love, but yet Romes enemy hate, And as Iove lives, I could be mov'd to ſhed My bloud for Caeſar, Caeſars for the State. I for my fathers death loath'd Pompey long, Whilſt juſt diſdaine did boyle within my breſt: Yet when he warr'd to venge the common wrong, I joyn'd with him, becauſe his cauſe was beſt. A minde to raigne if Caeſar now reveale, I will in time precipitate his end: Thus (never arm'd but for the Common-weale) I help'd a foe, and now muſt hurt a friend. Leſt of his favour thou the poyſon prove, From ſwallowing of ſuch baites in time now ſpare, "No tyrant (truſt me) can intirely love, "Nor none who for himſelfe doth onely care: He by this courſe doth cunningly intend (Thy vertue ſlack'd) to undermine thy minde: Thy well-knowne courage purpos'd to disbend, Thus (though with ſilken bonds) he would thee binde; This of each tyrant is the common tread, To wreake all thoſe in whom moſt worth he findes; Or (whilſt that terrours toſſe his jealous head) By ſubtilty to ſnare the greateſt mindes: As, for the Pretor-ſhip when we did ſtrive, Then both were held in hope, that ſo deceiv'd, Each th'others harmes might ſtudy to contrive Through emulation and diſdaine conceiv'd. Thus ſubtile Caeſar by ſuch ſleights hath toild To ſow diſſenſion, that we both might pauſe Of private wrongs, and (by ſuch meanes imbroil'd) Still courting him, neglect the common cauſe. But nought muſt make us th' one t'another ſtrange, Who ſhould in time the tyrants courſe reſtraine: Let other men lament, we muſt revenge, I ſcorne to beare a ſword, and to complaine.