Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.68 · 453 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.
So when we end, we must begin again With one who lives worse than the other dead; And in my judgement I would think it best, When sacrificed the proud usurper lies, That this seditious enemy of rest Should fall with him, with whom he first did rise: Thus, of our liberty we now may lay A solid ground, which can be shaked by none: Those of their purpose who a part delay, Two labours have, who might have had but one. I cannot (Cassius) condescend to kill (Thus from the path of justice to decline) One faultless yet, lest after he prove ill, So to prevent his guiltiness by mine; No, no, that neither honest were, nor just, Which rigorous form would but the world affright; Men by this mean, our meaning might mistrust, And for a little wrong damn all that's right: If we do only kill the common foe, Our Country's zeal must then acquire due praise, But if (like Tyrants) fiercely raging so, We will be thought that which we raze to raise; And where we but intent to aid the State, Though by endangering what we hold most dear, If slaying him (as armed by private hate) We to the world all partial will appear, Ah, ah! we must but too much murder see, Who without doing ill cannot do good: And, would the Gods, that Rome could be made free Without the shedding of one drop of blood! Then, there is hope that Anthony in end, Whilst first our virtue doth direct the way, Will (leagued with us) the liberty defend, And (when brought back) will blush, as once astray. Well Brutus, I protest against my will, From this black cloud, what ever tempest fall, That mercy but most cruelly doth kill, Which thus saves one, who once may plague us all. When Caesar with the Senators sits down, In this your judgements generally accord, That for affecting wrongfully the Crown, He lawfully may perish by the Sword: No greater harm can for our course be wrought, Then by protracting the appointed time, Lest that, which acted would be virtue thought, Be (if prevented) construed as a crime; Can one thing long in many minds be penned? No, purposes would never be delayed, Which judged by th'issues Fortune doth comment, If prospering, reason, treason if betrayed. There may amongst ourselves some man remain, Whom (if afraid) his pardon to procure, Or (if too greedy) for the hope of gain, Time to disclose his consorts may allure. Then for our recompense we ruin reap, If ought our course thus made abortive mar, For, if discovered once, we cannot scape: As tyrant's ears hear much, their hands reach far.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 1879–1936 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 30 of 50 in this edition
Length
453 words · 593 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.680 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T1 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
So when we end, we muſt begin againe With one who lives worſe then the other dead; And in my judgement I would thinke it beſt, VVhen ſacrific'd the proud uſurper lyes, That this ſeditious enemy of reſt Should fall with him, with whom he firſt did riſe: Thus, of our liberty we now may lay A ſolid ground, which can be ſhak't by none: "Thoſe of their purpoſe who a part delay, "Two labours have, who might have had but one. I cannot (Caſsius) condeſcend to kill (Thus from the path of juſtice to decline) One faultleſſe yet, leſt after he prove ill, So to prevent his guiltineſſe by mine; No, no, that neither honeſt were, nor juſt, Which rigorous forme would but the world affright; Men by this meane, our meaning might miſtruſt, And for a little wrong damne all that's right: If we do onely kill the common foe, Our Countries zeale muſt then acquire due praiſe, But if (like Tyrants) fiercely raging ſo, We will be thought that which we raze to raiſe; And where we but intend to aide the State, Though by endangering what we hold moſt deare, If ſlaying him (as arm'd by private hate) We to the world all partiall will appeare, Ah, ah! we muſt but too much murder ſee, Who without doing ill cannot do good: And, would the Gods, that Rome could be made free Without the ſhedding of one drop of bloud! Then, there is hope that Anthonie in end, Whil'ſt firſt our vertue doth direct the way, Will (leagu'd with us) the liberty defend, And (when brought back) will bluſh, as once aſtray. Well Brutus, I proteſt againſt my will, From this black cloud, what ever tempeſt fall, That mercy but moſt cruelly doth kill, Which thus ſaves one, who once may plague us all. When Caeſar with the Senatours ſits downe, In this your judgements generally accord, That for affecting wrongfully the Crowne, He lawfully may periſh by the Sword: No greater harme can for our courſe be wrought, Then by protracting the appointed time, Leſt that, which acted would be vertue thought, Be (if prevented) conſtru'd as a crime; Can one thing long in many mindes be pent? "No, purpoſes would never be delayd, "Which judg'd by th'iſſues Fortune doth comment, "If proſp'ring, reaſon, treaſon if betrai'd. There may amongſt our ſelves ſome man remaine, Whom (if afraid) his pardon to procure, Or (if too greedy) for the hope of gaine, Time to diſcloſe his conſorts may allure. Then for our recompence we ruine reape, If ought our courſe thus made abortive marre, For, if diſcovered once, we cannot ſcape: "As tyrants eares heare much, their hands reach farre.