Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.84 · 484 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.
Those barbarous Realms by whose respective will, Of Caesar's Conquests monuments are shown: As if they held them highly honoured still, Who warred with Caesar though they were o'erthrown, Can this disgrace by their proud minds be borne, Whilst we dishonour, whom they honour thus? And shall we not (whilst as a Tyrant torn) Give him a tomb, who gave the world to us? Must his Decrees be all reduced again, And those degraded whom he graced of late. As worthy men unworthily did gain Their rooms of reputation in the State? As if a Tyrant we him damn so soon, And for his murderers do rewards devise, Than what he did, must likewise be undone, For which I fear, a foul confusion rise. Ah! (brave Antonius) sow not seeds of war, And if thou always dost delight in arms, The haughty Parthians yet undaunted are, Which may give thee great praise, and us no harms. Detest in time th'abominable broils, For which no Conqueror to triumph hath comed, Whilst this wretched Town (which still some party spoils) Must loathe the Victor, and lament th'o'ercomed: And shall we still contend against all good, To make the yoke where we should bound abide? Must still the Commons sacrifice their blood, As only borne to serve the great men's pride? Whilst I the depths of my affection sound, And read but th'obligations which I own, I find myself by oaths, and duty bound, All Caesar's foes, or then myself t'o'erthrow. But when I weigh what to the State belongs, The which to plague no passion shall get place, Then I with grief digesting private wrongs, War with myself to give my Country peace. Yet whilst my thoughts of this last purpose muse, I altogether disassent from this, That Caesar's fame, or body we abuse, To deal with Tyrants as the custom is: Lest guilty of ingratitude we seem, (If guerdoning our benefactors thus) Great Caesar's body from disgrace redeem, And let his acts be ratified by us. Then for the publike-weale which makes us pause, Towards those that have him killed t'extend regard, Let them be pardoned for their kinsman's cause: Remission given for evil is a reward. We stand not vexed like Malefactors here, With a dejected and remorseful mind, So in your presence supplicants t'appear, As who themselves of death do guilty find; But looking boldly with a lofty brow, Through a delight of our design conceived, We come to challenge gratefulness of you, That have of us so great a good received. But if you will suspend your thoughts a space, Though not the givers, entertain the gift; Do us reject, yet liberty embrace: To have you free (lo) that was all our drift. So Rome her ancient liberties enjoy, Let Brutus and let Cassius banished live; Thus banishment would breed us greater joy, Than what at home a Tyrant's wealth could give.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2699–2762 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 43 of 50 in this edition
Length
484 words · 653 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.840 (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)
Thoſe barbarous Realms by whoſe reſpective will, Of Caeſars Conqueſts monuments are ſhowne: As if they held them highly honour'd ſtill, Who warr'd with Caeſar though they were o'rethrown, Can this diſgrace by their proud mindes be borne, Whil'ſt we diſhonour, whom they honour thus? And ſhall we not (whil'ſt as a Tyrant torne) Give him a tombe, who gave the world to us? Muſt his Decrees be all reduc'd againe, And thoſe degraded whom he grac'd of late. As worthy men unworthily did gaine Their roomes of reputation in the State? As if a Tyrant we him damne ſo ſoone, And for his murd'rers do rewards deviſe, Then what he did, muſt likewiſe be undone, For which I feare, a foule confuſion riſe. Ah! (brave Antonius) ſow not ſeeds of warre, And if thou alwayes do'ſt delight in armes, The haughty Parthians yet undaunted are, Which may give thee great praiſe, and us no harmes. Deteſt in time th'abhominable broils, For which no Conquerour to triumph hath com'd, Whil'ſt this wretch'd Towne (which ſtill ſome party ſpoils) Muſt loath the Victor, and lament th'ore-com'd: And ſhall we ſtill contend againſt all good, To make the yoke where we ſhould bound abide? Muſt ſtill the Commons ſacrifize their bloud, As onely borne to ſerve the great mens pride? Whil'ſt I the depths of my affection ſound, And reade but th'obligations which I owe, I finde my ſelfe by oaths, and duty bound, All Caeſars foes, or then my ſelfe t'ore-throw. But when I weigh what to the State belongs, The which to plague no paſſion ſhall get place, Then I with griefe digeſting private wrongs, Warre with my ſelfe to give my Countrey peace. Yet whil'ſt my thoughts of this laſt purpoſe muſe, I altogether diſ-aſſent from this, That Caeſars fame, or body we abuſe, To deale with Tyrants as the cuſtome is: Leſt guilty of ingratitude we ſeeme, (If guerdoning our benefactors thus) Great Caeſars body from diſgrace redeeme, And let his acts be ratifi'd by us. Then for the publike-weale which makes us pauſe, Towards thoſe that have him kill'd t'extend regard, Let them be pardon'd for their kinſmens cauſe: "Remiſſion given for evill is a reward. We ſtand not vex'd like Malefactors here, With a dejected and remorſefull minde, So in your preſence ſupplicants t'appeare, As who themſelves of death do guilty finde; But looking boldly with a loftie brow, Through a delight of our deſigne conceiv'd, We come to challenge gratefulneſſe of you, That have of us ſo great a good receiv'd. But if you will ſuſpend your thoughts a ſpace, Though not the givers, entertaine the gift; Do us reject, yet liberty embrace: To have you free (loe) that was all our drift. So Rome her ancient liberties enjoy, Let Brutus and let Caſsius baniſh't live; Thus baniſhment would breed us greater joy, Then what at home a Tyrants wealth could give.