Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.80 · 502 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.
Ah! when unkindness is, where love was thought, A tender passion breaks the strongest heart: For, of all those who give offence in aught, Men, others hate, but for unkind men, smart. Ah! taking then no more delight in light, As who disdainfully the world disclaimed, Or if from Brutus blow to hold his sight, As of so great ingratitude ashamed, He with his Gown when covered first o'er all, As one who neither sought, nor wished relief, Not wronging majesty, in state did fall, No sigh consenting to betray his grief. Yet (if by chance or force I cannot tell) Even at the place, where Pompey's statue stood, (As if to crave him pardon,) Caesar fell, That in revenge it might exhaust his blood; But when his corpses abandoned quite by breath, Did fortunes frailties monument remain, That all might have like interest in his death, And by the same, look for like praise or pain: Then Cassius, Brutus, and the rest began With that great Emperor's blood to die their hands; What beast in th'earth more cruel is then man, When o'er his reason passion once commands? Whilst brutish Brutus, and proud Cassius thus Rome's greatest Captain under trust deceived, Where was Antonius (since a friend to us) That he not lost himself, or Caesar saved? The whole conspirators remained in doubt, Had he and Caesar joined, to be undone, And so caused one to talk with him without, Who feigned a conference till the fact was done. Then knowing well in such tumultuous broils, That the first danger always is the worst, He fled in haste, disguised with borrowed spoils, For rage and for disdain even like to burst. The Senators which were assembled there, When they beheld that great man brought to end, What was their part? to what inclined their care? I fear affliction could not find a friend. Of those who in the Senate-house did sit (So sad an object sorry to behold, Or fearing what bold hands might more commit) Each to his house a several way did hold; This act with horror did confound their sight, And unawares their judgement did surprise: When any hasty harms un-lookt-for light, The resolution hath not time to rise: That man on whom the world did once rely, By all long reverenced, and adored by some, None to attend him had but two and I To what an ebb may fortunes flowing come? Why should men following on the smoke of pri●e, Leave certain case to seek a dreamed delight, Which when they have by many dangers tried, They neither can with safety keep nor quite? The people who by force subdued remain, May pity those by whom oppressed they rest; They but one Tyrant have, whereas there reign A Thousand Tyrants in one Tyrant's breast; What though great Caesar once commanded Kings, Whose only name whole Nations did appall? Yet now (let no man trust in worldly things) A little earth holds him who held it all.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2943–3006 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 47 of 50 in this edition
Length
502 words · 641 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.796 (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)
"Ah! when unkindneſſe is, where love was thought, A tender paſſion breakes the ſtrongeſt heart: "For, of all thoſe who give offence in ought, "Men, others hate, but for unkinde men, ſmart. Ah! taking then no more delight in light, As who diſdainfullie the world diſclaim'd, Or if from Brutus blow to hold his ſight, As of ſo great ingratitude aſham'd, He with his Gowne when cover'd firſt o're all, As one who neither ſought, nor wiſh'd reliefe, Not wronging majeſtie, in ſtate did fall, No ſigh conſenting to betray his griefe. Yet (if by chance or force I cannot tell) Even at the place, where Pompey's ſtatue ſtood, (As if to crave him pardon,) Caeſar fell, That in revenge it might exhauſt his blood; But when his corpes abandon'd quite by breath, Did fortunes frailties monument remaine, That all might have like int'reſt in his death, And by the ſame, looke for like praiſe or paine: Then Caſsius, Brutus, and the reſt began With that great Emperours blood to die their hands; "What beaſt in th'earth more cruell is then man, "When o're his reaſon paſſion once commands? Whilſt brutiſh Brutus, and proud Caſsius thus Romes greateſt Captaine under truſt deceiv'd, Where was Antonius (ſince a friend to us) That he not loſt himſelfe, or Caeſar ſav'd? The whole conſpiratours remain'd in doubt, Had he and Caeſar joyn'd, to be undone, And ſo caus'd one to talke with him without, Who fain'd a conference till the fact was done. Then knowing well in ſuch tumultuous broiles, That the firſt danger alwayes is the worſt, He fled in haſt, diſguis'd with borrow'd ſpoiles, For rage and for diſdaine even like to burſt. The Senatours which were aſſembled there, When they beheld that great man brought to end, What was their part? to what inclin'd their care? I fear affliction could not finde a friend. Of thoſe who in the Senate-houſe did ſit (So ſad an object ſorrie to behold, Or fearing what bould hands might more commit) Each to his houſe a ſeverall way did hold; This act with horrour did confound their ſight, And unawares their judgement did ſurpriſe: "When any haſtie harmes un-lookt-for light, "The reſolution hath not time to riſe: That man on whom the world did once rely, By all long reverenc'd, and ador'd by ſome, None to attend him had but two and I. To what an ebbe may fortunes flowing come? Why ſhould men following on the ſmoake of prie, Leave certaine caſe to ſeeke a dream'd delight, Which when they have by many dangers tri'd, They neither can with ſafety keepe nor quite? "The people who by force ſubdu'd remaine, "May pitty thoſe by whom oppreſt they reſt; "They but one Tyrant have, whereas there raigne A Thouſand Tyrants in one Tyrants breſt; VVhat though great Caeſar once commanded Kings, VVhoſe onely name whole Nations did appall? Yet now (let no man truſt in worldly things) A little earth holds him who held it all.