Alexander, William · published 1637 · first performed or written 1607 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 513 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
Ah! had he but believed my faithful cares, His State to establish who have always strived, Then (scaping this conspiracy of theirs) He, honoured still, and I had happy lived. Did I not spend of supplications store, That he within his house, this day would waste, As I by dreams advertised was before, Which showed what was to come, and now is past; Whilst the soothsayers sacrificed did find A beast without a heart, their Altars stain, By that presage my soul might have divined, That I without my heart would soon remain; But all those terrors could no terror give To that great mind, whose thoughts too high still aimed; He by his fortune confident did live, As, if the heavens, for him had all things framed; Yet though he ended have his fatal race, To brag for this, let not his Murderers strive: For, O! I hope to see within short space, Him dead adored, and them abhorred alive. Though now his name the multitude respects, Since murdering one who him had hel● so dear, Whilst inward thoughts each outward thing reflects, Some monstrous shape to Brutus must appear. Just Nemesis must plague proud Cassius soon, And make him kill himself, from hopes estranged; Once all the wrongs by foes to Caesar done, May by themselves be on themselves revenged. Some, Sovereign of the earth, would fortune prove, As if, confusedly, God did men advance; Nought comes to men below, but from above, By providence, not by a staggering chance: Though to the cause that last foregoes the end, Some attribute the course of every thing, That cause, on other causes doth depend, Which chained 'twixt heaven and earth due ends forth bring; Of those decrees the heavens for us appoint, (Who ever them approves, or doth disprove) No mortal man can disappoint a point, But as they please here moves, or doth remove; We, when once come the world's vain pomp to try, (Led by the fates) to end our journey haste: For, when first borne, we strait begin to dye, Life's first day is a step unto the last. And is there ought more swift than days, and years, Which wear away this breath of ours so soon, Whilst Lachesis to no request gives ears, But spins the threads of life till they be done? Yet foolish worldlings following that which flies, As if they had assurance of their breath, To frail preferment fond strive to rise, Which (but a burden) weighs them down to death. There's none of us but must remember still, How that the Gods by many a wondrous sign, Did show (it seemed) how that against their will, The destinies would Caesar's days confine. A monstrous star amidst the heaven hath been, Still since they first against him did conspire; The solitary birds at noon were seen, And men to walk environed all with fire: What wonder though the heavens at such a time, Do brave the earth with apparitions strange, Then whilst intending such a monstrous crime, Unnatural men make Nature's course to change?
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Ah! had he but beleev'd my faithfull cares, His State to ſtabliſh who have alwayes ſtriv'd, Then (ſcaping this conſpiracie of theirs) He, honour'd ſtill, and I had happy liv'd. Did I not ſpend of ſupplications ſtore, That he within his houſe, this day would waſte, As I by dreames advertis'd was before, VVhich ſhew'd what was to come, and now is paſt; VVhil'ſt the Sooth-ſayers ſacrific'd did finde A beaſt without a heart, their Altars ſtaine, By that preſage my ſoule might have divin'd, That I without my heart would ſoone remaine; But all thoſe terrours could no terrour give To that great minde, whoſe thoughts too high ſtill aym'd; He by his fortune confident did live, As, if the heavens, for him had all things fram'd; Yet though he ended have his fatall race, To bragge for this, let not his Murtherers ſtrive: For, O! I hope to ſee within ſhort ſpace, Him dead ador'd, and them abhorrd alive. Though now his name the multitude reſpects, Since murdering one who him had hel ſo deare, VVhil'ſt inward thoughts each outward thing reflects, Some monſtrous ſhape to Brutus muſt appeare. Iuſt Nemeſis muſt plague proud Caſsius ſoone, And make him kill himſelfe, from hopes eſtrang'd; Once all the wrongs by foes to Caeſar done, May by themſelves be on themſelves reveng'd. "Some, Soveraigne of the earth, would fortune prove, "As if, confus'dly, Gods did men advance; "Nought comes to men below, but from above, "By providence, not by a ſtaggering chance: "Though to the cauſe that laſt forgoes the end, "Some attribute the courſe of every thing, "That cauſe, on other cauſes doth depend, "Which chain'd 'twixt heaven and earth due ends forth bring; "Of thoſe decrees the heavens for us appoint, "(Who ever them approves, or doth diſprove) "No mortall man can diſappoint a point, "But as they pleaſe here moves, or doth remove; "We, when once come the worlds vaine pompe to try, "(Led by the fates) to end our journey haſte: "For, when firſt borne, we ſtraight begin to dye, "Lifes firſt day is a ſtep unto the laſt. "And is there ought more ſwift then dayes, and yeares, "Which weare away this breath of ours ſo ſoone, "Whil'ſt Lacheſis to no requeſt gives eares, "But ſpinnes the threeds of life till they be done? "Yet fooliſh worldlings following that which flies, "As if they had aſſurance of their breath, "To fraile preferrement fondly ſtrive to riſe, "Which (but a burden) weighs them downe to death. There's none of us but muſt remember ſtill, How that the Gods by many a wondrous ſigne, Did ſhew (it ſeem'd) how that againſt their will, The deſtinies would Caeſars dayes confine. A monſtrous ſtarre amidſt the heaven hath beene, Still ſince they firſt againſt him did conſpire; The ſolitary birds at noone were ſeene, And men to walke environ'd all with fire: What wonder though the heavens at ſuch a time, Do brave the earth with apparitions ſtrange, Then whil'ſt intending ſuch a monſtrous crime, "Unnaturall men make Natures courſe to change?