The Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron · chunk 9 of 37
Chapman, George · published 1608 · first performed or written 1608 [1607-1608] (Annals) tragedy · Children of the Queen's Revels unassigned nearest T53 The crown: kingship claimed, resigned an · 502 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T53: crown, king, state, life, lord, lords, live, queen, tullia, prince.
And royal branches for the heads of Kings, Were twisted of them but since squint-eyed And pale suspicion, dashed the heads of kingdoms, One 'gainst another: two abhorred twins, With two foul tails: stern War and Liberty, Entered the world. The tree that grew from heaven. Is overrun with moss; the cheerful music, That heretofore hath sounded out of it, Begins to cease; and as she casts her leaves, (By small degrees) the kingdoms of the earth Decline and wither: and look whensoever That the pure sap in her, is dried up quite; The lamp of all authority goes out, And all the blaze of Princes is extinct; Thus as the Poet sends a messenger Out to the stage, to show the sum of all, That follows after: so are Kings revolts, And playing both ways with religion, Forerunners of afflictions imminent, Which (like a Chorus) subjects must lament. My Lord I stand not on these deep discourses, To settle my course to your fortunes; mine Are freely and inseparably linked: And to your love my life. Thanks Princely friend, And whatsoever good shall come of me, Pursued by all the Catholic PRINCE's aids With whom I join, and whose whole states proposed, To win my valour, promise me a throne: All shall be equal with myself; thine own. My Lord here is D'escuris sent from the King, Desires access to you. Attend him in. Health to my Lord the Duke: Welcome D'escuris, In what health rests our royal Sovereign. In good health of his body, but his mind, Is something troubled with the gathering storms, Of foreign powers; that as he is informed Address themselves into his frontier towns; And therefore his intent, is to maintain: The body of an army on those parts; And yield their worthy conduct to your valour. From whence hears he that any storms are rising? From Italy; and his intelligence, No doubt is certain, that in all those parts Levies are hotly made; for which respect, He sent to his Ambassador De Vic, To make demand in Switzerland, for the raising With utmost diligence of six thousand men; All which shall be commanded to attend, On your direction; as the Constable Your honoured Gossip gave him in advice; And he sent you by wrighting: of which letters, He would have answer, and advice from you By your most speedy presence. This is strange, That when the enemy is t'attempt his frontiers, He calls me from the frontiers; does he think, It is an action worthy of my valour To turn my back, to an approaching foe? The foe is not so near, but you may come, And take more strict directions from his highness, Than he thinks fit his letters should contain, Without the least attainture of your valour; And therefore good my Lord, forbear excuse And bear yourself on his direction; Who well you know hath never made design For your most worthy service, where he saw That any thing but honour could succeed.
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)
And royall branches for the heads of Kings, Were twisted of them but since suint-ey'd nuye: And pale suspicion, dasht the heads of kingdomes, One gainst another: two abhorred twins, With two foule tayles: sterne Warre and Libertie, Entred the world. The tree that grew from heauen. Is ouerrunne with mosse; the cheerfull musique, That heeretofore hath sounded out of it, Beginnes to cease; and as she casts her leaues, (By small degrees) the kingdomes of the earth Decline and wither: and looke whensoeuer That the pure sap in her, is dried vp quite; The lamp of all authoritie goes out, And all the blaze of Princes is extinkt; Thus as the Poet sends a messenger Out to the stage, to shew the summe of all, That followes after: so are Kings reuolts, And playing both waies with religion, Fore-runners of afflictions imminent, Which (like a Chorus) subiects must lament. My Lord I stand not on these deepe discourses, To settle my course to your fortunes; mine Are freely and inseperablie linckt: And to your loue my life. Thankes Princely friend, And whatsoeuer good shall come of me, Pursu'd by al the Catholike Princes aydes With whom I ioyne, and whose whole states proposde, To winne my valure, promise me a throne: All shall be equall with my selfe; thine owne. My Lord here is D'escuris sent from the King, Desires accesse to you. Attend him in. Helth to my Lord the Duke: Welcome D'escuris, In what helth rests our royall Soueraigne. In good helth of his bodie, but his minde, Is something troubled with the gathering stormes, Of forreigne powres; that as he is inform'd Addresse themselues into his frontier townes; And therefore his intent, is to maintaine: The body of an armie on those parts; And yeeld their worthie conduct to your valure. From whence heares he that any stormes are rising? From Italy; and his intelligence, No doubt is certaine, that in all those partes Leuies are hotly made; for which respect, He sent to his Ambassador De Vic, To make demand in Switzerland, for the raising With vtmost dilligence of sixe thousand men; All which shall bee commanded to attend, On your direction; as the Constable Your honord Gossip gaue him in aduice; And hee sent you by wrighting: of which letters, He would haue answere, and aduice from you By your most speedie presence. This is strange, That when the enimie is t'attempt his frontiers, He calls me from the frontiers; does he thinke, It is an action worthie of my valure To turne my back, to an approching foe? The foe is not so nere, but you may come, And take more strickt directions from his highnesse, Then he thinkes fit his letters should containe, Without the least attainture of your valure; And therefore good my Lord, forbeare excuse And beare your selfe on his direction; Who well you know hath neuer made designe For your most worthy seruice, where he saw That any thing but honour could succede.