Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1602 [1602-1603] (Annals) tragedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 479 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
Troy yet upon his basis had been down, And the great Hector's sword had lacked a Master But for these instances. The specialty of Rule hath been neglected; And look how many Grecian Tents do stand Hollow upon this Plain, so many hollow Factions. When that the General is not like the Hive, To whom the Foragers shall all repair, What Honey is expected? Degree being vizarded, Th' unworthiest shows as fairly in the Mask. The Heavens themselves, the Planets, and this Centre, Observe degree, priority, and place, Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, Office, and custom, in all line of Order: And therefore is the glorious Planet Sol In noble eminence, enthroned and sphered Amidst the other, whose medicinable eye Corrects the ill Aspects of Planets evil, And posts like the Commandment of a King, Sans check, to good and bad. But when the Planets In evil mixture to disorder wander, What Plagues, and what portents, what mutiny? What raging of the Sea? shaking of Earth? Commotion in the Winds? Frights, changes, horrors, Divert, and crack, rend and deracinate The unity, and married calm of States Quite from their fixure? O, when Degree is shaked, (Which is the Ladder to all high designs) The enterprise is sick. How could Communities, Degrees in Schools, and Brotherhoods in Cities, Peaceful Commerce from dividable shores, The primogenitive, and due of Birth, Prerogative of Age, Crowns, Sceptres, Laurels (But by Degree) stand in Authentic place? Take but Degree away, un-tune that string, And hark what Discord follows: each thing meets In mere oppugnancie. The bounded Waters, Should lift their bosoms higher than the Shores, And make a sop of all this solid Globe: Strength should be Lord of imbecility, And the rude Son should strike his Father dead: Force should be right, or rather, right and wrong, (Between whose endless jar, justice resides) Should lose her names, and so should justice too. Then every thing includes itself in Power, Power into Will, Will into Appetite, And Appetite (an universal Wolf, So doubly seconded with Will, and Power) Must make perforce an universal prey, And last, eat up himself. Great Agamemnon: This Chaos, when Degree is suffocate, Follows the choking: And this neglection of Degree, is it That by a pace goes backward in a purpose It hath to climb. The general's disdained By him one step below; he, by the next, That next, by him beneath: so every step Exampled by the first pace that is sick Of his Superior, grows to an envious Fever Of pale, and bloodless Emulation. And 'tis this Fever that keeps Troy on foot, Not her own sinews. To end a tale of length, Troy in our weakness lives, not in her strength. Most wisely hath Ulysses here discovered The Fever, whereof all our power is sick. The Nature of the sickness found (Ulysses) What is the remedy?
seed 43: T12 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Troy yet vpon his baſis had bene downe, And the great Hectors ſword had lack'd a Maſter But for theſe inſtances. The ſpecialty of Rule hath beene neglected; And looke how many Grecian Tents do ſtand Hollow vpon this Plaine, ſo many hollow Factions. When that the Generall is not like the Hiue, To whom the Forragers ſhall all repaire, What Hony is expected? Degree being vizarded, Th' vnworthieſt ſhewes as fairely in the Maske. The Heauens themſelues, the Planets, and this Center, Obſerue degree, priority, and place, Inſiſture, courſe, proportion, ſeaſon, forme, Office, and cuſtome, in all line of Order: And therefore is the glorious Planet Sol In noble eminence, enthron'd and ſphear'd Amid'ſt the other, whoſe med'cinable eye Corrects the ill Aſpects of Planets euill, And poſtes like the Command'ment of a King, Sans checke, to good and bad. But when the Planets In euill mixture to diſorder wander, What Plagues, and what portents, what mutiny? What raging of the Sea? ſhaking of Earth? Commotion in the Windes? Frights, changes, horrors, Diuert, and cracke, rend and deracinate The vnity, and married calme of States Quite from their fixure? O, when Degree is ſhak'd, (Which is the Ladder to all high deſignes) The enterprize is ſicke. How could Communities, Degrees in Schooles, and Brother-hoods in Cities, Peacefull Commerce from diuidable ſhores, The primogenitiue, and due of Byrth, Prerogatiue of Age, Crownes, Scepters, Lawrels (But by Degree) ſtand in Authentique place? Take but Degree away, vn-tune that ſtring, And hearke what Diſcord followes: each thing meetes In meere oppugnancie. The bounded Waters, Should lift their boſomes higher then the Shores, And make a ſoppe of all this ſolid Globe: Strength ſhould be Lord of imbecility, And the rude Sonne ſhould ſtrike his Father dead: Force ſhould be right, or rather, right and wrong, (Betweene whoſe endleſſe iarre, Iuſtice recides) Should looſe her names, and ſo ſhould Iuſtice too. Then euery thing includes it ſelfe in Power, Power into Will, Will into Appetite, And Appetite (an vniuerſall Wolfe, So doubly ſeconded with Will, and Power) Muſt make perforce an vniuerſall prey, And laſt, eate vp himſelfe. Great Agamemnon: This Chaos, when Degree is ſuffocate, Followes the choaking: And this neglection of Degree, is it That by a pace goes backward in a purpoſe It hath to climbe. The Generall's diſdain'd By him one ſtep below; he, by the next, That next, by him beneath: ſo euery ſtep Exampled by the firſt pace that is ſicke Of his Superiour, growes to an enuious Feauer Of pale, and bloodleſſe Emulation. And 'tis this Feauer that keepes Troy on foote, Not her owne ſinewes. To end a tale of length, Troy in our weakneſſe liues, not in her ſtrength. Moſt wiſely hath Vlyſſes heere diſcouer'd The Feauer, whereof all our power is ſicke. The Nature of the ſickneſſe found (Ʋlyſſes) What is the remedie?