Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1602 [1602-1603] (Annals) tragedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its afterma typicality 0.74 · 545 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
This shall be told our Lover's Lord Aeneas, If none of them have soul in such a kind, We left them all at home: But we are Soldiers, And may that Soldier a mere recreant prove, That means not, hath not, or is not in love: If then one is, or hath, or means to be, That one meets Hector; if none else, I'll be he. Tell him of Nestor, one that was a man When Hector's Grandsire sucked: he is old now, But if there be not in our Grecian mould, One Noble man, that hath one sparke of fire To answer for his Love; tell him from me, I'll hide my Silver beard in a Gold Beaver, And in my Vantbrace put this withered brawn, And meeting him, will tell him, that my Lady Was fairer than his Grandam, and as chaste As may be in the world: his youth in flood, I'll pawn this truth with my three drops of blood. Now heavens forbidden such scarcity of youth. Amen. Fair Lord Aeneas, Let me touch your hand: To our Pavilion shall I lead you first: Achilles shall have word of this intent, So shall each Lord of Greece from Tent to Tent: Yourself shall Feast with us before you go, And find the welcome of a Noble Foe. Nestor. What says Ulysses? I have a young conception in my brain, Be you my time to bring it to some shape. What is't? This 'tis: Blunt wedges rive hard knots: the seeded Pride That hath to this maturity blown up In rank Achilles, must or now be cropped, Or shedding breed a Nursery of like evil To over-bulke us all. Well, and how? This challenge that the gallant Hector sends, How ever it is spread in general name, Relates in purpose only to Achilles. The purpose is perspicuous even as substance, Whose grossness little characters sum up, And in the publication make no strain, But that Achilles, were his brain as barren As banks of Lybia, though (Apollo knows) 'Tis dry enough, will with great speed of judgement, I, with celerity, find Hector's purpose Pointing on him. And wake him to the answer, think you? Yes, 'tis most meet; who may you else oppose That can from Hector bring his Honour off, If not Achilles; thought be a sportful Combat, Yet in this trial, much opinion dwells. For here the Trojans taste our dearest repute With their finest palate: and trust to me Ulysses, Our imputation shall be oddly poised In this wild action. For the success (Although particular) shall give a scantling Of good or bad, unto the General: And in such Indices, although small pricks To their subsequent Volumes, there is seen The baby figure of the Gyant-masse Of things to come at large. It is supposed, He that meets Hector, issues from our choice; And choice being mutual act of all our souls, Makes Merit her election, and doth boil As 'twere, from forth us all: a man distilled Out of our Virtues; who miscarrying, What heart from hence receives the conquering part To steel a strong opinion to themselves, Which entertained, Limbs are in his instruments, In no less working, then are Swords and Bows Directive by the Limbs.
seed 43: T12 · seed 44: T11 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
This ſhall be told our Louers Lord Aeneas, If none of them haue ſoule in ſuch a kinde, We left them all at home: But we are Souldiers, And may that Souldier a meere recreant proue, That meanes not, hath not, or is not in loue: If then one is, or hath, or meanes to be, That one meets Hector; if none elſe, Ile be he. Tell him of Neſtor, one that was a man When Hectors Grandſire ſuckt: he is old now, But if there be not in our Grecian mould, One Noble man, that hath one ſpark of fire To anſwer for his Loue; tell him from me, Ile hide my Siluer beard in a Gold Beauer, And in my Vantbrace put this wither'd brawne, And meeting him, wil tell him, that my Lady Was fayrer then his Grandame, and as chaſte As may be in the world: his youth in flood, Ile pawne this truth with my three drops of blood. Now heauens forbid ſuch ſcarſitie of youth. Amen. Faire Lord Aeneas, Let me touch your hand: To our Pauillion ſhal I leade you firſt: Achilles ſhall haue word of this intent, So ſhall each Lord of Greece from Tent to Tent: Your ſelfe ſhall Feaſt with vs before you goe, And finde the welcome of a Noble Foe. Nestor. What ſayes Vlyſſes? I haue a young conception in my braine, Be you my time to bring it to ſome ſhape. What is't? This 'tis: Blunt wedges riue hard knots: the ſeeded Pride That hath to this maturity blowne vp In ranke Achilles, muſt or now be cropt, Or ſhedding breed a Nurſery of like euil To ouer-bulke vs all. Wel, and how? This challenge that the gallant Hector ſends, How euer it is ſpred in general name, Relates in purpoſe onely to Achilles. The purpoſe is perſpicuous euen as ſubſtance, Whoſe groſſeneſſe little charracters ſumme vp, And in the publication make no ſtraine, But that Achilles, were his braine as barren As bankes of Lybia, though (Apollo knowes) 'Tis dry enough, wil with great ſpeede of iudgement, I, with celerity, finde Hectors purpoſe Pointing on him. And wake him to the anſwer, thinke you? Yes, 'tis moſt meet; who may you elſe oppoſe That can from Hector bring his Honor off, If not Achilles; though't be a ſportfull Combate, Yet in this triall, much opinion dwels. For heere the Troyans taſte our deer'ſt repute With their fin'ſt Pallate: and truſt to me Vlyſſes, Our imputation ſhall be oddely poiz'd In this wilde action. For the ſucceſſe (Although particular) ſhall giue a ſcantling Of good or bad, vnto the Generall: And in ſuch Indexes, although ſmall prickes To their ſubſequent Volumes, there is ſeene The baby figure of the Gyant-maſſe Of things to come at large. It is ſuppos'd, He that meets Hector, iſſues from our choyſe; And choiſe being mutuall acte of all our ſoules, Makes Merit her election, and doth boyle As 'twere, from forth vs all: a man diſtill'd Out of our Vertues; who miſcarrying, What heart from hence receyues the conqu'ring part To ſteele a ſtrong opinion to themſelues, Which entertain'd, Limbes are in his inſtruments, In no leſſe working, then are Swords and Bowes Directiue by the Limbes.