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 0.76 · 482 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T7: hector, troy, achilles, greeks, aeneas, priam, ulysses, troilus, trojan, trojans.
Now youthful Troilus, do not these high strains Of divination in our Sister, work Some touches of remorse? Or is your blood So madly hot, that no discourse of reason, Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause, Can qualify the same? Why Brother Hector, We may not think the justness of each act Such, and no other than event doth form it, Not once deject the courage of our minds; Because Cassandra's mad, her brainsick raptures Cannot distaste the goodness of a quarrel, Which hath our several Honours all engaged To make it gracious. For my private part, I am no more touched, than all Priam's sons, And love forbidden there should be done amongst us Such things as might offend the weakest spleen, To fight for, and maintain. Else might the world convince of levity, As well my undertake as your counsels: But I attest the gods, your full consent Gave wings to my propension, and cut off All fears attending on so dire a project. For what (alas) can these my single arms? What propugnation is in one man's valour To stand the push and enmity of those This quarrel would excite? Yet I protest, Were I alone to pass the difficulties, And had as ample power, as I have will, Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done, Nor faint in the pursuit. Paris, you speak Like one be-sotted on your sweet delights; You have the Honey still, but these the Gall, So to be valiant, is no praise at all. Sir, I propose not merely to myself, The pleasures such a beauty brings with it: But I would have the soil of her fair Rape Wiped off in honourable keeping her. What Treason were it to the ransacked Queen, Disgrace to your great worths, and shame to me, Now to deliver her possession up On terms of base compulsion? Can it be, That so degenerate a strain as this, Should once set footing in your generous bosoms? There's not the meanest spirit on our party, Without a heart to dare, or sword to draw, When Helen is defended: nor none so Noble, Whose life were ill bestowed, or death vnfam'd, Where Helen is the subject. Then (I say) Well may we fight for her, whom we know well, The world's large spaces cannot parallel. Paris and Troilus, you have both said well: And on the cause and question now in hand, Have glozed, but superficially; not much Unlike young men, whom Aristotle thought Unfit to hear Moral Philosophy. The Reasons you allege, do more conduce To the hot passion of distempered blood, Then to make up a free determination 'Twixt right and wrong: For pleasure, and revenge, Have ears more deaf than Adders, to the voice Of any true decision. Nature craves All dues be rendered to their Owners: now What nearer debt in all humanity,
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T11 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Now youthfull Troylus, do not theſe hie ſtrains Of diuination in our Siſter, worke Some touches of remorſe? Or is your bloud So madly hot, that no diſcourſe of reaſon, Nor feare of bad ſucceſſe in a bad cauſe, Can qualifie the ſame? Why Brother Hector, We may not thinke the iuſtneſſe of each acte Such, and no other then euent doth forme it, Not once deiect the courage of our mindes; Becauſe Caſſandra's mad, her brainſicke raptures Cannot diſtaſte the goodneſſe of a quarrell, Which hath our ſeuerall Honours all engag'd To make it gracious. For my priuate part, I am no more touch'd, then all Priams ſonnes, And loue forbid there ſhould be done among'ſt vs Such things as might offend the weakeſt ſpleene, To fight for, and maintaine. Elſe might the world conuince of leuitie, As well my vnder-takings as your counſels: But I atteſt the gods, your full conſent Gaue wings to my propenſion, and cut off All feares attending on ſo dire a proiect. For what (alas) can theſe my ſingle armes? What propugnation is in one mans valour To ſtand the puſh and enmity of thoſe This quarrell would excite? Yet I proteſt, Were I alone to paſſe the difficulties, And had as ample power, as I haue will, Paris ſhould ne're retract what he hath done, Nor faint in the purſuite. Paris, you ſpeake Like one be-ſotted on your ſweet delights; You haue the Hony ſtill, but theſe the Gall, So to be valiant, is no praiſe at all. Sir, I propoſe not meerely to my ſelfe, The pleaſures ſuch a beauty brings with it: But I would haue the ſoyle of her faire Rape Wip'd off in honourable keeping her. What Treaſon were it to the ranſack'd Queene, Diſgrace to your great worths, and ſhame to me, Now to deliuer her poſſeſsion vp On termes of baſe compulſion? Can it be, That ſo degenerate a ſtraine as this, Should once ſet footing in your generous boſomes? There's not the meaneſt ſpirit on our partie, Without a heart to dare, or ſword to draw, When Helen is defended: nor none ſo Noble, Whoſe life were ill beſtow'd, or death vnfam'd, Where Helen is the ſubiect. Then (I ſay) Well may we fight for her, whom we know well, The worlds large ſpaces cannot paralell. Paris and Troylus, you haue both ſaid well: And on the cauſe and queſtion now in hand, Haue gloz'd, but ſuperficially; not much Vnlike young men, whom Ariſtotle thought Vnfit to heare Morall Philoſophie. The Reaſons you alledge▪ do more conduce To the hot paſſion of diſtemp'red blood, Then to make vp a free determination 'Twixt right and wrong: For pleaſure, and reuenge, Haue eares more deafe then Adders, to the voyce Of any true deciſion. Nature craues All dues be rendred to their Owners: now What neerer debt in all humanity,