Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas · published 1565 · first performed or written 1562 [Jan 18] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
My purpose is to leave unto them twain The Realm divided into two sundry parts: The one Ferrex mine elder son shall have, The other shall the other Porrex rule That both my purpose may more framely stand, And eke that they may better rule their charge, I mean forthwith to place them in the same: That in my life they may both learn to rule, And I may joy to see their ruling well. This is in sum, what I would have ye weigh: first whether ye allow my whole device, And think it good for me, for them, for you, And for our Country, mother of us all: And if ye like it and allow it well, Than for their guiding and their governance, Show forth such means of circumstance, As ye think meet to be both known and kept: Lot, this is all, now tell me your advise. And this is much, and asketh great advise, But for my part my Sovereign Lord and king This do I think your Majesty doth know, How under you in justice and in peace, Great wealth and Honour, long we have enjoyed So as we can not seem with greedy minds To wish for change of Prince or governance, But if ye like your purpose and device, Our liking must be deemed to proceed, Of rightful reason, and of heedful care, Not for ourselves, but for our comen state: sith our own state doth need no better change I think in all as erst your Grace hath said: first when you shall unload your aged mind, Of heavy care and troubles manifold, And lay the same upon my Lords your sons Whose growing years may bear the burden long And long I pray the Gods to grant it so: And in your life while you shall so behold Their rule, their virtues and their noble deeds, Such as their kind behighteth to us all, Great be the profits that shall grow thereof, Your age in quiet shall the longer last, Your lasting age shallbe their longer stay, For cares of kings, that rule as you have ruled For public wealth and not for private joy, Do waste man's life and hasten crooked age, With furrowed face and with enfeebled limbs, To draw on creeping Death a swifter pace. They two yet young shall bear the party reign With greater ease, than one now old alone Can weld the whole, for whom much harder is with lessened strength the double weight to bear Your eye, your Counsel, and the grave regard Of Fathers, yea of such a father's name, Now at beginning of their sundered reign, When it is hazard of their whole success, Shall bridle so their force of youthful heats, And so restrain the rage of insolence, Which most assails the young and noble minds, And so shall guide and train in tempered stay Their yet green bending wits with reverent awe And now enured with virtues at the first.
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)
My purpoſe is to leaue vnto them twaine The Realme deuided into two ſandrie partes: The one Ferrex myne elder ſonne ſhall haue, The other ſhall the other Porrex rule That both my purpoſe may more framelie ſtande, And eke that they may better rule their charge, I meane forthwith to place them in the ſame: That in my life they maye both learne to rule, And I may Ioye to ſee their rulynge well. This is in ſōme, what I woulde haue ye wey: Firſte whether ye allowe my whole deuiſe, And thinke it good for me, for them, for you, And for our Countrey, mother of vs all: And if ye lyke it and allowe it well, Than for their guydinge and their gouernaunce, Shewe ſorthe ſuche meanes of circumſtaunce, As ye thinke meete to be both knowne and kept: Lot, this is all, nowe tell me your aduiſe. And this is muche, and aſketh great aduiſe, But for my parte my Soueraigne Lord and kyng This do I thinke your Maieſtie doth knowe, Howe vnder you in Iuſtice and in peace, Great wealth and Honour, long we haue enioyed So as we can not ſeeme with gredie mindes To wiſſhe for chaunge of Prince or gouernaunce, But if ye lyke your purpoſe and deuiſe, Our lykynge muſt be deemed to procede, Of rightfull reaſon, and of heedefull care, Not for our ſelues, but for our cōmen ſtate: Sithe our owne ſtate doth nede no better chaunge I thinke in all as erſt your Grace hath ſaide: Firſte when you ſhall vnlode your aged mynde, Of heuye care and troubles manyfolde, And laye the ſame vpon my Lordes your ſonnes Whoſe growing yeres may bere the burden long And longe I praye the Goddes to graunt it ſo: And in your lyfe while you ſhall ſo beholde Their rule, their vertues and their noble deedes, Suche as their kinde behighteth to vs all, Great be the profites that ſhall growe therof, Your age in quiet ſhall the longer laſt, Your laſtynge age ſhalbe their longer ſtaie, For cares of kynges, that rule as you haue rulde For publique wealth and not for priuate ioye, Do waſt mannes lyfe and haſten crooked age, With furrowed face and with enfeebled lymmes, To drawe on creepynge Death a ſwifter pace. They two yet yonge ſhall beare the partie reigne With greater eaſe, than one nowe olde alone Can welde the whole, for whom muche harder is with leſſened ſtrength the double weight to beare Your eye, your Counſell, and the graue regarde Of Fathers, yea of ſuche a fathers name, Nowe at beginning of their ſondred reigne, When it is hazarde of their whole ſucceſſe, Shall bridle ſo their force of youthfull heates, And ſo reſtreine the rage of inſolence, Whiche moſt aſſailes the yonge and noble minds, And ſo ſhall guide and traine in tempred ſtaie Their yet greene bending wittes wt reuerent awe And now inured with vertues at the firſt.