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 · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
Custom (O king) shall bring delightfulness By use of Virtue, Vice shall grow in hate, But if you so dispose it, that the day, Which ends your life, shall first begin their reign Great is the peril, what will be the end, When such beginning of such liberties Void of such states as in your lief do lie, Shall leave them to free random of their will An open pray to traitorous flattery, The greatest pestilence of noble youth: Which peril shallbe passed, if in your life, Their tempered youth with aged father's awe Be brought in ure of skilful staidness And in your life, their lives disposed so, Shall length your noble lief in joyfulness. Thus think I that your grace hath wisely thought And that your tender care of comen weal, Hath bred this thought, so to divide your Land And plant your sons to bear the present rule While you yet live to see their ruling well, That you may longer live by joy therein. What further means behoveful are and meet At great leisure may your Grace device, When all have said, and when we be agreed If this be best to part the Realm in twain, And place your sons in present government Whereof as I have plainly said my mind, So would I here the rest of all my Lords. In part I think as have been said before, In part again my mind is otherwise As for dividing of this Realm in twain And lotting out the same in equal parts, To either of my Lords your grace's sons, That think I best for this your realms behalf, For profit and advancement of your sons, And for your comfort and your honour eke: But so to place them while your life do last, To yield to them your Royal governance, To be above them only in the name Of father, not in kingly state also, I think not good for you, for them, nor us, This kingdom since the bloody civil field Where Morgan slain did yield his conquered part Unto his cousins sword in Camberlande Containeth all that whilom did suffice, Three noble sons of your forefather Brute, So your two sons, it may also suffice, The more the stronger, if they 'gree in one: The smaller compass that the Realm doth hold The easier is the sway thereof to weld, The nearer justice to the wronged poor, The smaller charge, and yet enough for one. And when the Region is divided so That Brethren be the Lords of either part, Such strength doth nature knit between the both. In sundry bodies by conjoined love That not as two, but one of doubled force, Each is to other as a sure defence, The Nobleness and glory of the one Doth sharp the courage of the others mind With virtuous envy to contend for praise, And such an equalness hath nature made, Between the Brethren of one Father's seed, As an unkindly wrong it seems to be,
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)
Cuſtome (O king) ſhall bringe delightfulnes By vſe of Vertue, Vice ſhall growe in hate, But if you ſo diſpoſe it, that the daye, Which endes your life, ſhal firſt begin their reign Great is the perill, what will be the ende, When ſuche beginning of ſuche liberties Voide of ſuche ſtates as in your liefe do lye, Shall leaue them to free randon of their will An open praie to traiterous flatterie, The greateſt peſtilence of noble youthe: Whiche perill ſhalbe paſt, if in your life, Their tempred youthe with aged fathers awe Be brought in vre of ſkilfull ſtaidnes And in your life, their liues diſpoſed ſo, Shall length your noble liefe in ioyfulnes. Thus thinke I yt your grace hath wiſelie thought And that your tender care of cōmen weale, Hath bred this thought, ſo to deuide your Lande And plant your ſonnes to beare the preſent rule While you yet liue to ſee their rulynge well, That you may longer lyue by ioye therein. What furder meanes behouefull are and meete At great leiſure maye your Grace deuiſe, When all haue ſaide, and when we be agreed If this be beſt to parte the Realme in twaine, And place your ſonnes in preſent gouernement Whereof as I haue plamely ſaide my mynde, So woulde I here the reſt of all my Lordes. In parte I thinke as haue ben ſaide before, In parte againe my minde is otherwiſe As for deuiding of this Realme in twaine And lotting out the ſame in egall partes, To either of my Lordes your Graces ſonnes, That thinke I beſt for this your Realmes behoſf, For profite and aduauncement of your ſonnes, And for your comforte and your honour eke: But ſo to place them while your life do laſt, To yelde to them your Royall gouernaunce, To be aboue them onely in the name Of father, not in kingly ſtate alſo, I thinke not good for you, for them, nor vs, This kingdome ſince the bloodie ciuill fielde Where Morgan ſlaine did yeld his conquered parte Vnto his Coſyns ſworde in Camberlande Conteineth all that whilome did ſuffice, Three noble ſonnes of your forefather Brute, So your two ſonnes, it maye alſo ſuffice, The moe the ſtronger, if thei gree in one: The ſmaller compaſſe that the Realme doth holde The eaſier is the ſwey therof to welde, The nearer Iuſtice to the wronged poore, The ſmaller charge, and yet ynoughe for one. And whan the Region is deuided ſo That Brethrene be the Lordes of either parte, Such ſtrength doth nature knit betwene the both. In ſondrie bodies by conioyned loue That not as two, but one of doubled force, Eche is to other as a ſure defence, The Noblenes and glorie of the one Doth ſharpe the courage of the others mynde With vertuous enuie to contende for praiſe, And ſuche an egalnes hath nature made, Betwene the Brethren of one Fathers ſeede, As an vnkindlie wronge it ſeemes to bee,