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 · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
Your wonted true regard of faithful hearts, Makes me (O king) the bolder to presume To speak what I conceive within my breast, Although the same do not agree at all With that which other here my Lords have said Nor which yourself have seemed best to like, Pardon I crave and that my words be deemed To flow from hearty zeal unto your Grace, And to the safety of your common weal: To part your Realm unto my Lords your sons I think not good for you, ne yet for them, But worst of all, for this our Native Land: For with one Land, one single rule is best: Divided Reigns do make divided hearts. But Peace preserves the Country & the Prince. such is in man the greedy mind to reign, So great is his desire to climb aloft, In worldly Stage the stateliest parts to bear, That faith and justice and all kindly love, Do yield unto desire of Sovereignty: Where equal state doth raise an equal hope To win the thing that either would attain Your grace remembreth how in passed years The mighty Brute, first Prince of all this Land Possessed the same and ruled it well in one, He thinking that the compass did suffice For his three sons, three kingdoms eke to make Cut it in three, as you would now in twain: But how much Brutish blood hath sithence been spilled To join again the sundered unity? What Princes slain before their timely honour? What waste of towns and people in the Land? What Treasons heaped on murders & on spoils? Whose just revenge even yet is scarcely ceased, ruthful remembrance is yet had in mind: The Gods forbid the like to chance again And you (O king) give not the cause thereof: My Lord Ferrex your elder son, perhaps Whom kind and custom gives a rightful hope To be your Heir and to succeed your Reign, Shall think that he doth suffer greater wrong Than he perchance will bear, if power serve Porrex the younger so unpoised in state, Perhaps in courage will be raised also, If Flattery then which sails not to assail The tender minds of yet unskilful Youth, In one shall kindle and increase disdain: And Envy in the other's heart inflame, This fire shall waste their love, their lives, their land, And ruthful ruin shall destroy them both, A wish not this (O king) so to befall But fear the thing, that I do most abhor Give no beginning to so dreadful end, Keep them in order and obedience: And let them both by now obeying you, Learn such behaviour as beseems their state. The Older, mildness in his governance, The younger, a yielding contentedness: And keep them near unto your presence still, That they restrained by the awe of you, May live in compass of well tempered stay, And pass the perils of their youthful years, Your aged life draws on to feebler time, Wherein you shall less able be to bear The travails that in youth you have sustained
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)
Your wonted true regarde of faithfull hartes, Makes me (O kinge) the bolder to preſume To ſpeake what I conceiue within my breſt, Althoughe the ſame do not agree at all With that whiche other here my Lords haue ſaid Nor whiche your ſelfe haue ſeemed beſt to lyke, Pardon I craue and that my wordes be deemde To flowe from hartie zeale vnto your Grace, And to the ſafetie of your cōmon weale: To parte your Realme vnto my Lords your ſōnes I thinke not good for you, ne yet for them, But worſte of all, for this our Natiue Lande: For with one Lande, one ſingle rule is beſt: Deuided Reignes do make deuided hartes. But Peace preſerues the Countrey & the Prince. Suche is in man the gredie minde to reigne, So great is his deſire to climbe alofte, In worldly Stage the ſtatelieſt partes to beare, That faith and Iuſtice and all kindly loue, Do yelde vnto deſire of Soueraigntie: Where egall ſtate doth raiſe an egall hope To winne the thing that either wold attaine Your grace remembreth howe in paſſed yeres The mightie Brute, firſt Prince of all this Lande Poſſeſſed the ſame and ruled it well in one, He thinking that the compaſſe did ſuffice For his three ſonnes, three kingdoms eke to make Cut it in three, as you would nowe in twaine: But how much Brutiſh blod hath ſithence bē ſpilt To ioyne againe the ſondred vnitie? What Princes ſlaine before their timely honour? What waſt of townes and people in the Lande? What Treaſons heaped on murders & on ſpoiles? Whoſe iuſt reuenge euen yet is ſcarcely ceaſed, Ruthefull remembraunce is yet had in minde: The Gods forbyd the like to chaunce againe And you (O king) geue not the cauſe therof: My Lorde Ferrex your elder ſonne, perhappes Whome kinde and cuſtome geues a rightfull hope To be your Heire and to ſuccede your Reigne, Shall thinke that he doth ſuffre greater wronge Than he perchaunce will beare, if power ſerue Porrex the younger ſo vnpaiſed in ſtate, Perhappes in courage will be raiſed alſo, If Flatterie then whiche ſayles not to aſſaile▪ The tendre mindes of yet vnſkilfull Youthe, In one ſhall kindle and encreaſe diſdaine: And Enuie in the others harte enflame, This fire ſhall waſte their loue, their liues, their land, And rutheful ruine ſhal deſtroy them both, A wiſſhe not this (O kyng) ſo to befall But feare the thing, that I do moſt abhorre Geue no beginning to ſo dreadfull ende, Kepe them in order and obedience: And let them both by nowe obeyinge you, Learne ſuche behauiour as beſeemes their ſtate. The Older, myldenes in his gouernaunce, The younger, a yeldyng contentednes: And kepe them neare vnto your preſence ſtill, That they reſtreined by the awe of you, Maye liue in compaſſe of well tempred ſtaie, And paſſe the perilles of their youthfull yeares, Your aged life drawes on to febler tyme, Wherin you ſhall leſſe able be to beare The trauailes that in youth you haue ſuſteined