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 · 500 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
The strength that knit by last accord in one Against all foreign power of mighty foes, Could of itself defend itself alone, Disjoined once, the former force doth lose The sticks, that sundered broke so soon in twain In faggot bound attempted were in vain. Oft tender mind that leads the partial eye Of erring parents in their children's love, Destroys the wrongful loved child thereby: This doth the proud son of Apollo prove, Who rashly set in Chariot of his sire: Inflamed the perched earth with heavens fire. And this great king, that doth divide his land, And changed the course of his descending crown And yields the reign into his children's hand From blissful state of joy and great renown, A Mirror shall become to Princes all To learn to shun the cause of such a fall. I Marvel much what reason lead the king My father thus without all my desert To reave me half the kingdom which by course Of law and nature should remain to me. If you with stubborn and untamed pride Had stood against him in rebellious wise, Or if with grudging mind you had envied So slow a sliding of his aged years, Or sought before your time to haste the course Of fatal death upon his Royal head, Or stained your Stock with murder of your kin: Some face of reason might perhaps have seemed To yield some likely cause to spoil ye thus. The wreakful God's power on my cursed head, Eternal plagues and never dying woes, The Hellish Prince, adjudge my dampned ghost To Tantalus thirst, or proud Ixion's wheel Or cruel Gripe to gnaw my growing heart To during torments and unquenched flames If ever I conceived so foul a thought, To wish his end of life, or yet of reign. Ne yet your father (O most noble Prince) Did ever think so foul a thing of you For he with more than father's tender love While yet the fates do lend him life to rule, (Who long might live to so your ruling well) To you my Lord, and to his other son Lo he resigns his Realm and Royalty Which never would so wise a Prince have done If he had ones misdemed that in your heart There ever lodged so unkind a thought. But tender love (my Lord) and settled trust Of your good nature, and your noble mind Made him to place you thus in Royal throne And now to give you half his realm to guide Yea and that half within abounding store Of things that serve to make a wealthy Realm In stately Cities and in fruitful soil, In temperate breathing of the milder heaven, In things of needful use, which friendly Sea transports by traffic from the foreign Ports, In flowing wealth, in honour and in force, Doth pass the double value of the part That Porrex hath allotted to his reign, Such is your ease, such is your father's love.
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)
The ſtrength that knit by laſte accorde in one Againſt all forrein power of mightie foes, Could of it ſelfe defende it ſelfe alone, Diſioyned once, the former force doth loſe The ſtickes, that ſondred brake ſo ſoone in twaine In faggot bounde attempted were in vaine. Oft tender minde that leades the perciall eye Of erringe parentes in their childrens loue, Deſtroies the wrongfull loued childe therby: This doth the proude ſonne of Appollo proue, Who raſſhely ſet in Chariot of his ſire: Inflamed the perched earth with heauens fire. And this great king, that doth deuide his land, And chaunged the courſe of his diſcending crowne And yeldes the reigne into his childrens hande From bliſfull ſtate of ioye and great renowne, A Myrrour ſhall become to Princes all To learne to ſhunne the cauſe of ſuche a fall. I Meruaile muche what reaſon leade the kynge My father thus without all my deſarte To reue me halfe y• kingdome which by courſe Of lawe and nature ſhuld remayne to me. If you with ſtubborne and vntamed pryde Had ſtood againſt him in rebellious wiſe, Or if with grudging minde you had enuied So ſlowe a ſlidynge of his aged yeres, Or ſought before your time to haſte the courſe Of fatall death vpon his Royall head, Or ſtained your Stocke with murder of your kyn: Some face of reaſon might perhaps haue ſeemed To yelde ſome likely cauſe to ſpoile ye thus. The wrekefull Gods powre on my curſed head, Eternall plagues and neuer dyinge woes, The Helliſh Prince, adiudge my dampned ghoſte To Tantalus thirſte, or proude Ixims wheele Or cruell Gripe to gnawe my growing harte To durynge tormentes and vnquenched flames If euer I conceiued ſo foule a thought, To wiſſhe his ende of life, or yet of reigne. Ne yet your father (O moſt noble Prince) Did euer thinke ſo fowle a thing of you For he with more than fathers tendre loue While yet the fates do lende him life to rule, (Who long might lyue to ſo your rulynge well) To you my Lorde, and to his other ſonne Lo he reſignes his Realme and Royaltie Whiche neuer would ſo wiſe a Prince haue done If he had ones miſdemed that in your harte There euer lodged ſo vnkinde a thought. But tendre loue (my Lorde) and ſetled truſte Of your good nature, and your nable minde Made him to place you thus in Royall throne And now to geue you half his realme to guide Yea and that halfe within abounding ſtore Of things that ſerue to make a welthie Realme In ſtatelie Cities and in frutefull ſoyle, In temperate breathing of the milder heauen, In thinges of nedefull vſe, whiche frendlie Sea Tranſportes by traffike from the forreine Portes, In flowing wealth, in honour and in force, Doth paſſe the double value of the parte That Porrex hath alloted to his reigne, Suche is your eaſe, ſuche is your fathers loue.