Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1611 (Annals) tragedy · King's Men T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.86 · 515 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
This it is. You here dispute, on kinds of punishment, And stand consulting, what you should decree 'Gainst those, of whom, you rather should beware, This mischief is not like those common facts, Which, when they are done, the laws may prosecute. But this, if you provide not, ere it happen, When it is happened, will not wait your judgement. Good CAIUS CAESAR, here, hath very well, And subtly discoursed of life, and death, As if he thought those things, a pretty fable, That are delivered us of hell, and furies, Or of the divers way, that ill men go From good, to filthy, dark, and ugly places. And therefore, he would have these live; and long too; But far from Rome, and in the small free towns, Lest, here, they might have rescue: As if men, Fit for such acts, were only in the city, And not throughout all Italie? or, that boldness Could not do more, where it found least resistance? 'Tis a vain counsel, if he think them dangerous. Which, if he do not, but that he alone, In so great fear of all men, stand unfrighted, He gives me cause, and you, more to fear him. I am plain, Fathers. Here you look about, One at another, doubting what to do; With faces, as you trusted to the gods, That still have saved you; and they can do't: But, They are not wishings, or base womanish prayers, Can draw their aides; but vigilance, counsel, action: Which they will be ashamed to forsake. 'Tis sloth they hate, and cowardice. Here, you have The traitors in your houses, yet, you stand, Fearing what to do with 'em; Let 'em lose, And send 'em hence with arms, too; that your mercy May turn your misery, as soon as't can. O, but they, are great men, and have offended, But, through ambition. We would spare their honour: ay, if themselves had spared it, or their fame, Or modesty, or either god, or man: Then I would spare 'em. But, as things now stand, Fathers, to spare these men, were to commit A greater wickedness, than you would revenge. If there had been but time, and place, for you, To have repaired this fault, you should have made it; It should have been your punishment, to have felt Your tardy error: but necessity, Now, bids me say, let 'em not live an hour, If you mean Rome should live a day. I have done. CATO hath spoken like an oracle. Let it be so decreed. We are all fearful. And had been base, had not his virtue raised us. Go forth, most worthy Consul, we'll assist you. I'm not yet changed in my sentence, Fathers. No matter. What be those? Letters, for CAESAR. From whom? let 'em be read, in open Senate; Fathers, they come from the conspirators. I crave to have 'em read, for the republic. CATO, read you it. 'Tis a love-letter, From your dear sister, to me: though you hate me. Do not discover it. Hold thee, drunkard. Consul. Go forth, and confidently.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2401–2465 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 35 of 37 in this edition
Length
515 words · 720 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T2 — Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil warcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.856 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T1 · seed 44: T2 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
This it is. You here dispute, on kinds of punishment, And stand consulting, what you should decree 'Gainst those, of whom, you rather should beware, This mischiefe is not like those common facts, Which, when they are done, the lawes may prosequute. But this, if you prouide not, ere it happen, When it is happen'd, will not wait your iudgement. Good CAIVS CAESAR, here, hath very well, And subtilly discours'd of life, and death, As if he thought those things, a prettie fable, That are deliuer'd vs of hell, and furies, Or of the diuers way, that ill men goe From good, to filthy, darke, and vgly places. And therefore, he would haue these liue; and long too; But farre from Rome, and in the small free townes, Lest, here, they might haue rescue: As if men, Fit for such acts, were only in the citie, And not throughout all Italie? or, that boldnesse Could not doe more, where it found least resistance? 'Tis a vaine counsaile, if he thinke them dangerous. Which, if he doe not, but that he alone, In so great feare of all men, stand vn-frighted, He giues me cause, and you, more to feare him. I am plaine, Fathers. Here you looke about, One at another, doubting what to doe; With faces, as you trusted to the gods, That still haue sau'd you; and they can do't: But, They are not wishings, or base womanish prayers, Can draw their aides; but vigilance, counsell, action: Which they will be ashamed to forsake. 'Tis sloth they hate, and cowardise. Here, you haue The traytors in your houses, yet, you stand, Fearing what to doe with 'hem; Let 'hem loose, And send 'hem hence with armes, too; that your mercie May turne your miserie, as soone as't can. O, but they, are great men, and haue offended, But, through ambition. We would spare their honor: I, if themselues had spar'd it, or their fame, Or modestie, or either god, or man: Then I would spare 'hem. But, as things now stand, Fathers, to spare these men, were to commit A greater wickednesse, then you would reuenge. If there had beene but time, and place, for you, To haue repair'd this fault, you should haue made it; It should haue beene your punishment, to'haue felt Your tardie error: but necessitie, Now, bids me say, let 'hem not liue an houre, If you meane Rome should liue a day. I haue done. CATO hath spoken like an oracle. Let it be so decreed. We are all fearefull. And had beene base, had not his vertue rais'd vs. Goe forth, most worthy Consul, wee'll assist you. I'am not yet chang'd in my sentence, Fathers. No matter. What be those? Letters, for CAESAR. From whom? let 'hem be read, in open Senate; Fathers, they come from the conspirators. I craue to haue 'hem read, for the republique. CATO, reade you it. 'Tis a loue-letter, From your deare sister, to me: though you hate me. Doe not discouer it. Hold thee, drunkard. Consul. Goe forth, and confidently.