Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas · published 1570 · first performed or written 1562 [Jan 18] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 504 words · other edition — not in the analysis
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 Uoide of such stays as in your life do lie, Shall leave them free to 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 life in joyfulness. Thus think I that your grace hath wisely thought, And that your tender care of common 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 greater 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 hath 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 behoof, 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 cousin's sword in Camberland, Containeth all that whilom did suffice Three noble sons of your forefather Brutus. So your two sons, it may suffice also. 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 them 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 egalness 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 bring delightfulnesse. By vse of vertue, vice shall growe in hate, But if you so dispose it, that the daye, Which endes your life, shall first begin their reigne, Great is the perill what will be the ende, When such beginning of such liberties Uoide of suche stayes as in your life do lye, Shall leaue them free to 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 stayednesse. And in your life their liues disposed so, Shall length your noble life in ioyfulnesse. Thus thinke I that your grace hath wisely thought, And that your tender care of common weale, Hath bred this thought, so to diuide your lande, And plant your sonnes to beare the present rule, While you yet liue to see their rulinge well, That you may longer lyue by ioye therein. What furder meanes behouefull are and meet At greater leisure may your grace deuise, When all haue said, and when we be agreed If this be best to part the realme in twaine, And place your sonnes in present gouernement. Whereof as I haue plainely said my mynde, So woulde I here the rest of all my Lordes, In part I thinke as hath bene said before, In parte agayne my minde is otherwise, As for diuiding of this realme in twaine, And lotting out the same in egall partes, To either of my lordes your graces sounes, That thinke I best for this your realmes behofe, 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 bloudie ciuill fielde Where Morgan slaine did yeld his conquered parte Unto his cosins sworde in Camberland, Conteineth all that whilome did suffice Three noble sonnes of your forefather Brute. So your two sonnes, it maye suffice also. The moe, the stronger, if they gree in one. The smaller compasse that the realme doth holde, The easier is the swey thereof to welde, The nearer Iustice to the wronged poore, The smaller charge, and yet ynoughe for one. And whan the region is diuided so, That brethren be the lordes of either parte, Such strength doth nature knit betwene them 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 noblenesse and glory of the one Doth sharpe the courage of the others mynde, With vertuous enuie to contende for praise. And suche an egaluesse hath nature made, Betwene the brethren of one fathers seede, As an vnkindly wrong it seemes to bee,