Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas · published 1570 · first performed or written 1562 [Jan 18] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court unassigned nearest T18 Rebels, barons and the king's wars at ho · 478 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T18: king, lord, wallace, earl, edward, england, scotland, rebels, bruce, english.
Their own offence than that they could conceive Such hope of pardon for so foul misdeed, Or for that they their captains could not yield, Who fearing to be yielded fled before, Stolen home by silence of the secret night, The third unhappy and enraged sort Of desperate hearts, who stained in prince's blood From traitorous furor could not be withdrawn By love, by law, by grace, ne yet by fear, By proffered life, ne yet by threatened death, With minds hopeless of life, dreadless of death, Careless of country, and aweless of God, Stood bend to fight, as furies did them move, With violent death to close their traitorous life. These all by power of horsemen were oppressed, And with revenging sword slain in the field, Or with the strangling cord hanged on the tree, Where yet their carrion carcases do preach The fruits that rebels reap of their uproars, And of the murder of their sacred prince. But lo, where do approach the noble dukes, By whom these tumults have been thus appeased. I think the world will now at length beware And fear to put on arms against their prince. If not? those traitorous hearts that dare rebel, Let them behold the wide and hugy fields With blood and bodies spread of rebels slain, The lofty trees clothed with the corpses dead That strangled with the cord do hung thereon. A just reward, such as all times before Have ever lotted to those wretched folks. But what means he that cometh here so fast? My lords, as duty and my troth doth move And of my country work a care in me, That if the spending of my breath availed To do the service that my heart desires, I would not shun to embrace a present death: So have I now in that wherein I thought My travail might perform some good effect, Uentred my life to bring these tidings here. the mighty duke of Albany Is now in arms and lodgeth in the field With twenty thousand men, hither he bends His speedy march, and minds to invade the crown, Daily he gathereth strength, and spreads abroad That to this realm no certain heir remains, That Britain land is left without a guide, That he the sceptre seeks, for nothing else But to preserve the people and the land, Which now remain as ship without a stern. Lo this is that which I have here to say. Is this his faith? and shall he falsely thus Abuse the vantage of unhappy times? O wretched land, if his outrageous pride, His cruel and untempered wilfulness, His deep dissembling shows of false pretence, Should once attain the crown of Britain land. Let us my lords, with timely force resist The new attempt of this our common foe, As we would quench the flames of common fire.
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)
Their owne offence than that they could conceiue Such hope of pardon for so foule misdede, Or for that they their captaines could not yeld, Who fearing to be yelded fled before, Stale home by silence of the secret night, The thirde vnhappy and enraged sort Of desperate hartes, who stained in princes bloud From trayterous furour could not be withdrawen By loue, by law, by grace, ne yet by feare, By proffered life, ne yet by threatned death, With mindes hopelesse of life, dreadlesse of death, Carelesse of countrey, and awelesse of God, Stoode bent to fight, as furies did them moue, With violent death to close their traiterous life. These all by power of horsemen were opprest, And with reuenging sworde slayne in the field, Or with the strangling cord hangd on the tree, Where yet their carryen carcases do preach The fruites that rebelles reape of their vproares, And of the murder of their sacred prince. But loe, where do approche the noble dukes, By whom these tumults haue ben thus appeasde. I thinke the world will now at length beware And feare to put on armes agaynst their prince. If not? those trayterous hartes that dare rebell, Let them beholde the wide and hugie fieldes With bloud and bodies spread of rebelles slayne, The lofty trees clothed with the corpses dead That strangled with the corde do hang theron. A iust rewarde, such as all times before Haue euer lotted to those wretched folkes. But what meanes he that commeth here so fast? My lordes, as dutie and my trouth doth moue And of my countrey worke a care in mee, That if the spending of my breath auailed To do the seruice that my hart desires, I would not shunne to imbrace a present death: So haue I now in that wherein I thought My trauayle mought performe some good effect, Uentred my life to bring these tydinges here. the mightie duke of Albanye Is now in armes and lodgeth in the fielde With twentie thousand men, hether he bendes His spedy marche, and mindes to inuade the crowne, Dayly he gathereth strength, and spreads abrode That to this realme no certeine heire remaines, That Brittayne land is left without a guide, That he the scepter seekes, for nothing els But to preserue the people and the land, Which now remaine as ship without a sterne. Loe this is that which I haue here to say. Is this his fayth? and shall he falsely thus Abuse the vauntage of vnhappie times? O wretched land, if his outragious pride, His cruell and vntempred wilfulness, His deepe dissembling shewes of false pretence, Should once attaine the crowne of Brittaine land. Let vs my lordes, with timely force resist The new attempt of this our common foe, As we would quench the flames of common fire.