Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas · published 1570 · first performed or written 1562 [Jan 18] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court unassigned nearest T53 The crown: kingship claimed, resigned an · 491 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T53: crown, king, state, life, lord, lords, live, queen, tullia, prince.
Though we remain without a certain prince, To wield the realm or guide the wandering rule, Yet now the common mother of us all, Our native land, our country, that contains Our wives, children, kindred, ourselves and all That ever is or may be dear to man, Cries unto us to help ourselves and her, Let us advance our powers to repress This growing foe of all our liberties. Yea let us so, my lords, with hasty speed. And ye (O Gods) sand us the welcome death, To shed our blood in field, and leave us not In loathsome life to longer out our days, To see the hugy heaps of these unhaps, That now roll down upon the wretched land, Where empty place of princely governance, No certain stay now left of doubtless heir, Thus leave this guideless realm an open pray, To endless storms and waste of civil war. That ye (my lords) do so agreed in one, To save your country from the violent reign And wrongfully usurped tyranny Of him that threatens conquest of you all, To save your realm, and in this realm yourselves, From foreign thraldom of so proud a prince, Much do I praise, and I beseech the Gods, With happy honour to requited it you. But (O my lords) sith now the heavens wrath Hath reft this land the issue of their prince, Sigh of the body of our late sovereign lord Remains no more, since the young kings be slain, And of the title of descended crown Uncertainly the diverse minds do think Even of the learned sort, and more uncertainly Will partial fancy and affection deem: But most uncertainly will climbing pride And hope of reign withdraw to sundry parts The doubtful right and hopeful lust to reign: When once this noble service is achieved For Britain land the mother of ye all, When once ye have with armed force repressed The proud attempts of this Albanian prince, That threatens thraldom to your native land, When ye shall vanquishers return from field, And find the princely state an open pray To greedy lust and to usurping power, Then, then (my lords) if ever kindly care Of ancient honour of your ancestors, Of present wealth and noblesse of your stocks, Yea of the lives and safety yet to come Of your dear wives, your children, and yourselves, Might move your noble hearts with gentle ruth, Then, then, have pity on the torn estate, Then help to salve the well-near hopeless sore Which ye shall do, if ye yourselves withhold The slaying knife from your own mother's throat. Her shall you save, and you, and yours in her, If ye shall all with one assent forbear Once to lay hand or take unto yourselves The crown, by colour of pretended right, Or by what other means so ever it be, Till first by common counsel of you all In Parliament the regal diadem
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Though we remaine without a certain prince, To weld the realme or guide the wandring rule, Yet now the common mother of vs all, Our natiue land, our countrey, that conteines Our wiues, children, kindred, our selues and all That euer is or may be deare to man, Cries vnto vs to helpe our selues and her, Let vs aduaunce our powers to represse This growing foe of all our liberties. Yea let vs so, my lordes, with hasty speede. And ye (O Goddes) send vs the welcome death, To shed our bloud in field, and leaue vs not In lothesome life to lenger out our dayes, To see the hugie heapes of these vnhappes, now roll downe vpon the wretched land, Where emptie place of princely gouernaunce, No certaine stay now left of doubtlesse heire, Thus leaue this guidelesse realme an open pray, To endlesse stormes and waste of ciuill warre. That ye (my lordes) do so agree in one, To saue your countrey from the violent reigne And wrongfully vsurped tyrannie Of him that threatens conquest of you all, To saue your realme, and in this realme your selues, From forreine thraldome of so proud a prince, Much do I prayse, and I besech the Goddes, With happy honour to requite it you. But (O my lordes) sith now the heauens wrath Hath reft this land the issue of their prince, Sith of the body of our late soueraigne lorde Remaines no moe, since the yong kinges be slaine, And of the title of discended crowne Uncertainly the diuerse mindes do thinke Euen of the learned sort, and more vncertainly Will parciall fancie and affection deeme: But most vncertainly will climbing pride And hope of reigne withdraw to sundry partes The doubtfull right and hopefull lust to reigne: When once this noble seruice is atchieued For Brittaine land the mother of ye all, When once ye haue with armed force represt The proude attemptes of this Albanian prince, That threatens thraldome to your natiue land, When ye shall vanquishers returne from field, And finde the princely state an open pray To gredie lust and to vsurping power, Then, then (my lordes) if euer kindly care Of auncient honour of your auncesters, Of present wealth and noblesse of your stockes, Yea of the liues and safetie yet to come Of your deare wiues, your children, and your selues, Might moue your noble hartes with gentle ruth, Then, then, haue pitie on the torne estate, Then helpe to salue the welneare hopelesse sore Which ye shall do, if ye your selues withholde The slaying knife from your owne mothers throate. Her shall you saue, and you, and yours in her, If ye shall all with one assent forbeare Once to lay hand or take vnto your selues The crowne, by colour of pretended right, Or by what other meanes so euer it be, Till first by common counsell of you all In Parliament the regall diademe