Dekker, Thomas / Massinger, Philip · published 1622 · first performed or written 1620 [licensed for stage, Oct 6; revised and re-licensed for stage, Jul 7, 1624] (Annals) tragedy · Red Bull (Revels) Company (first) T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.78 · 458 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
Thou deserv'st thy place, Still hold it and with honour, things thus ordered Touching the gods 'tis lawful to descend To human cares, and exercise that power Heaven has conferred upon me, which that you Rebels and traitors to the power of Rome Should not with all extremities undergo, What can you urge to qualify your crimes Or mitigate my anger? We are now Slaves to thy power, that yesterday were kings, And had command o'er others, we confess Our grandsires paid yours tribute, yet left us As their forefathers had desire of freedom. And if you Romans hold it glorious honour Not only to defend what is your own, But to enlarge your Empire, (though our fortune Denies that happiness) who can accuse The famished mouth if it attempt to feed, Or such whose fetters eat into their freedoms, If they desire to shake them off. We stand The last examples to prove how uncertain All humane happiness is, and are prepared To endure the worst. That spoke which now is highest In Fortune's wheel, must when she turns it next Decline as low as we are. This considered Taught the Egyptian Hercules Sesostris (That had his chariot drawn by captive kings) To free them from that slavery, but to hope Such mercy from a Roman, were mere madness. We are familiar with what cruelty Room since her infant greatness, ever used Such as she triumphed over, age nor sex Exempted from her tyranny: sceptred Princes Kept in your common dungeons, and their children! In scorn trained up in base Mechanic arts For public bondmen; in the catalogue Of those unfortunate men, we expect to have Our names remembered. In all growing Empires e'en cruelty is useful, some must suffer And be set up examples to strike terror In others though far off but when a State Is raised to her perfection, and her Bases Too firm, to shrink, or yield, we may use mercy And do't with safety, but to whom? not cowards? Or such whose baseness shames the conqueror, And robs him of his victory, as weak Perseus Did great AEmilius. Know therefore kings Of Epire, Pontus, and of Macedon, That I with courtesy can use my prisoners As well as make them mine by force, provided That they are noble enemies: such I found you Before I made you mine, and since you were so, You have not lost the courages of Princes, Although the Fortune: had you borne yourselves dejectedly, and base, no slavery Had been too easy for you, but such is The power of noble valour, that we love it e'en in our enemies, and taken with it, Desire to make them friends, as I will you. Mock us not Caesar.
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)
Thou deseru'st thy place, Still hold it and with honor, things thus orderd Touching the gods tis lawfull to descend To human cares, and exercise that power Heauen has conferd vpon me, which that you Rebels and traytors to the power of Rome Should not with all extremities vndergoe, What can you vrge to qualifie your crimes Or mitigate my anger? We are now Slaues to thy power, that yesterday were kings, And had command ore others, we confesse Our grandsires payd yours tribute, yet left vs As their forefathers had desire of freedome. And if you Romans hold it glorious honor Not onely to defend what is your owne, But to enlarge your Empire, (though our fortune Denies that happinesse) who can accuse The famishd mouth if it attempt to feed, Or such whose fetters eate into their freedomes, If they desire to shake them off. We stand The last examples to proue how vncertaine All humane happinesse is, and are prepard To endure the worst. That spoake which now is highest In Fortunes wheele, must when she turns it next Decline as low as we are. This consider'd Taught the Egyptian Hercules Sesostris (That had his chariot drawne by captiue kings) To free them from that slauery, but to hope Such mercy from a Roman, were meere madnesse. We are familiar with what cruelty Roome since her infant greatnesse, euer vsde Such as she triumphd ouer, age nor sexe Exempted from her tyranny: scepterd Princes Kept in your common dungeons, and their children! In scorne traind vp in base Mechanicke arts For publicke bondmen; in the catologue Of those vnfortunate men, we exspect to haue Our names remembred. In all growing Empires Eu'n cruelty is vsefull, some must suffer And be set vp examples to strike terror In others though far of but when a State Is raysde to her perfection, and her Bases Too firme, to shrinke, or yeeld, we may vse mercy And do't with safety, but to whom? not cowards? Or such whose basenesse shames the conqueror, And robs him of his victorie, as weake Perseus Did great AEmilius. Know therefore kings Of Epire, Pontus, and of Macedon, That I with courtesie can vse my prisoners As well as make them mine by force, prouided That they are noble enemies: such I found you Before I made you mine, and since you were so, You haue not lost the courages of Princes, Although the Fortune: had you borne your selues Deiectedly, and base, no slauery Had beene too easie for you, but such is The power of noble valour, that we loue it Eu'n in our enemies, and taken with it, Desire to make them friends, as I will you. Mocke vs not Caesar.