Gomersall, Robert · published 1633 · first performed or written 1628 [1622-1628] (Annals) tragedy T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi typicality 0.80 · 547 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
SOme what beyond an end? and can there be Tediousness counted an Apology? It was prolixity of speech offended, And can that error by more speech be mended? Your patience stints the wonder: that is it Hath dared us to be public, and to fit These times of tempest, with a blustering scene. If aught do please, if we have hit the mean, That neither cloys the Auditor, nor starves, Felicity hath crowned us; if aught swarves From plausible invention, know 'twas it Which we intent, which is in stead of wit. Tears grace a Tragedy and we are glad To have the happy power to make you sad, Continue it, and our applause is high, Not from your Hand so much; as from your eye. TEll me, mortals, if there be Aught beside stupidity Hidden in you at the least, If you are not all one beast Wherhfore do you cloud your face If you want the chiefest place? Why do you respect? O why? Not how good 'tis, but how high? Would you all be Kings? o vain. This is but to entertain Such desires, that you may fear, Lest the heaven should lend an ear, Lest you have what you desired, And in your own bogs be mired. Height is baseness, if it be leveled by Equality, And the Earth were a plain still, If it were but one great hill. Would you all be Kings? as though Standing pool should wish to flow, Or a river make his plea To exceed into a Sea: As if of the stars not one, But should strive to be the Sun, Or the Lark would partner be In the Eagles sovereignty. Would you not be mad to see, If a beast, a stone, a tree To the heavenly powers ran Angry that they were not man? Nay in us consider well To what Monsters we should swell, If but any Part should be Of the Man's infirmity. What should lead, or what be led, If the feet were made the Head? What should speak, or what should see, If this itch of Majesty Made the mouth, for being nigh, Beg advancement to the eye. Would you all be Kings, poor men! Wish, what you would wish again, Which within your thoughts dares bide, And's not fearful to be tried. What's a King, consider well, But the public Sentinel? But a Beacon, which we find Highly subject to the wind: And can any still desire To be worse, so he be higher? Are you weary of your sleep, Can you count it bliss, to creep, To take pains unto that height, Whence your fall may gain a weight, Would you all be Kings? you may, Every man hath regal sway, And 'tis this the fault does bear, Not that he commands, but where. Do thy thoughts rebel? would Pride Have thy worst acts magnified? Does Ambition make thee flee To forbidden Sovereignty. Know it is a braver way To forbid, then to obey: Know it is a nobler deed, To give over, then to speed. Were this all? would every one But command himself alone, But command his own desire, From the thought of rising higher: It would not be a grief to see An universal Monarchy.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 2103–2190 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 33 of 33 in this edition
Length
547 words · 699 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiaecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.801 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T25 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
SOme what beyond an end? and can there be Tediousnesse counted an Apology? It was prolixity of speech offended, And can that error by more speech be mended? Your patience stints the wonder: that is it Hath dar'd us to be publike, and to fit These times of tempest, with a blustering scene. If ought doe please, if we have hit the meane, That neither cloyes the Auditor, nor starves, Felicity hath crown'd us; if ought swarves From plausible invention, know 'twas it VVhich we intend, which is in stead of wit. Teares grace a Tragedy and we are glad To have the happy power to make you sad, Continue it, and our applause is high, Not from your Hand so much; as from your eye. TEll me, mortalls, if there be Ought beside stupidity Hidden in you at the least, If you are not all one beast VVherefore doe you cloud your face If you want the chiefest place? VVhy doe you respect? O why? Not how good 'tis, but how high? VVould you all be Kings? ô vaine. This is but to entertaine Such desires, that you may feare, Lest the heav'n should lend an eare, Lest you have what you desir'd, And in your owne bogges be myr'd. Height is basenesse, if it be Level'd by Aquality, And the Earth were a plaine still, If it were but one great hill. VVould you all be Kings? as though Standing poole should wish to flow, Or a river make his plea To exceed into a Sea: As if of the stars not one, But should strive to be the Sun, Or the Larke would partner be In the Eagles soveraignty. VVould you not be mad to see, If a beast, a stone, a tree To the heav'nly powers ran Angry that they were not man? Nay in us consider well To what Monsters we should swell, If but any Part should be Of the Mans infirmity. VVhat should lead, or what be led, If the feet were made the Head? VVhat should speake, or what should see, If this itch of Majesty Made the mouth, for being nigh, Beg advancement to the eye. Would you all be Kings, poore men! Wish, what you would wish agen, Which within your thoughts dares bide, And's not fearfull to be try'd. What's a King, consider well, But the publike Sentinell? But a Beacon, which we find Highly subject to the wind: And can any still desire To be worse, so he be higher? Are you weary of your sleepe, Can you count it blisse, to creepe, To take paines unto that height, Whence your fall may gaine a weight, Would you all be Kings? you may, Every man hath regall sway, And 'tis this the fault does beare, Not that he commands, but where. Doe thy thoughts rebell? would Pride Have thy worst acts magnifi'd? Does Ambition make thee flee To forbidden Sov'raignty. Know it is a braver way To forbid, then to obey: Know it is a nobler deed, To give over, then to speed. Were this all? would every one But command himselfe alone, But command his owne desire, From the thought of rising higher: It would not be a griefe to see An universall Monarchy.