Caesar and Pompey (The Wars of Caesar and Pompey) · chunk 6 of 34
Chapman, George · published 1631 · first performed or written 1605 [1602-1605; Act 2, sc. 1 written 1610-1611(?)] (Annals) tragedy · Unacted (?) · Blackfriars unassigned nearest T25 Kings, power and law: political sententi · 492 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T25: feare, kings, power, princes, lawes, loue, state, downe, honor, men.
I have it Sir, in memory, and will speak it. Thou shalt be dumb as soon. Pull down this Cato, Author of factions, and to prison with him. Come down Sir. Hence ye mercenary Ruffians. What outrage show you? sheath your insolent swords, Or be proclaimed your country's foes and traitors. How insolent a part was this in you, To offer the imprisonment of Cato? When there is right in him (were form so answered With terms and place) to send us both to prison? If, of our own ambitions, we should offer Th'entry of our armies; for who knows That, of us both, the best friend to his Country, And freest from his own particular ends; (Being in his power) would not assume the Empire, And having it, could rule the State so well As now 'tis governed, for the common good? Accuse yourself, Sir, (if your conscience urge it) Or of ambition, or corruption, Or insufficiency to rule the Empire, And sound not me with your Lead. Lead? 'tis Gold, And spirit of Gold too; to the politic dross With which false Caesar sounds men; and for which His praise and honour crowns them; who sounds not The inmost sand of Caesar? for but sand Is all the rope of your great parts affected. You speak well, and are learned; and golden speech Did Nature never give man; but to guild A copper soul in him; and all that learning That heartily is spent in painting speech, Is merely painted, and no solid knowledge. But y'ave another praise for temperance, Which nought commends your free choice to be temperate For so you must be; at least in your meals, Since y'ave a malady that ties you to it; For fear of daily falls in your aspirings. And your disease the gods ne'er gave to man; But such a one, as had a spirit too great For all his bodies passages to serve it, Which notes th'excess of your ambition. The malady chancing where the pores and passages Through which the spirit of a man is borne, So narrow are, and straight, that oftentimes They intercept it quite, and choke it up. And yet because the greatness of it notes A heat mere fleshly, and of bloods rank fire, Goats are of all beasts subject'st to it most. yourself might have it then, if those faults cause it; But deals this man ingeniously, to tax Men with a frailty that the gods inflict? The gods inflict on men, diseases never, Or other outward maims; but to decipher, Correct, and order some rude vice within them: And why decipher they it, but to make Men note, and shun, and tax it to th'extreme? Nor will I see my Country's hopes abused, In any man commanding in her Empire; If my more trial of him, makes me see more Into his intricacies; and my freedom Hath spirit to speak more, than observers servile.
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)
I haue it Sir, in memory, and will ſpeake it. Thou ſhalt be dumbe as ſoone. Pull downe this Cato, Author of factions, and to priſon with him. Come downe Sir. Hence ye mercenary Ruffians. What outrage ſhew you? ſheath your inſolent ſwords, Or be proclaim'd your Countreys foes and traytors. How inſolent a part was this in you, To offer the impriſonment of Cato? When there is right in him (were forme ſo anſwer'd With termes and place) to ſend vs both to priſon? If, of our owne ambitions, we ſhould offer Th'entry of our armies; for who knowes That, of vs both, the beſt friend to his Country, And freeſt from his owne particular ends; (Being in his power) would not aſſume the Empire, And hauing it, could rule the State ſo well As now 'tis gouer'nd, for the common good? Accuſe your ſelfe, Sir, (if your conſcience vrge it) Or of ambition, or corruption, Or inſufficiency to rule the Empire, And ſound not me with your Lead. Lead? tis Gold, And ſpirit of Gold too; to the politique droſſe With which falſe Caeſar ſounds men; and for which His praiſe and honour crownes them; who ſounds not The inmoſt ſand of Caeſar? for but ſand Is all the rope of your great parts affected. You ſpeake well, and are learn'd; and golden ſpeech Did Nature neuer giue man; but to guild A copper ſoule in him; and all that learning That heartily is ſpent in painting ſpeech, Is merely painted, and no ſolid knowledge. But y'aue another praiſe for temperance, Which nought commends your free choice to be temperate· For ſo you muſt be; at leaſt in your meales, Since y'aue a malady that tyes you to it; For feare of daily fals in your aſpirings. And your diſeaſe the gods nere gaue to man; But ſuch a one, as had a ſpirit too great For all his bodies paſſages to ſerue it, Which notes th'exceſſe of your ambition. The malady chancing where the pores and paſſages Through which the ſpirit of a man is borne, So narrow are, and ſtraight, that oftentimes They intercept it quite, and choake it vp. And yet becauſe the greatneſſe of it notes A heat mere fleſhly, and of bloods ranck fire, Goates are of all beaſts ſubiect'ſt to it moſt. Your ſelfe might haue it then, if thoſe faults cauſe it; But deales this man ingeniouſly, to tax Men with a frailty that the gods inflict? The gods inflict on men, diſeaſes neuer, Or other outward maimes; but to decipher, Correct, and order ſome rude vice within them: And why decipher they it, but to make Men note, and ſhun, and tax it to th'extreame? Nor will I ſee my Countryes hopes abuſde, In any man commanding in her Empire; If my more tryall of him, makes me ſee more Into his intricaſies; and my freedome Hath ſpirit to ſpeake more, then obſeruers ſeruile.