Caesar and Pompey (The Wars of Caesar and Pompey) · chunk 10 of 34
Chapman, George · published 1631 · first performed or written 1605 [1602-1605; Act 2, sc. 1 written 1610-1611(?)] (Annals) tragedy · Unacted (?) · Blackfriars T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civi typicality 0.80 · 482 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T2: rome, caesar, senate, sulla, roman, consul, brutus, romans, men, marius.
Yet you cannot change the old fashion (they say) And hide your cloven feet. No? I can wear Roses that shall spread quite Over them. For love of the fashion do then. Go to; I will hereafter. But for the Priesthood you offer me, I affect it not. No? what sayst thou to a rich office then? The only second means to raise a rascal In the earth. Go to; I'll help thee to the best i'th' earth then: And that's in Sicilia; the very storehouse of the Romans, where the Lord chief Censor there Lies now a dying; whose soul I will have; and Thou shalt have his office. Excellent; was ever great office better supplied? Now is the mighty Empress of the earth (Great Rome) fast locked up in her fancied strength, All broke in uproars; fearing the just gods In plagues will drown her so abused blessings. In which fear, all without her walls, fly in; By both their jarring Champions rushing out; And those that were within, as fast fly forth; The Consuls both are fled without one rite Of sacrifice submitted to the gods, As ever heretofore their custom was When they began the bloody frights of war. In which our two great Soldiers now encountering, Since both left Rome, opposed in bitter skirmish, Pompey (not willing yet to hazard battle, By Cato's counsel, urging good cause) fled: Which firing Caesar's spirit; he pursued So home, and fiercely, that great Pompey scorning The heart he took, by his advised flight, Despised advice as much as his pursuit. And as in Lybia, an aged Lion, Urged from his peaceful covert, fears the light With his unready and diseased appearance, Gives way to chase a while, and coldly hunts, Till with the youthful hunter's wanton heat, He all his cool wrath frets into a flame: And then his sides he swings with his Stern, To lash his strength up, let's down all his brows About his burning eyes; erects his mane, Breaks all his throat in thunders, and to wreak His hunter's insolence, his heart even barking; He frees his fury, turns, and rushes back With such a ghastly horror, that in heaps, His proud foes fly, and he that station keeps: So Pompey's cool spirits, put to all their heat By Caesar's hard pursuit he turned fresh head, And flew upon his foe with such a rapture As took up into furies, all friends fears; Who fired with his first turning, all turned head, And gave so fierce a charge, their followers fled, Whose instant issue on their both sides, see, And after set out such a tragedy, As all the Princes of the earth may come To take their patterns by the spirits of Rome. Stay cowherd, fly ye Caesar's fortunes? Forbear foolish Crassinius, we contend in vain To stay these vapours, and must raise our Camp.
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)
Yet you cannot change the old faſhion (they ſay) And hide your clouen feet. No? I can weare Roſes that ſhall ſpread quite Ouer them. For loue of the faſhion doe then. Goe to; I will hereafter. But for the Prieſthood you offer me, I affect it not. No? what ſaiſt thou to a rich office then? The only ſecond meanes to raiſe a raſcall In the earth. Goe to; Ile helpe thee to the beſtith earth then: And that's in Sicilia; the very ſtorehouſe of the Romanes, where the Lord chiefe Cenſor there Lyes now a dying; whoſe ſoule I will haue; and Thou ſhalt haue his office. Excellent; was euer great office better ſupplied? Now is the mighty Empreſſe of the earth (Great Rome) faſt lockt vp in her fancied ſtrength, All broke in vproares; fearing the iuſt gods In plagues will drowne her ſo abuſed bleſſings. In which feare, all without her wals, fly in; By both their iarring Champions ruſhing out; And thoſe that were within, as faſt fly forth; The Conſuls both are fled without one rite Of ſacrifice ſubmitted to the gods, As euer heretofore their cuſtome was When they began the bloody frights of warre. In which our two great Souldiers now encountring, Since both left Rome, oppos'd in bitter skirmiſh, Pompey (not willing yet to hazard battaile, By Catos counſaile, vrging good cauſe) fled: Which firing Caeſars ſpirit; he purſu'd So home, and fiercely, that great Pompey skorning The heart he tooke, by his aduiſed flight, Deſpiſde aduice as much as his purſuite. And as in Lybia, an aged Lion, Vrg'd from his peacefull couert, feares the light With his vnready and diſeaſ'd appearance, Giues way to chace a while, and coldly hunts▪ Till with the youthfull hunters wanton heat, He all his coole wrath frets into a flame: And then his ſides he ſwinges with his Sterne, To laſh his ſtrenth vp, let's downe all his browes About his burning eyes; erects his mane, Breakes all his throat in thunders, and to wreake His hunters inſolence, his heart euen barking; He frees his fury, turnes, and ruſhes back With ſuch a gaſtly horror, that in heapes, His proud foes fly, and he that ſtation keepes: So Pompey coole ſpirits, put to all their heat By Caeſars hard purſuit he turnd freſh head, And flew vpon his foe with ſuch a rapture As tooke vp into furies, all friends feares; Who fir'd with his firſt turning, all turnd head, And gaue ſo fierce a charge, their followers fled, Whoſe inſtant iſſue on their both ſides, ſee, And after ſet out ſuch a tragedy, As all the Princes of the earth may come To take their patternes by the ſpirits of Rome. Stay cowherd, fly ye Caeſars fortunes? Forbeare fooliſh Craſſinius, we contend in vaine To ſtay theſe vapours, and muſt raiſe our Campe.