Topic 25 — Kings, power and law: political sententiae
Dominant work: Mustapha · genre mix of this topic (British Drama labels): tragedy 92%; comedy 3%; tragicomedy 3%
72chunks
36,081words
25works
5works with ≥3 chunks
36 %dominant work
56 %top-3 works
All statistics on this page are on the representative editions (one per work). Including the other editions, placed after the fit: 89 chunks · 26 works · 44,744 words — those 17 chunks are listed at the end of the page and are not part of any figure above.
Classificationcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · confirmed by the researcher Label (researcher): Kings, power and law: political sententiaeOriginal AI draft — before researcher review
draft label: Kings, power and law: political sententiae · pattern basis: thematic_discourse+shared_narrative 72 chunks, 25 works, Mustapha 36 % + Alaham 14 % (Greville), top three 56 %. Reflection on crowns, fear, laws and the art of rule: Greville's choruses, Sejanus, Byron, Misfortunes of Arthur, Cymbeline's cave speech — a real political theme across authors. Two things are not separated here and go into the limitations: Greville's half-share, and his unregularised spelling (feare, lawes, loue in the keywords). Keep the theme hypothesis; decide after reading the non-Greville chunks. chunks read for the draft: 656_00019;1015_00038;150_00022;512_00029;512_00012;649_00018;892_00022
Greville, Fulke, 1633 · tragedy · 26 chunks of this work here
My Lord! what moues these vndermining words, Which shewing feare in you, stirre feare in vs? Cruelty, and Dissolution enter thus. Doth Kings restraint of wrath appeare like feare? …
Greville, Fulke, 1633 · tragedy · 10 chunks of this work here
MY Lord! So oft alone, pulls downe the heart To thoughts, and courses far vnmeet for it. Princes must show themselues in open sight; Men ioy in them that doe in men delight. Triump…
Hughes, Thomas / Fulbecke, William, 1587 · tragedy · 4 chunks of this work here
Lo here the end, that Kingly pomp imparts, The quiet rest, that Princely palace plights. Care upon care, and every day a new Fresh rising tempest tires the tossed minds. Who strive…
Alexander, William, 1607 · tragedy · 4 chunks of this work here
Thus doth a partial judgement aim amiss, At things that stand without our reach retired: Which whilst not ours as treasures we define, But not the same whilst we the same enjoy. So…
Alexander, William, 1604 · tragedy · 3 chunks of this work here
No man is only for himself brought forth, And Kings for th'use of many are ordained, They should like Suns, clear Kingdoms with their worth, Whose life a pattern must be kept unsta…
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Neville, Alexander, 1581 · tragedy · 2 chunks of this work here
And dost thou me exhort thou slave my kingdom for to leave? O faithless head. O shameless heart, that could such treasons weave? darest thou attempt thou villain vile this thing, t…
Alexander, William, 1604 · tragedy · 2 chunks of this work here
And as Ambition Princes undermines; So doth it those that under them rule all. We see in how short time they rise, and fall; How oft their light eclipsed but dimly shines. They stu…
Jonson, Ben, 1616 · tragedy · 2 chunks of this work here
Of one, with whom I twined; remove a wife From my warm side, as loved, as is the air; practice away each parent; draw mine heir In compass, though but one; work all my kin To swift…
Genre mix (chunks of this topic, British Drama labels)
tragedy
66 (92 %)
comedy
2 (3 %)
tragicomedy
2 (3 %)
history
1 (1 %)
romance
1 (1 %)
This is the direction topic → genre, on the raw British Drama labels; the share of each genre group's text that falls in this topic is on the Genre page.
Mustapha (1633) · typ. 0.93 … Shall our remissenesse suffer more than this? Can horror onely, adoration beare? Behold, the World layes Homage at my feet, To them by sword, and fire I am knowne: Must Kings that change this likenesse lose their owne? Two States I beare; his Father, and his King; These two, being Relatiues, haue mutuall bonds; Neglect in either, all in …
Alaham (1633) · typ. 0.90 …What added is in honor to the Crowne, Or what increase of Empire to the King; That exiles are call'd home to put me downe? Strange innouation some increase should bring. Kings fondly else tempt God, and trust to chance, Where change, and hazard nothing doe aduance. Your brothers fault was only Princes feare; One ill example hurts to many …
The Alexandraean Tragedy (1607) · typ. 0.90 …ost b'embarked in Charon's barge, Do never need t'attend a true repose. How hard is it to please each man's conceit? When gaining one they must another lose. Thus hardly kings themselves can evenly bear, Whom if severe, as cruel subjects hate, Contempt dare to the mild itself oppose. In time who spare as niggards are despised, Men from to…
Mustapha (1633) · typ. 0.90 …of Credit is within the minde, Strength'ned by Nature with the strength of all; In Men, and Tyrants states both, naturall. The Proiect of this feare must yet be made The Princes safety, Honor of the State: Such glorious Stiles may easily ouershade The wayes of Spite; for Treason is in hate. Flattery straight speakes aloud in Powers right,…
Mustapha (1633) · typ. 0.89 …r ruine to preserue Succession. Oh happy Men! that know not, or else feare This second slippery place of Honors steepe, Which we with enuy get, and danger keepe. Vnhappy state of ours! wherein we liue, Where doubts giue lawes, which neuer can forgiue: Where Rage of Kings not only ruines be, But where their very loue workes miserie. For Pr…
Mustapha (1633) · typ. 0.89 … owne good doe forgiue. I sent, he comes; and come is in my power. Before he comes, who knowes your fatall hower? The wicked wrestle both with Might, and Slight: " While Princes liue, each mans life guardeth theirs; When they are dead, mens loues goe with their feare. Slaine by the way lesse grudge, more safety were. Wrong is not Princely…
Alaham (1633) · typ. 0.89 …hat ruin'd haue a Kings authority? And not one King alone; since Princes all Feele part of those scornes, wherby one doth fall. Treason against me cannot treason be: All lawes haue lost authority in me. " The lawes of power chain'd to mens humors be. The good haue conscience; the ill (like instruments) " Are, in the hands of wise authorit…
Oedipus (Seneca's Fifth Tragedy) (1581) · typ. 0.89 …slave my kingdom for to leave? O faithless head. O shameless heart, that could such treasons weave? darest thou attempt thou villain vile this thing, to me to break? And fearest thou not in such a cause so boldly for to speak. I would persuade them so (O King) who freely might possess Their Realms such piteous cares I see, do princes hear…
The Misfortunes of Arthur (Certain Devices and Sho (1587) · typ. 0.88 …e, or fewer at the least, Had I prevailed: which Arthur knows right well. But e'en as Counters go sometimes for one, Sometimes for thousands more, sometimes for none: So men in greatest countenance with their King, Can work by fit persuasion sometimes much: But sometimes less: and sometimes nought at all.
Lodovic Sforza, Duke of Milan (1628) · typ. 0.88 …is favours our refreshing showers? Why should one suck up what is due to all, Why is the Prince made a Monopoly? Thou mak'st me laugh at thy fond question: What? are not Princes men; of the same mould, Of the same passions with inferiors? Do not they fear, desire, and hate (as we) And shall we only hinder them from love? cobblers may have…
Mustapha (1633) · typ. 0.88 … cannot vse. Dare ought, but Truth, assaile a Princes childe? On Princes frailties Factions euer build. Speake plaine, and free my soule from this disease, That with the ruine of mine owne would please. That which you will not feele, how can you see? For in your loue these workes were all inweau'd; With which most worthy men are most dece…
Mustapha (1633) · typ. 0.87 …r'st of me, To fall with States in common destinie? States trespasse not: Tyrants they be that swarue, And bring vpon all Empires age, or death. By making Truth but only Princes breath. This Monarchie first rose by Industrie; Honor held vp by vniuersall Fame, Stirring mens mindes to strange Audacitie: Great ends procur'd our Armies greate…
All 72 chunks of the representative editions (chronological; click a header to sort)