Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A34583
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Pompey a tragœdy, acted with great applause.; Mort de Pompée. English
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Corneille, Pierre, 1606-1684.; Philips, Katherine, 1631-1664.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing C6317; ESTC R22391
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32,760
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69
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POMPEY A Tragoedy Acted with Great Applause LONDON Printed for Iohn Crooke at the Sign of the Ship in St Paul's Church-yard 1663. The Printer to the Reader I Hope you expect no Eloquence from a Printer nor Regularity in a Preface which hath nothing to say to you but that Pompey being a Translation out of the French of Monsieur Corneille the hand that did it is responsible for nothing but the English and the Songs between the Acts which were added only to lengthen the Play and make it fitter for the Stage when those that could not be resisted were resolved to have it acted and that no abuses of Transcribers though they were numerous could have prevail'd to send it to the Press if the Person most concern'd had not fear'd to disobey an excellent Lady who commanded this publication more than the severity of the Censorious World The Persons of the Play Iulius Caesar. Marcus Antonius Lepidus Ptolomy King of Aegypt Cleopatra His Sister Photinus His Governour Achillas His Lieutenant General Septimius A Roman in the Aegyptian Kings Army Cleopatra's Gentleman Usher Cleopatra's Maid of Honour Pompey's Widow Pompey's Freedman Romans and Aegyptians The Scene Ptolomey's Palace in Alexandria PROLOGUE For the Theatre at Dublin written by the Earl of Roscomon THe mighty Rivals whose destructive Rage Did the whole World in Civil Arms engage Are now agreed and make it both their Choice To have their Fates determin'd by your Voice Caesar from none but You will hear his Doom He hates th' obsequious Flatteries of Rome He scorns where once he rul'd now to be try'd And he hath rul'd in all the World beside When he the Thames the Danube and the Nile Had stain'd with Blood Peace flourished in this Isle And you alone may Boast you never saw Caesar 'till now and now can give him Law Great Pompey too comes as a suppliant here But says He cannot now begin to fear He knows your equal Iustice and to tell A Roman Truth He knows himself too well Success t is true waited on Caesar's side But Pompey thinks he conquer'd when he dy'd His fortune when she prov'd the most unkind Chang'd his Condition but not Cato's Mind Then of what Doubt can Pompey's Cause admit Since here so many Cato's Iudging sit To the Ladies But you bright Nymphs give Caesar leave to woo The greatest Wonder of the world but you And hear a Muse who has that Hero taught To speak as gen'rously as e're he fought Whose Eloquence from such a Theme deters All Tongues but English and all pens but Hers. By the just Fates your Sex is doubly blest You Conquer'd Caesar and you praise him best To the Lord Lieutenant And You Illustrious Sir receive as due A Present Destiny reserv'd for You. Rome France and England joyn their Forces here To make a Poem worthy of your Ear. Accept it then and on that Pompey's Brow Who gave so many Crowns bestow one now POMPEY ACT. 1. SCENE 1. Ptolomey Achillas Photinus Septimius Ptol. FAte hath declar'd her self and we may see Th' Intrigue of th' great Rivals Destiny That quarrel which did all the Gods divide Pharsalia hath the Honour to decide Whose Rivers swelling with new bloody Tides Sent thither from so many Parricides The Horrour of torn Ensigns Chariots Shields Spread in Confusion o're th' infected Fields Those Slaughter'd heaps whose shades no rest obtain'd By Nature to their own revenge constrain'd Their Putrefactions seeming to Revive The War with those that do remain alive Are Dreadful rules by which the Sword thinks fit Pompey to cast and Caesar to acquit That distress'd Leader of the Juster Side Whose wearied Fortune hath all Help deny'd A terrible Example will create To future Times of the Extreams of Fate He flies whose happy Courage had till now Confin'd the Bay to his Victorious Brow He in our Ports chooses his last Retreat And wanting Refuge from a Foe so Great His bold Misfortune seeks it in Abodes Which from the Titans once preserv'd the Gods And from so fam'd a Climate doth expect That it should Earth as well as Heav'n protect And lending his Despair a kinde Effort It should the staggering Universe support Yes the World's Fortune Pompey with him brings And hopes a Land whose Fame such Wonder sings A Prop or Tomb might to her Freedom give And Pompey's Fall Attend if not Releive This Friends the Subject is of our debate Our Triumphs he or Ruine will create He hazards me who did my Father save And does expose that Memphis which he gave We must now hasten or prevent his fate His Ruine hinder or precipitate That is unsafe and this Ignoble is I dread injustice or unhappiness And angry fortune each way offers me Either much danger or much infamy It is my part to choose yours to advise What you believe to be most safe and wise Pompey's Concern'd nay we the fame shall get Caesar's success to trouble or compleat And never Monarchs Fortune did afford So great a Subject for a Councel Board Photin When things Sir are determin'd by the sword Justice is nothing but an empty word And he who then Affairs would rightly weigh Must not his Reasons but his power oâ—ey View your own Strength let Pompey be survey'd Whose Fortune Droop's and Valour is betray'd Who not from Caesar only takes his flight But from the Senates just Reproach and â—ight Whose greater part were cheaply left a Prey To the Keen Vultures of Pharsalia He flies lost Rome and every Roman now Who must to his defeat their Fetters owe. He flies those Kings who would chastise his Guilt Of all the blood that in his cause was spilt Their Kingdoms now of Men and Money void Their broken Scepters and their Thrones destroy'd As Author of all Woes abhoâ—'d by all He flies the whole World shaâ—ter'd by his Fall Can you alone resist so many Foes His safety he did in himself Repose He falls and You may yield without a Blush To such a weight as Rome her self does Crush A weight which hath the Universe prest down And the yet greater Pompey overthrown He that will save whom Heaven would have wrack't By too much Justice may a Guilt Contract And a fidelity so indiscreet May a short Fame but long Repentance meet He but a more Illustrious wound will have Which will not smart the less for being brave Do not for Egypt Thunderbolts provide But choose with Fortune and the Gods to side Believe not they can an Injustice do But where they favour pay you homage too Whatever they decree for them declare And think it Impious where they frown to spare With Divine Anger Pompey now beset Comes to involve you too in his Defeat His Head for which both Gods and Men do call Already shakes and seeks but where to fall His coming hither an Offence does seem And shewâ—s his Hatred rather then esteem He would his safety with Your Ruine buy And can you Doubt if he deserve to dye Had he