Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 6 (armies, fleece, pestle, wonted, pikes, thundering…). Matches are highlighted.
combat show, Where both but one, one both, struck and sustained, Or who shall triumph for this strange overthrow Whereas the Victor lost, the Vanquished gained. A hideous shout we herd the City give, Is't in enemies hands, is't made his spoil? And is our Sovereign killed? Then let our ears be with disasters filled, And must we bear
Full speech
We crave none of your wealth, yet wish to see This Boar be-blood the staff of the most strong: Let valorous Atis worthily your son, Backed with the best of all the Lidian Youth, Go to the fields before the rising Sun Quench with the morning's tears his mid-days drouth, And we shall lead them crowned with laurel forth, Where in a circuit small, yet a large Theater For men to make a trial of their worth This Monster stays: earth never nurse a greater. So shall we both reap profit, and they pleasure, Which may be brought to pass without great obstacle, By making this waster of the world's treasure, Of a horrid sighed, a delightful spectacle. Oh how the King is moved with Atis death, His face th'impression of a passion bears With bent eyes, crostarmes, and quivering breath, His princely robe he desperately tears. Lo, with a silent pity-pleading look, Which shows with sorrow mixed a high disdeine, He while his soul seems to dissolve in smoke, While eyes the corpse while him by whom t'is slain. he would say the reward. What heavy tidings hast thou for to tell, That tearest thy garments thus, tell thy sad plighted? This shows a Captain both expert and brave, Fi st well t'aduise, then execute with speed: No circumstance (friend) unrelated leave, Which with our Kings did our confusion breed. No doubt but desolation then abounded, While with disdain the Conquerors bosom boylde, Some with the sword, some with disgrace confounded, Sacred Temples, private houses, all were spoylde. None can imagine greater misery Then all the sufferings of a captived City. But while this famous City was distressed, What could become of the hard-fortun'd King? Oh woeful people! Oh unhappy King! Our joys are spoiled, his happiness expyrde, And no new chance can any comfort bring To either now, whose fallen the Fates conspyrde. Go woeful messenger, hold on thy course, For to have herd too much, it yrks our ears, We ever must bewail thy sad discourse, Accented with sighs, and pointed with tears. The man himself does desperately wound, With leaden lights, weak legs, and head declinde, The body in disdain does beat the ground, That of his members one hath proved unkind: The fainting hand falls trembling from the sword With this micidiall blow for shame grown read, Which strait the blood pursues with vengeance stored To drown the same with the same floods it shed. Who of those parties can the combat show, Where both but one, one both, struck and sustained, Or who shall triumph for this strange overthrow Whereas the Victor lost, the Vanquished gained. A hideous shout we herd the City give, Is't in enemies hands, is't made his spoil? And is our Sovereign killed? Then let our ears be with disasters filled, And must we bear the yoke of that proud stranger?
Plot summary
Plot — Croesus
Alexander the Great is dead, poisoned by Cassander. He leaves behind a pregnant widow but no definite heir. Unable to get into the underworld because as yet unburied, his ghost returns to earth and recounts his life story, a tale of escalating atrocity as power progressively divorced him from ordinary humanity. He decides to inspire his captains with ambition and bloodlust. The captains are unable to agree on how best to secure the Macedonian Empire, and various proposals are advanced: to await the birth of Alexander's posthumous child, and appoint a regent in the interim; to crown either Alexander’s bastard brother or his elder son, who is half-barbarian and so unacceptable to the people; to split up the empire between themselves. The only thing they can agree on is that the common foot-soldiers should have no say in the decision. Lysimachus and Seleucus decide to bide their time, let their fellow captains wear themselves out with wrangling, and then step in to take the empire for themselves. Meleager tries to have Perdiccas, his rival, murdered, but the plot fails and Perdiccas responds in kind with more success. When Alexander’s child is born, it is a son. Perdiccas and others become his joint regents, but Perdiccas schemes for personal supremacy. He removes his two colleagues in the regency, gives the other captains their own kingdoms in an effort to secure their loyalty, and plans to marry into the royal family. Two of his new subject kings, Antigonus and Ptolemy, ally themselves against him. He accepts the advice of Eumenes to deal with the rebels first before engaging with dynastic matters, but is murdered by his own soldiers during the campaign. Olympias, Alexander’s mother, plots against Cassander, but Cassander besieges her and, starving, she has to give herself up. She refuses his mercy and is executed. Cassander then procures the murder of Alexander’s remaining family. Antigonus secures the support of Eumenes, but then has him treacherously killed. The four remaining captains (Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Seleucus) agree to unite against Antigonus. Philastrus prophesies continuing strife: Cassander will die in disgrace, Seleucus will kil Lysimachus and then die himself, and Ptolemy’s line will ultimately end with a lustful queen who will see his empire fall into the hands of the enemy.