Gascoigne, George / Kinwelmershe, Francis / Yelverton, ChristopherEuripides / Dolce, Lodovico · published 1573 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla · 538 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
O Faithful servant of mine ancient sire, Though unto thee, sufficiently be known The whole discourse of my recureless grief By seeing me from Princes royal state Thus basely brought into so great contempt, As mine own sons repine to hear my plaint, Now of a Queen but barely bearing name, seeing this town, seeing my flesh and blood, Against itself to levy threatening arms, (Whereof to talk my heart it rends in twain) Yet once again, I must to thee recount The wailful thing that is already spread, Because I know, that pity will compel Thy tender heart, more than my natural child, With ruthful tears to moan my mourning case. My gracious Queen, as no man might surmount The constant faith I bear my sovereign lord, So do I think, for love and trusty zeal, No son you have, doth owe you more than I: For hereunto I am by duty bound, With service meet no less to honour you, Than that renowned prince your dear father. And as my duties be most infinite, So infinite, must also be my love: Then if my life or spending of my blood May be employed to do your highness good, Command (O queen) command this carcase here. In spite of death to satisfy thy will, So, though I die, yet shall my willing ghost Contentedly forsake this withered corpse, For joy to think I never showed myself Ingrateful once to such a worthy Queen. Thou know'st what care my careful father took, In wedlocks sacred state to settle me With Laius, king of this unhappy Thebes, That most unhappy now our City is: Thou know'st, how he, desirous still to search The hidden secrets of supernal powers, Unto Divines did make his oft recourse, Of them to learn when he should have a son, That in his Realm might after him succeed: Of whom receiving answer sharp and sour, That his own son should work his wailful end, The wretched king (though all in vain) did seek For to eschew that could not be eschewed: And so, forgetting laws of nature's love, No sooner had this painful womb brought forth His eldest son to this desired light, But straight he charged a trusty man of his To bear the child into a desert wood, And leave it there, for Tigers to devour. O luckless babe, begot in woeful hour. His servant thus obedient to his hest, Up by the heels did hang this faultless Imp, And piercing with a knife his tender feet, Through both the wounds did draw the slender twigs, Which being bound about his feeble limbs, Were strong enough to hold the little soul. Thus did he leave this infant scarcely borne, That in short time must needs have lost his life, If destiny (that for our greater griefs Decreed before to keep it still alive) Had not unto this child sent present help: For so it chanced, a shepherd passing by, With pity moved, did stay his guiltless death: He took him home, and gave him to his wife, With homely fare to feed and foster up: Now hearken how the heavens have wrought the way To Laius' death, and to mine own decay.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T33 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O Faithfull seruaunt of mine auncient sire, Though vnto thée, sufficiently be knowen The whole discourse of my recurelesse griefe By seing me from Princes royall state Thus basely brought into so great cōtempt, As mine owne sonnes repine to heare my plaint, Now of a Quéene but barely bearing name, Seyng this towne, seyng my fleshe and bloude, Against it selfe to leuie threatning armes, (Wherof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine) Yet once againe, I must to thée recompte The wailefull thing that is alredy spred, Bycause I know, that pitie will compell Thy tender hart, more than my naturall childe, With ruthfull teares to mone my mourning case. My gracious Quéene, as no man might surmount The constant faith I beare my souraine lorde, So doe I thinke, for loue and trustie zeale, No sonne you haue, doth owe you more than I: For hereunto I am by dutie bounde, With seruice méete no lesse to honor you, Than that renoumed prince your déere father. And as my duties be most infinite, So infinite, must also be my loue: Then if my life or spending of my bloude May be employed to doe your highnesse good, Commaunde (O quéene) commaund this carcasse here. In spite of death to satissie thy will, So, though I die, yet shall my willing ghost Contentedly forsake this withered corps, For ioy to thinke I neuer shewde my selfe Ingratefull once to suche a worthy Quéene. Thou knowst what care my carefull father tooke, In wedlockes sacred state to settle me With Laius, king of this vnhappie Thebs, That most vnhappie nowe our Citie is: Thou knowst, how he, desirous still to searche The hidden secrets of supernall powers, Unto Diuines did make his ofte recourse, Of them to learne when he should haue a sonne, That in his Realme might after him succéede: Of whom receiuing answere sharpe and sowre, That his owne sonne should worke his wailful ende, The wretched king (though all in vayne) did séeke For to eschew that could not be eschewed: And so, forgetting lawes of natures loue, No sooner had this paynfull wombe brought foorth His eldest sonne to this desired light, But straight he chargde a trustie man of his To beare the childe into a desert wood, And leaue it there, for Tigers to deuore. O lucklesse babe, begot in wofull houre. His seruant thus obedient to his hest, Up by the héeles did hang this faultlesse Impe, And percing with a knife his tender féete, Through both the wounds did drawe the slender twigs, Which béeing bound about his féeble limmes, Were strong inough to holde the little soule. Thus did he leaue this infant scarcely borne, That in short time must néedes haue lost his life, If destenie (that for our greater gréefes Decréede before to kéepe it still alyue) Had not vnto this childe sent present helpe: For so it chaunst, a shepheard passing by, With pitie moude, did stay his giltlesse death: He toke him home, and gaue him to his wife, With homelie fare to fede and foster vp: Now harken how the heauens haue wroughte the way To Laius death, and to mine owne decay.