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 · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Alas, alas, how wreakful wrath of Gods Doth still afflict Oedipus progeny: The first cause was thy father's wicked bed, And then (Oh why do I my plagues recount?) My burden borne, and your unhappy birth: " But needs we must with patient hearts abide, What so from high the heavens do provide. With thee my child, fain would I question yet Of certain things: ne would I that my words Might thee annoy, ne yet renew thy grief. Say on, dear mother, say what so you please, What pleaseth you, shall never me disease. And seems it not a heavy hap my son, To be deprived of thy country coasts? So heavy hap as tongue can not express. And what may most molest the mind of man That is exiled from his native soil? The liberty he with his country lost, " And that he lacketh freedom for to speak, What seemeth best, without control or check. Why so? each servant lacketh liberty To speak his mind, without his master's leave. " In exile, every man, or bond or free, Of noble race, or meaner parentage, " Is not in this unlike unto the slave, That must of force obey to each man's will, " And praise the peevishness of each man's pride. And seemed this so grievous unto thee? What grief can greater he, that so constrained, slave-like to serve 'gainst right and reason both, Yea much the more, to him that noble is, By stately line, or yet by virtuous life, And hath a heart like to his noble mind. What helpeth most in such adversity? Hope helpeth most to comfort misery. Hope to return from whence he first was driven? Yea, hope that happeneth oftentimes to late, And many die before such hap may fall. And how didst thou before thy marriage son, Maintain thy life, a stranger so bestead? Sometime I found (though seldom so it were) Some gentle heart, that could for courtesy, Content himself to succour mine estate. Thy father's friends and thine, did they not help For to relieve that naked need of thine? Mother, he hath a foolish fantasy, " That thinks to find a friend in misery. Thou might'st have help by thy nobility. " Covered alas, in cloak of poverty? " Well ought we then that are but mortal here, Above all treasure count our country dear: Yet let me know my son, what cause thee moved To go to Greece? The flying fame that thundered in mine ears, How king Adrastus, governor of Greece, Was answered by Oracle, that he Should knit in links of lawful marriage, His two fair daughters, and his only heirs, One to a Lion, th'other to a Boar: An answer such as each man wondered at. And how belongs this answer now to thee. I took my guess even by this ensign here, A Lion lo, which I did always bear: Yet think I not, but Ioue alonely brought These hands of mine to such an high exploit. And how yet came it to this strange effect?
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Alas, alas, howe wrekefull wrath of Gods Dothe still afflicte Oedipus progenie: The fyrste cause was thy fathers wicked bedde, And then (Oh why doe I my plagues recompte?) My burdein borne, and your vnhappie birth: "But néedes wée must with pacient heartes abyde, "What so from high the heauens doe prouide. With thée my chylde, fayne woulde I question yet Of certaine things: ne woulde I that my woordes Might thée anoye, ne yet renewe thy griefe. Saye on, deare mother, say what so you please, What pleaseth you, shall neuer mée disease. And séemes it not a heauie happe my sonne, To be depriued of thy countrey coastes? So heauie happe as toung can not expresse. And what may moste molest the mynde of man That is exiled from his natiue soyle? The libertie hée with his countrey loste, "And that he lacketh fréedome for to speake, "What séemeth best, without controll or checke. Why so? eche seruaunt lacketh libertie To speake his mynde, without his masters leaue. "In exile, euery man, or bonde or frée, "Of noble race, or meaner parentage, "Is not in this vnlyke vnto the slaue, "That muste of force obey to eche mans will, "And prayse the péeuishnesse of eche mans pryde. And séemed this so grieuous vnto thée? What griefe can greater he, that so constraynde, Slauelyke to serue gaynst right and reason bothe, Yea muche the more, to him that noble is, By stately lyne, or yet by vertuous lyfe, And hath a heart lyke to his noble mynde. What helpeth moste in suche aduersitie? Hope helpeth moste to comfort miserie. Hope to returne from whence he fyrst was driuen? Yea, hope that happeneth oftentymes to late, And many die before suche hap may fall. And howe didst thou before thy mariage sonne, Mainteyne thy lyfe, a straunger so bestad? Sometyme I founde (though seldome so it were) Some gentle heart, that coulde for curtesye, Contente himselfe to succour myne estate. Thy fathers friends and thyne, did they not helpe For to reléeue that neked néede of thyne? Mother, he hath a foolishe fantasie, "That thinkes to fynde a frende in miserie. Thou myghtst haue helpe by thy nobilitie. "Couerd alas, in cloake of pouerti? "Wel ought we then that are but mortall héere, "Aboue all treasure counte our countrey deare: Yet let me knowe my sonne, what cause thée moued To goe to Grece? The flying fame that thundred in myne eares, Howe king Adrastus, gouernour of Grece, Was swered by Oracle, that he Shoulde knitte in linkes of lawfull mariage, His two faire daughters, and his onely heires, One to a Lyon, th'other to a Boare: An answere suche as eche man wondred at. And how belongs this answere now to thée. I toke my gesse euen by this ensigne héere, A Lyon loe, which I dyd alwayes beare: Yet thynke I not, but Ioue alonely broughte These handes of myne to suche an high exploite. And howe yet came it to this straunge effect?