Gascoigne, George / Kinwelmershe, Francis / Yelverton, ChristopherEuripides / Dolce, Lodovico · published 1573 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla typicality 0.88 · 511 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
And who is he that seeks to have my blood, And shall not shed his own as fast as mine? By thee he stands, and thou standst him before, Lo here the sword that shall perform his word. And this shall eke maintain my rightful cause. O sons, dear sons, away with glittering arms, And first, before you touch each other's flesh, With doubled blows come pierce this breast of mine. Ah wretch, thou art both vile and cowardlike, Thy high estate esteems thy life too dear. If with a wretch or coward shouldest thou fight, Oh dastard villain, what first moved thee With swarms of Greeks to take this enterprise? For well I wist, that cankered heart of thine Could safely keep thy head within these walls, And flee the field when combat should be called. This truce assured thee Polynices, And makes thee bold to give such boasting words: So be thou sure, that had this truce not been, Then long ere this, these hands had been imbrued, And eke this soil besprinkled with thy blood. Not one small drop of my blood shalt thou spill, But buy it dear against thy cankered will. O sons, my sons, for pity yet refrain. Good Gods, whoever saw so strange a sight? True love and friendship both be put to flight. Yield villain, yield my right which thou withholds. Cut of thy hope to reign in Theban walls, Nought hast thou here, nor nought shall ever have, Away. O altars of my country soil. Whom thou art come to spoil and to deface. O Gods, give ear unto my honest cause. With foreign power his country to invade. O holy temples of the heavenly Gods. That for thy wicked deeds do hate thy name. Out of my kingdom am I driven by force. Out of the which thou camest me to drive. Punish O Gods this wicked tyrant here. Pray to the Gods in Greece and not in Thebes. No savage beast so cruel nor unjust. Not cruel to my country like to thee. Since from my right I am with wrong deprived. Eke from thy life if long thou tarry here. O father hear what injuries I take. As though thy devilish deeds were hid from him. And you mother. Have done thou not deservest With that false tongue thy mother once to name. O dear City. When thou arrivest in Greece, Choose out thy dwelling in some musty Moores. I must depart, and parting must I praise Oh dear mother the depth of your good will. O Son. Away I say out of these walls. I can not choose but must thy will obey, Yet grant me once my father for to see. I hear no prayers of my enemy. Where be my sweet sisters. And canst thou yet With shameless tongue once name thy noble race That art become a common foe to Thebes? Be sure thou shalt them never see again, Nor other friend that in these walls remain. Rest you in peace, O worthy mother mine.
seed 43: T30 · seed 44: T33 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
And who is he that séekes to haue my bloude, And shall not shed his owne as fast as myne? By thee he standes, and thou standst him before, Loe here the sworde that shall perfourme his worde. And this shall eke mainteine my rightfull cause. O sonnes, dear sonnes, away with glittring armes, And first, before you touch each others flesh, With doubled blowes come pierce this brest of mie. Ah wretch, thou art both vile and cowardlike, Thy high estate estéemes thy life too deare. If with a wretch or cowarde shouldest thou fighte, Oh dastarde villaine, what first moued thée With swarmes of Gréekes to take this enterprise? For well I wist, that cancred heart of thine Coulde sefely kepe thy heade within these walles, And flée the fielde when combate should be callde. This truce assured thée Polinices, And makes thée bolde to gyue suche bosting wordes: So be thou sure, that had this truce not bene, Then long ere this, these handes had bene embrude, And eke this soyle besprinkled with thy bloude. Not one small drop of my bloude shalt thou spill, But buy it deare against thy cancred will. O sonnes, my sonnes, for pittie yet refrayne. Good Gods, who euer sawe so strange a sight? True loue and friendship both be put to flight. Yelde villein, yelde my right which thou with-holds▪ Cut of thy hope to reigne in Thebane walles, Nought hast thou here, nor nought shal euer haue, Away. O aultars of my countrie soyle. Whome thou art come to spoyle and to deface. O Gods, giue eare vnto my honest cause. With forreine power his countrie to inuade. O holy temples of the heauenly Gods. That for thy wicked deedes do hate thy name. Out of my kingdome am I driuen by force. Out of the which thou camest me to driue. Punish O Gods this wicked tyrant here. Praye to the Gods in Greece and not in Thebes. No sauage beast so cruell nor vniust. Not cruell to my countrie like to thée. Since from my right I am with wrong depriued. Eke from thy life if long thou tary here. O father heare what iniuries I take. As though thy diuelishe déedes were hid from him. And you mother. Haue done thou not deseruest With that false tong thy mother once to name. O deare Citie. When thou ariuest in Greece, Chuse out thy dwelling in some mustie Moores. I must depart, and parting must I prays Oh deare mother the depth of your good will. O Sonne. Away I say out of these walls. I can not chuse but must thy will obey, Yet graunt me once my father for to sée. I heare no prayers of my enimie. Where be my swéete sisters. And canst thou yet With shamelesse tong once name thy noble race That art become a common foe to Thebes? Be sure thou shalt them neuer sée againe, Nor other friend that in these walls remaine. Rest you in peace, O worthy mother myne.