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 0.79 · 510 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Yet stay a while. Creon make me not stay By force. Why fléest thou? Sir 'tis not from thee I flee, but from this fortune foul and fell. Yet tell me what behoves the city do? Thou Creon seemest now desirous still It to preserve: but if as well as I Thou knewest that which is to thee unknown, Then wouldst thou not so soon consent thereto. And would not I with eager mind desire The thing that may for Thebes ought avail? And dost thou then so instantly request To know which way thou mayest the same preserve? For nothing else I sent my son of late To seek for thee. Then will I satisfy Thy greedy mind in this: but first tell me, Menetius where is he? Not far from me. I pray thee send him out some other where. Why wouldest thou that he should not be here? I would not have him hear what I should say. He is my son, ne will he it reveal. And shall I then while he is present speak? Yea, be thou sure that he no less than I, Doth wish full well unto this common weal. Then Creon shalt thou know: the mean to save This City, is, that thou shalt slay thy son, And of his body make a sacrifice For his Country: lo here is all you seek So much to know, and since you have me forced To tell the thing that I would not have told, If I have you offended with my words, Blame then yourself, and eke your froward fate. cruel words, oh, oh, what hast thou said, Thou cruel soothsayer? even that, that heaven Hath ordained once, and needs it must ensue. how many evils hast thou knit up in one? Though evil for thee, yet for thy country good. And let my country perish, what care I? " Above all things we ought to hold it dear. Cruel were he, that would not love his child. " For common weal, were well, that one man wail. To lose mine own, I list none other save. " Best Citizens care lest for private gain. Depart, for now, with all thy prophecies. " Lo, thus the truth doth always hatred get. Yet pray I thee by these thy silver hears, " The harm that comes from heaven can not be scaped. And by thy holy spirit of prophecy, " What heaven hath done, that can not I undo. " That to no more this secret thou reveals. And wouldst thou have me learn to make a lie? I pray thee hold thy peace. That will I not: But in thy woe to yield thee some relief, I tell thee once, thou shalt be Lord of Thebes. Which hap of thine this string did well declare, Which from the heart doth out alonely grow. So did the piece corrupted plainly show, An argument most evident to prove Thy son his death. Well, yet be thou content To keep full close this secret hidden grief.
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)
Yet stay a whyle. Creon make me not stay By force. Why fléest thou? Syr 'tis not frō thée I flée, but from this fortune foule and fell. Yet tell me what behoues the citie doe? Thou Creon séemest now desirous still It to preserue: but if as well as I Thou knewest that which is to thée vnknowne, Then wouldste thou not so soone consent therto. And would not I with eagre minde desire The thing that may for Thebes ought auayle? And dost thou then so instantly request To know which way thou mayest the same preserue? For nothing else I sent my sonne of late To séeke for thée. Then will I satisfie Thy gréedie minde in this: but first tell me, Menetius where is he? Not farre from me. I pray thée sende him out some other where. Why wouldest thou that he should not be here? I would not haue him heare what I should say. He is my sonne, ne will he it reueale. And shall I then while he is present speake? Yea, be thou sure that he no lesse than I, Doth wishe full well vnto this common weale. Then Creon shalt thou knowe: the meane to saue This Citie, is, that thou shalt lea thy sonne, And of his bodie make a sacrifice For his Countrey: lo héere is all you séeke So muche to knowe, and since you haue me forst To tell the thing that I would not haue tolde, If I haue you offended with my words, Blame then your selfe, and eke your frowarde fate. cruell words, oh, oh, what hast thou sayde, Thou cruell southsayer? Euen that, that heauen Hath ordeined once, and needes it must ensue. Howe many euils hast thou knit vp in one? Though euill for thée, yet for thy countrey good. And let my countrey perishe, what care I? "Aboue all things we ought to holde it deare. Cruell were he, that would not loue his childe. "For cōmō weale, were well, that one man waile. To loose mine owne, I liste none other saue. "Best Citizens care least for priuate gayne. Departe, for nowe, with all thy prophecies. "Lo, thus the truthe dothe alwayes hatred get. Yet pray I thée by these thy siluer heares, "The harme that cōmes from heauen can not be scapt. And by thy holy spirite of prophecie, "What heauen hath done, that can not I vndoe. "That to no moe this secrete thou reueals. And wouldst thou haue me learne to make a lye? I pray thée holde thy peace. That will I not: But in thy woe to yéelde thée some reliefe, I tell thée once, thou shalt be Lorde of Thebes. Which happe of thine this string did well declare, Which from the heart doth out alonely growe. So did the péece corrupted playnly shewe, An argument most euident to proue Thy sonne his death. Well, yet be thou content To kéepe full close this secrete hidden griefe.