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 · 515 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
whenas my mother saw her dear sons dead, As pensive pangs had priest her tender heart, With bloodless cheeks and ghastly looks she fell, Drawing the dagger from Eteocles' side, She gored herself with wide recureless wound: And thus, without more words, gave up the ghost, Embracing both her sons with both her arms. In these affrights this frozen heart of mine, By fear of death maintains my dying life. This dreary day is cause of many evils, Poor Oedipus, unto thy progeny. The Gods yet grant it may become the cause Of better hap to this afflicted realm. GOod Ladies leave your bootless vain complaint Leave to lament, cut of your woeful cries, High time it is as now for to provide The funerals for the renowned king: And thou Oedipus hearken to my words, And know thus much, that for thy daughter's dower, Antigone with Haemon shall wed. Thy son our king not long before his death Assigned hath the kingdom should descend To me, that am his mother's brother borne, And so the same might to my son succeed. Now I that am the lord and king of Thebes, Will not permit that thou abide therein: Ne marvel yet of this my heady will, Ne blame thou me, for why, the heavens above, Which only rule the rolling life of man, Have so ordained, and that my words be true, Tiresias he that knoweth things to come, By trusty tokens hath foretold the town, That while thou didst within the walls remain, It should be plagued still with penury: Wherefore depart, and think not that I speak These woeful words for hate I bear to thee, But for the weal of this afflicted realm. O foul accursed fate, that hast me bred To bear the burden of the misery Of this cold death, which we account for life: Before my birth my father understood I should him slay, and scarcely was I borne, When he me made a prey for savage beasts. But what? I slew him yet, then caught the crown, And last of all defiled my mother's bed, By whom I have this wicked offspring got: And to this heinous crime and filthy fact The heavens have from high enforced me, Against whose doom no counsel can prevail. Thus hath I now my life, and last of all, Lo by the news of this so cruel death Of both my sons and dear beloved wife, Mine angry constellation me commands Withouten eyes so wander in mine age, When these my weary, weak, and crooked limbs Have greatest need to crave their quiet rest. O cruel Creon, wilt thou slay me so, For cruelly thou dost but murder me, Out of my kingdom now to chase me thus: Yet can I not with humble mind beseech Thy courtesy, ne fall before thy feet. Let fortune take from me these worldly gifts, She can not conquer this courageous heart, That never yet could well be overcome, To force me yield for fear to villainy: Do what thou canst I will be Oedipus.
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)
When as my mother sawe hir deare sonnes dead, As pensiue pangs had prest hir tender heart, With bloudlesse cheekes and gastly lookes she fell, Drawing the dagger from Eteocles side, She gorde hirselfe with wide recurelesse wounde: And thus, without mo words, gaue vp the ghost, Embracing both hir sonnes with both hir armes. In these affrightes this frosen heart of mine, By feare of death maynteines my dying life. This drearie day is cause of many euils, Poore Oedipus, vnto thy progenie. The Gods yet graunt it may become the cause Of better happe to this afflicted realme. GOod Ladies leaue your bootelesse vayne complaynt Leaue to lament, ct of your wofull cryes, High time it is as now for to prouide The funerals for the renowned king: And thou Oedipus hearken to my wordes, And know thus muche, that for thy daughters dower, Antigo with Hemone shall wedde. Thy sonne our king not long before his death Assigned hath the kingdome should descende To me, that am his mothers brother borne, And so the same might to my sonne succéede. Now I that am the lorde and king of Thebes, Will not permit that thou abide therein: Ne maruell yet of this my heady will, Ne blame thou me, for why, the heauens aboue, Which onely rule the rolling life of man, Haue so ordeynde, and that my words be true, Tyresias he that knoweth things to come, By trustie tokens hath foretolde the towne, That while thou didst within the wales remayne, It should be plagued still with penurie: Wherfore departe, and thinke not that I speake These wofull wordes for hate I beare to thée, But for the weale of this afflicted realme. O foule accursed fate, that hast me bredde To beare the burthen of the miserie Of this colde death, which we accompt for life: Before my birth my father vnderstoode I should him slea, and scarcely was I borne, When he me made a pray for sauage beates. But what? I slew him yet, then caught the crowne, And last of all defilde my mothers bedde, By whom I haue this wicked ofspring got: And to this heinous crime and filthy facte The heauens haue from highe enforced me, Agaynst whose doome no counsell can preuayle. Thus hath I now my life, and last of all, Lo by the newes of this so cruell death Of bothe my sonnes and deare beloued wife, Mine angrie constellacion me rommaundes Withouten eyes so wander in mine age, When these my wéery, weake, and crooked Haue greatest néede to craue their quiet rest. O cruell reon, wilt thou slea me so, For cruelly thou doste but murther me, Out of my kingdome now to chase me thus: Yet can I not with humble minde beseeche Thy curtesie, ne fall before thy féete. Let fortune take from me these worldly giftes, She can not conquere this couragious heart, That neuer yet could well be ouercome, To force me yeelde for feare to villanie: Do what thou canst I will be Oedipus.