Gascoigne, George / Kinwelmershe, Francis / Yelverton, ChristopherEuripides / Dolce, Lodovico · published 1575 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla · 554 words · other edition — not in the analysis
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 repined 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 moon 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 own 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, Not sooner had this painful womb brought forth His eldest son to this desired light, But strait 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 hung 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. Experience proves, and daily is it seen, In vain (too vain) man strives against the heavens.
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 knowne The whole diſcourſe of my recureleſſe griefe By ſeing me from Princes royall ſtate Thus baſely brought into ſo great cōtempt, As mine own ſonnes repine to heare my plaint, Now of a Quéene but barely bearing name, Seyng this towne, ſeing my fleſhe and bloude, Againſt it ſelfe to leuie threatning armes, (Whereof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine) Yet once againe, I muſt to thee recompte The wailefull thing that is already ſpred, Bicauſe 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 employde to doe your highneſſe good, Commaunde (O Quéene) commaund this carcaſſe here, In ſpite of death to ſatiſfie 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 ſuch 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 now our Citie is: Thou knowſt, how he, deſirous ſtill to ſearche The hidden ſecrets of ſupernall powers, Vnto 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 wailfull 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 deuoure. O luckleſſe babe, begot in wofull houre. His ſeruant thus obedient to his heſt, Vp 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 being 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 aliue) 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 tooke him home, and gaue him to his wife, With homelie fare to féede and foſter vp: Now harken how the heauens haue wrought the way To Laius death, and to mine owne decay. Experience proues, and daily is it ſéene, "In vaine (too vaine) man ſtriues againſt the heauens.