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 · 523 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 noble Queen) sith unto such affairs My speedy diligence is requisite, I will apply effectually to do What so your highness hath commanded me. I will go in, and pray the Gods therewhile, With tender pity to appease my grief. THe simple man, whose marvel is so great At stately courts, and princes regal seat, With gazing eye but only doth regard The golden gloss that outwardly appears, The crowns bedecked with pearl and precious stones, The rich attire embossed with beaten gold, The glittering mace, the pomp of swarming train, The mighty halls heaped full of flattering friends, The chambers huge, the goodly gorgeous beds, The gilted roofs embowed with curious work, The faces sweet of fine disdaining dames, The vain suppose of wanton reign at lust: But never views with eye of inward thought, The painful toil, the great and grievous cares, The troubles still, the new increasing fears, That princes nourish in their jealous breasts: He weigheth not the charge that Ioue hath laid On princes, how for themselves they reign not: He weens, the law must stoop to princely will, But princes frame their noble wills to law: He knoweth not, that as the boisterous wind Doth shake the tops of highest reared towers, So doth the force of froward fortune strike The wight that highest sits in haughty state. Lo Oedipus, that sometime reigned king Of Theban soil, that wonted to suppress The mightest Prince, and keep him under check, That fearful was unto his foreign foes, Now like a poor afflicted prisoner, In dungeon dark, shut up from cheerful light, In every part so plagued with annoy, As he abhors to lead a longer life, By means whereof, the one against the other His wrathful sons have planted all their force, And Thebes here, this ancient worthy town, With threatening siege girt in on every side, In danger lies to be subverted quite, If help of heavenly Ioue uphold it not, But as dark night succeeds the shining day, So lowering grief comes after pleasant joy. Well now the charge her highness did command I must fulfil, though haply all in vain. O Gentle daughter of King Oedipus, O sister dear to that unhappy wight Whom brother's rage hath reaved of his right, To whom, thou know'st, in young and tender years I was a friend and faithful governor, Come forth, sith that her grace hath granted leave, And let me know what cause hath moved now So chaste a maid to set her dainty foot Over the threshold of her secret lodge? Since that the town is furnished every where With men of arms and warlike instruments, Unto our ears there comes no other noise, But sound of trump, and neigh of trampling steeds, Which running up and down from place to place, With hideous cries betoken blood and death: The blazing sun ne shineth half so bright, As it was wont to do at dawn of day: The wretched dames throughout the woeful town, Together clustering to the temples go, Beseeching Ioue by way of humble plaint, With tender ruth to pity their distress.
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)
(O noble Quéene) ſith vnto ſuch affayres My ſpedie diligence is requiſite, I will applie effectually to doe What ſo your highneſſe hath commaunded me. I will goe in, and pray the Gods therwhile, With tender pitie to appeaſe my griefe. "THe ſimple man, whoſe meruaile is ſo great "At ſtately courts, and princes regall ſeate, "With gaſing eye but onely doth regarde "The golden gloſſe that outwardly appeares, "The crownes bedeckt with pearle and precious ſtones, "The riche attire imboſt with beaten golde, "The glittering mace, the pompe of ſwarming traine, "The mightie halles heapt full of flattering frendes, "The chambers huge, the goodly gorgeous beddes, "The gilted roofes embowde with curious worke, "The faces ſwéete of fine diſdayning dames, "The vaine ſuppoſe of wanton raigne at luſte: "But neuer viewes with eye of inward thought, "The painefull toile, the great and greuous cares, "The troubles ſtill, the newe increaſing feares, "That princes nouriſh in their iealous breſtes: "He wayeth not the charge that Ioue hath laid "On princes, how for themſelues they raigne not: "He wéenes, the law muſt ſtoope to princely will, "But princes frame their noble wills to lawe: "He knoweth not, that as the boyſtrous winde "Doth ſhake the toppes of higheſt reared towres, "So doth the force of frowarde fortune ſtrike "The wight that higheſt ſits in haughtie ſtate. Lo Oedipus, that ſometime raigned king Of Thebane ſoyle, that wonted to ſuppreſſe The mighteſt Prince, and kepe him vnder checke, That fearefull was vnto his forraine foes, Now like a poore afflicted priſoner, In dungeon darke, ſhut vp from chéerefull light, In euery part ſo plagued with annoy, As he abhorrs to leade a longer life, By meanes wherof, the one againſt the other His wrathfull ſonnes haue planted all their force, And Thebes here, this auncient worthy towne, With threatning ſiege girt in on euerie ſide, In daunger lyes to be ſubuerted quite, If helpe of heuenly Ioue vpholde it not, But as darke night ſuccedes the ſhining day, So lowring griefe comes after pleaſant ioy. Well now the charge hir highneſſe did commaund I muſt fulfill, though haply all in vaine. O Gentle daughter of King Oedipus, O ſiſter deare to that vnhappie wight Whom brothers rage hath reaued of his right, To whom, thou knowſt, in yong and tender yeares I was a friend and faithfull gouenour, Come forth, ſith that hir grace hath graunted leaue, And let me knowe what cauſe hath moued nowe So chaſte a maide to ſet hir daintie foote Ouer the threſholde of hir ſecrete lodge? Since that the towne is furniſhte euery where With men of armes and warlike inſtrumentes, Vnto our eares there cōmes no other noyſe, But ſounde of trumpe, and neigh of trampling ſtedes, Which running vp and downe from place to place, With hideous cries betoken bloude and death: The blaſing ſunne ne ſhineth halfe ſo brighte, As it was wont to doe at dawne of day: The wretched dames throughout the wofull towne, Together cluſtring to the temples goe, Beſeching Ioue by way of humble plainte, With tender ruthe to pitie their diſtreſſe.