Gascoigne, George / Kinwelmershe, Francis / Yelverton, ChristopherEuripides / Dolce, Lodovico · published 1575 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla typicality 0.79 · 505 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Adrastus swore, that he would soon restore Unto our right both Tydeus, and me: And first for me, that had the greater need, Whereby the best and boldest bloods in Greece, Have followed me unto this enterprise. A thing both just and grievous unto me, grievous I say, for that I do lament To be constrained by such open wrong, To war against mine own dear country fears. But unto you (O mother) doth pertain To stint this strife, and both deliver me From exile now, and eke the town from siege: For otherwise, I swear you here by heavens, Eteocles, who now doth me disdain For brother, shortly shall see me his lord▪ I ask the seat, whereof I aught of right Possess the half, I am Oedipus son, And yours, so am I true son to you both. Wherefore I hope that as in my defence, The world will weigh, so Ioue will me assist. Behold O queen, behold O worthy queen, Unworthy he, Eteocles here comes, So, would the Gods, that in this noble realm Should never long unnoble tyrant reign, Or that with wrong the right and doubtless heir, Should banished be out of his princely seat. Yet thou O queen, so file thy sugared tongue. And with such counsel deck thy mother's tale, That peace may both the brother's hearts inflame, And rancour yield, that erst possess the same. Mother, behold, your hests for to obey, In person now am I resorted hither: In haste therefore, fain would I know what cause With hasty speed, so moved hath your mind To call me now so causeless out of time, When common wealth most craves my only aid: Fain would I know what quent commodity Persuades you thus to take a truce for time, And yield the gates wide open to my foe, The gates that might our stately state defend, And now are made the path of our decay. Repress dear son, those raging storms of wrath, That so bedim the eyes of thine intent, As when the tongue (a ready Instrument) Would fain pronounce the meaning of the mind, It cannot speak one honest seemly word. But when disdain is shrunk, or set aside, And mind of man with leisure can discourse What seemly words his tale may best beseem, And that the tongue unfoldes without affects Then may proceed an answer sage and grave, And every sentence sawst with soberness: Wherefore unbend thine angry brows dear child, And cast thy rolling eyes none other way, That here dost not Medusa's (a) face behold, But him, even him, thy blood and brother dear. And thou behold, my Polynices eke, Thy brother's face, wherein when thou mayst see Thy own image, remember therewithal, That what offence thou wouldst to him were done, The blows thereof rebound unto thyself. And hereof eke, I would you both forewarn, When friends or brethren, kinsfolk or allies, (Whose hasty hearts some angry mood had moved) Be face to face by some of pity brought,
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)
Adraſtus ſware, that he woulde ſoone reſtore Vnto our right both Tydeus, and me: And fyrſt for mée, that had the greater néede, Whereby the beſt and boldeſt blouds in Greece, Haue followed me vnto this enterpryſe. A thing both iuſt and grieuous vnto me, Gréeuous I ſaye, for that I doe lament To be conſtrayned by ſuch open wrong, To warre agaynſt myne owne deare countrey féeres. But vnto you (O mother) dothe pertain To ſtinte this ſtryfe, and both deliuer mée From exile now, and eke the towne from ſiege: For otherwiſe, I ſweare you here by heauens, Eteocles, who now doth me diſdayne For brother, ſhortly ſhall ſée me his lorde▪ I aſke the ſeate, wherof I ought of right Poſſeſſe the halfe, I am Oedipus ſonne, And yours, ſo am I true ſonne to you both. Wherfore I hope that as in my defence, The worlde will weygh, ſo Ioue wil me aſſiſte. Beholde O quéene, beholde O woorthie quéene, Vnwoorthie he, Eteocles here cōmes, So, woulde the Gods, that in this noble realme Shoulde neuer long vnnoble tyrant reigne, Or that with wrong the right and doutleſſe heire, Shoulde baniſht be out of his princely ſeate. Yet thou O quéene, ſo fyle thy ſugred toung. And with ſuch counſell decke thy mothers tale, That peace may both the brothers hartes inflame, And rancour yelde, that erſt poſſeſſe the ſame. Mother, beholde, your heſtes for to obey, In perſon nowe am I reſorted hither: In haſte therefore, fayne woulde I knowe what cauſe With haſtie ſpéede, ſo moued hath your minde To call me nowe ſo cauſeleſſe out of time, When common wealth moſte craues my onely ayde: Fayne woulde I knowe what quent commoditie Perſwades you thus to take a truce for tyme, And yeld the gates wide open to my foe, The gates that myght our ſtately ſtate defende, And now are made the path of our decay. "Repreſſe deare ſon, thoſe raging ſtormes of wrath, "That ſo bedimme the eyes of thine intent, "As when the tongue (a redy Inſtrument) "Would fayne pronounce the meaning of the minde, "It cannot ſpeake one honeſt ſéemely worde. "But when diſdayne is ſhrunke, or ſette aſyde, "And mynde of man with leyſure can diſcourſe "What ſéemely wordes his tale may beſt beſéeme, "And that the toung vnfoldes without affectes "Then may procéede an anſwere ſage and graue, "And euery ſentence ſawſt with ſoberneſſe: Wherefore vnbende thine angrie browes deare childe, And caſte thy rolling eyes none other waye, That here doeſt not Meduſaes (a) face beholde, But him, euen him, thy bloud and brother deare. And thou behold, my Polinices eke, Thy brothers face, wherein when thou mayſt ſée Thine owne image, remember therewithall, That what offence thou wouldſt to him were done, The blowes thereof rebounde vnto thy ſelfe. And hereof eke, I would you both forewarne, When frendes or brethren, kinſfolke or allies, (Whoſe haſtie hearts ſome angrie moode had moued) Be face to face by ſome of pitie brought,