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 0.82 · 486 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.
Yea dear, too dear when it shall come too late. And now to thee my Polynices dear, I say that silly was Adrastus read, And thou God knows a simple silly soul, He to be ruled by thy heady will, And thou, to war against the Theban walls, These walls I say whose gates thyself should guard: Tell me I pray thee, if the City yield, Or thou it take by force in bloody fight, (Which never grant the Gods I them beseek) What spoils? what Palms? what sign of victory Canst thou set up to have thy country won? What title worthy of immortal fame, Shall blazed be in honour of thy name? O son, dear son, believe thy trusty dame, The name of glory shall thy name refuse, And fly full far from all thy fond attempts. But if so fall thou shouldst be overcome, Then with what face canst thou return to Greece, That here hast left so many Greekes on ground▪ Each one shall curse and blame thee to thy face, As him that only caused their decay, And eke condemn Adrastus simple head, That such a fere had chosen for his child. So may it fall, in one accursed hour, That thou mayst lose thy wife and country both, Both which thou mayst with little toil attain, If thou canst leave high mind and dark disdain. O mighty Gods of goodness, never grant Unto these evils, but set desired peace Between the hearts of these two friendly foes. The question that betwixt us two is grown, Believe me mother, can not end with words: You waste your breath, and I but lose my time, And all your travel lost and spent in vain: For this I swear, that peace you never get Between us two, but with condition, That whilst I live, I will be Lord of Thebes. Then set aside these vain forwasted words, And yield me leave to go where need doth press: And now good sir, get you out of these walls, Unless you mean to buy abode with blood. And who is he that seeks to have my blood, And shall not shed his own as fast as mine? By thee he stands, and thou stand'st him before: Lo here the sword that shall perform his word. And this shall eke maintain my rightful cause. O sons, dear sons, away with glittering arms: And first, before you touch each other's flesh, With doubled blows come pierce this breast of mine. Ah wretch, thou art both vile and coward like, Thy high estate esteems thy life to dear. If with a wretch or coward shouldst thou fight, O dastard villain, what first moved thee With swarms of Greeks to take this enterprise? For well I witted, that cankered heart of thine Could safely keep thy head within these walls, And flee the field when combat should be called.
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)
Yea deare, too deare when it ſhal come too late. And now to thée my Polinices deare, I ſay that ſillie was Adraſtus reade, And thou God knowes a ſimple ſillie ſoule, He to be ruled by thy heady wil, And thou, to warre againſt the Thebane walls, Theſe walls I ſay whoſe gates thy ſelfe ſhould garde: Tell me I pray thée, if the Citie yéelde, Or thou it take by force in bloudie fight, (Which neuer graunt the Gods I them beſéeke) What ſpoyles? what Palmes? what ſigne of victorie Canſt thou ſet vp to haue thy countrie woonne? What title worthie of immortall fame, Shall blaſed be in honor of thy name? O ſonne, deare ſonne, beléeue thy truſtie dame, The name of glorie ſhall thy name refuſe, And flie full farre from all thy fonde attemptes. But if ſo fall thou ſhouldſt be ouercome, Then with what face canſt thou returne to Greece, That here haſt lefte ſo many Greekes on grounde▪ Eache one ſhall curſe and blame thée to thy face, As him that onely cauſed their decaye, And eke condemne Adraſtus ſimple heade, That ſuch a phéere had choſen for his childe. So may it fall, in one accurſed houre, That thou mayſt looſe thy wife and countrie both, Both which thou mayſt with little toyle attaine, If thou canſt leaue high minde and darke diſdaine. O mightie Gods of goodneſſe, neuer graunt Vnto theſe euilles, but ſet deſired peace Betwene the hearts of theſe two friendly foes. The queſtion that betwixt vs two is growen, Beléeue me mother, can not ende with words: You waſte your breath, and I but looſe my time, And all your trauell loſt and ſpent in vaine: For this I ſweare, that peace you neuer get Betwéene vs two, but with condition, That whilſt I liue, I will be Lord of Thebes. Then ſet aſide theſe vaine forwaſted wordes, And yéelde me leaue to go where néede doth preſſe: And now good ſir, get you out of theſe walles, Vnleſſe you meane to buy abode with bloude. And who is he that ſéekes to haue my bloude, And ſhall not ſhed his owne as faſt as myne? By thée he ſtandes, and thou ſtandſt him before: Loe here the ſworde that ſhall perfourme his worde. And this ſhall eke mainteine my rightfull cauſe. O ſonnes, dear ſonnes, away with glittring armes: And firſt, before you touch eache others fleſh, With doubled blowes come pierce this breſt of mine. Ah wretch, thou art both vile and cowarde like, Thy high eſtate eſteemes thy life to deare. If with a wretch or coward ſhouldſt thou fighte, Oh daſtard villaine, what firſt moued thée With ſwarmes of Gréekes to take this enterpriſe? For well I wiſt, that cankred heart of thine Coulde ſafely kepe thy heade within theſe walles, And flée the fielde when combate ſhould be callde.