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 0.80 · 485 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.
This due is done. With knife then stick the kid, Thou daughter of divine Tiresias, With those unspotted virgin's hands of thine Receive the blood within this vessel here, And then devoutly it to Bacchus yield. O holy God of Thebes, that dost both praise Sweet peace, and dost in heart also disdain The noisome noise, the furies and the fight Of bloody Mars and of Bellona both: O thou the giver both of joy and health, Receive in 'gree and with well willing hand These holy whole brunt offerings unto thee: And as this town doth wholly thee a door, So by thy help do grant that it may stand Safe from the enemies outrage evermore. Now in thy sacred name I bowel here This sacrifice. And what entrails hath it? Fair and well-formed all in every point, The liver clean, the heart is not infect, Save lo, I find but only one heart string By which I find something I wot near what, That seems corrupt, and were not only that, In all the rest, they are both sound and hole. Now cast at once into the holy flame The sweet incense, and then advertise me What hue it bears, and every other rite That aught may help the truth for to conject. I see the flames do sundry colours cast, Now bloody sanguine, strait way purple, blue, Some parts seem black, some grey, and some be green. Stay there, sufficeth this for to have seen. Know Creon, that these outward seemly signs (By that the Gods have let me understand Who know the truth of every secret thing) Betoken that the City great of Thebes Shall Victor be against the Greekish host, If so consent be given: but more than this I list not say. Alas, for courtesy Say on Tiresias, never have respect To any living man, but tell the truth. In this mean while I will return with speed From whence I came: for lawful is it not, That such as I should hear your secrecies. Contrary then to that which I have said, The incest foul, and childbirth monstrous Of Iocasta, so stirs the wrath of Ioue, This city shall with bloody channels swim, And angry Mars shall overcome it all With famine, flame, rape, murder, dole and death: These lusty towers shall have a headlong fall, These houses burnt, and all the rest be razed, And soon be said, here whilom Thebes stood. One only way I find for to escape, Which both would thee displease to hear it told, And me to tell percase were perilous. Thee therefore with my travel I commend To Ioue, and with the rest I will endure, What so shall chance for our adversity. Yet stay a while, Creon make me not stay By force. Why fléest thou? Sir 'tis not from thee I flee, but from this fortune foul and fell.
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)
This due is done. With knife then ſtick ye kid, Thou daughter of deuine Tyreſias, With thoſe vnſpotted virgins hands of thine Receiue the bloude within this veſſell here, And then deuoutly it to Bacchus yelde. O holy God of Thebes, that doeſt both praiſe Swete peace, and doeſt in hart alſo diſdayne The noyſome noyſe, the furies and the fight Of bloudie Mars and of Bellona both: O thou the giuer both of ioy and health, Receiue in grée and with well willing hand Theſe holy whole brunt offrings vnto thée: And as this towne doth wholy thée a dore, So by thy helpe do graunt that it may ſtand Safe from the enimies outrage euermore. Now in thy ſacred name I bowell here This ſacrifice. And what entralls hath it? Faire and welformed all in euery poynt, The liuer cleane, the hart is not infect, Saue loe, I finde but onely one hart ſtring By which I finde ſomething I wote nere what, That ſéemes corrupt, and were not onely that, In all the reſt, they are both ſound and hole. Now caſt at once into the holy flame The ſwete incenſe, and then aduertiſe mée What hew it beares, and euery other ryte That ought may helpe the truth for to coniecte. I ſée the flames doe ſundrie coulours caſt, Now bloudy ſanguine, ſtraight way purple, blew, Some partes ſéeme blacke, ſome gray, and ſome be gréene. Stay there, ſuffyſeth this for to haue ſéene. Know Creon, that theſe outward ſéemely ſignes (By that the Gods haue let me vnderſtand Who know the truth of euery ſecrete thing) Betoken that the Citie great of Thebes Shall Victor be againſt the Gréekiſh hoſt, If ſo conſent be giuen: but more than this I lyſt not ſay. Alas, for curteſie Say on Tyreſias, neuer haue reſpect To any liuing man, but tell the truth. In this meane while I will returne with ſpéede From whence I came: for lawfull is it not, That ſuche as I ſhould heare your ſecreſies. Contrary then to that which I haue ſayde, The inceſt foule, and childbirth monſtruous Of Iocaſta, ſo ſtirres the wrath of Ioue, This citie ſhall with bloudy channels ſwimme, And angry Mars ſhall ouercome it all With famine, flame, rape, murther, dole and death: Theſe luſtie towres ſhall haue a headlong fall, Theſe houſes burnde, and all the reſt be razde, And ſoone be ſayde, here whilome Thebes ſtoode. One onely way I finde for to eſcape, Which bothe would thée diſpleaſe to heare it tolde, And me to tell percaſe were perillous. Thée therfore with my trauell I commende To Ioue, and with the reſt I will endure, What ſo ſhall chaunce for our aduerſitie. Yet ſtay a whyle, Creon make me not ſtay By force. Why fléeſt thou? Syr tis not from thée I flée, but from this fortune foule and fell.