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 · 471 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.
Our woeful words, our prayers & our plaints, Poured out with streams of overflowing tears, (Where Nature rules) may happen to prevail, When reason, power, and force of arms do fail. But if the glowing heat of boiling wrath So furious be, as it may not relent, Then I atwixt them both will throw myself, And this my breast shall bear the deadly blows, That otherwise should light upon my sons: So shall they shed my blood and not their own. Well now dear daughter, let us hasten hence, For if in time we stay this raging strife, Then haply may my life prolonged be: If ere we come the bloody deed be done, Then must my ghost forsake this feeble corpse: And thou, dear child, with dolour shalt bewail, Thy brother's death and mothers all at once. WHo so hath felt, what faith and fervent love A mother bears unto her tender sons, She and none other sure, can comprehend The doleful grief, the pangs and secret pain, That presently doth pierce the princely breast Of our afflicted Queen: alas, I think No martyrdom might well compare with hers. So oft as I record her restless state, Alas me thinks I feel a shivering fear Flit to and fro along my flushing veins. Alas for ruth, that thus two brethren should, Enforce themselves to shed each other's blood. Where are the laws of nature now become? Can flesh of flesh, alas can blood of blood, So far forget itself, as slay itself? O lowering stars, O dim and angry skies, O geltie fate, such mischief set aside. But if supernal powers decreed have, That death must be the end of this debate, Alas what floods of tears shall then suffice, To weep and wail the near approaching death. I mean the death of sons and mother both, And with their death the ruin and decay, Of Oedipus and his princely race: But lo, here Creon comes with careful cheer: 'tis time that now I end my just complaint. ALthough I straightly charge my tender child To flee from Thebes for safeguard of himself, And that long since he parted from my sight, Yet do I greatly hung in lingering doubt, Lest passing through the gates, the privy watch Hath stayed him by some suspect of treason. And so therewhile, the prophets having scried His hidden fate, he purchased have the death Which I by all means sought he might eschew: And this mischance so much I fear the more, How much the wished conquest at the first, Fallen happily unto the town of Thebes, But wise men aught with patience to sustain The sundry haps that slippery fortune frames. Alas, who can direct my hasty steps Unto the brother of our woeful Queen? But lo where carefully he standeth here.
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)
Our wofull wordes, our prayers & our plaintes, Pourde out with ſtreames of ouerflowing teares, (Where Nature rules) may happen to preuayle, When reaſon, power, and force of armes do fayle. But if the glowing heate of boyling wrath So furious be, as it may not relent, Then I atwixt them both will throw my ſelfe, And this my breſt ſhal beare the deadly blowes, That otherwiſe ſhould light vpon my ſonnes: So ſhall they ſhead my bloud and not their owne. Well now déere daughter, let vs haſten hence, For if in time we ſtay this raging ſtrife, Then haply may my life prolonged be: If ere we come the bloudy déede be done, Then muſt my ghoſt forſake this féeble corps: And thou, deare childe, with dolour ſhalt bewaile, Thy brothers death and mothers all at once. WHo ſo hath felt, what faith and feruent loue A mother beares vnto hir tender ſonnes, She and none other ſure, can comprehende The dolefull griefe, the pangs and ſecret paine, That preſently doth pierce the princely breſt Of our afflicted Quéene: alas, I thinke No martyrdome might well compare with hirs. So ofte as I recorde hir reſtleſſe ſtate, Alas me thinkes I féele a ſhiuering feare Flit to and fro along my fluſhing vaines. Alas for ruth, that thus two brethren ſhoulde, Enforce themſelues to ſhed each others bloud. Where are the lawes of nature nowe become? Can fleſhe of fleſhe, alas can bloud of bloud, So far forget it ſelfe, as ſlay it ſelfe? O lowring ſtarres, O dimme and angrie ſkies, O geltie fate, ſuche miſchiefe ſet aſide. But if ſupernall powers decréed haue, That death muſt be the ende of this debate, Alas what floudes of teares ſhall then ſuffiſe, To wéepe and waile the néere approching death. I meane the death of ſonnes and mother both, And with their death the ruine and decay, Of Oedipus and his princely race: But loe, here Creon cōmes with carefull cheare: Tis time that now I ende my iuſt complaint. ALthough I ſtraightly charge my tender childe To flée from Thebes for ſafegarde of him ſelfe, And that long ſince he parted from my ſight, Yet doe I greatly hang in lingring doubt, Leaſt paſſing through the gates, the priuie watch Hath ſtayed him by ſome ſuſpect of treaſon. And ſo therewhile, the prophets hauing ſkride His hidden fate, he purchaſt haue the death Which I by all meanes ſought he might eſchewe: And this miſchaunce ſo much I feare the more, How much the wiſhed conqueſt at the firſt, Fell happily vnto the towne of Thebes, "But wiſe men ought with patience to ſuſtaine "The ſundrie haps that ſlipperie fortune frames. Alas, who can direct my haſtie ſteppes Vnto the brother of our wofull Quéene? But loe where carefully he ſtandeth here.