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 · 513 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.
Left thus in everlasting woe and grief: So am I sorry for Eteocles, Who though he were my cruel enemy, He was your son, and brother yet to me: But since these ghosts of ours must needs go down With staggering steps into the Stygian reign, I you beseech, mother and sister both, Of pity yet, that you will me procure A royal tomb within my native realm: And now shut up with those your tender bands, These grieffull eyes of mine, whose dazzled light Shadows of dreadful death be come to close. Now rest in peace, this said, he yielded up His fainting ghost, that ready was to part. The mother thus beholding both her sons Ydone to death, and overcome with dole, Drew out the dagger of her Polynices, From brother's breast, and gored therewith her throat, Falling bet ween her sons: Then with her feebled arms, she doth unfold Their bodies both, as if for company Her uncontented corpse were yet content To pass with them in Charon's ferry boat. When cruel fate had thus with force bereft The woeful mother and her two dear sons, All suddenly alarm, alarm, they cry, And hot conflict began for to arise Between our army and our enemies: For either part would have the victory. A while they did with equal force maintain The bloody fight, at last the Greeks do fly, Of whom could hardly any one escape, For in such hugy heaps our men them slew. The ground was covered all with carcases: And of our soldiers, some 'gan spoil the dead, Some other were that parted out the pray, And some pursuing. Antigone took up The Queen Iocasta, and the brethren both, Whom in a chariot hither they will bring Ere long: and thus, although we gotten have The victory over our enemies, Yet have we lost much more than we have won. O hard mishap, we do not only hear The weary news of their untimely death, But eke we must with wailing eyes behold Their bodies dead, for look where they be brought. MOst bitter plaint, O ladies, us behoves Behoveth eke not only bitter plaint, But that our hears dyshevylde from our heads About our shoulders hung, and that our breasts With bouncing blows be all be battered, Our ghastly faces with our nails defaced: Behold, your Queen twixt both her sons lies slain, The Queen whom you did love and honour both, The Queen that did so tenderly bring up And nourish you, each one like to her own, Now hath she left you all (O cruel hap) With her too cruel death in dying dread, Pining with pensiveness without all help. O weary life, why bydste thou in my breast And I contented be that these mine eyes Should see her die that gave to me this life, And I not venge her death by loss of life? Who can me give a fountain made of moan, That I may weep as much as is my will, To souse this sorrow up in swelling tears?
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)
Left thus in euerlaſting woe and griefe: So am I ſory for Eteocles, Who though he were my cruell enimie, He was your ſonne, and brother yet to me: But ſince theſe ghoſtes of ours muſt néedes go downe With ſtaggring ſteppes into the Stigian reigne, I you beſech, mother and ſiſter bothe, Of pitie yet, that you will me procure A royall tombe within my natiue realme: And now ſhut vp with thoſe your tender bandes, Theſe grieffull eyes of mine, whoſe dazeled light Shadowes of dreadfull death be come to cloſe. Now reſt in peace, this ſayde, he yéelded vp His fainting ghoſt, that ready was to part. The mother thus beholding both hir ſonnes Ydone to death, and ouercome with dole, Drewe out the dagger of hir Pollinice, From brothers breſt, and gorde therewyth her throt, Falling bet wéene hir ſonnes: Then with hir féebled armes, ſhe doth vnfolde Their bodies both, as if for company Hir vncontented corps were yet content To paſſe with them in Charons ferrie boate. When cruell fate had thus with force bereft The wofull mother and hir two deare ſonnes, All ſodenly allarme, allarme, they crye, And hote conflict began for to aryſe Betwene our armie and our enemyes: For either part would haue the victorye. A while they did with equall force maintaine The bloudy fight, at laſt the Gréekes do flie, Of whom could hardly any one eſcape, For in ſuch hugie heapes our men them ſlew. The ground was couerde all with carcaſes: And of our ſouldiers, ſome gan ſpoyle the dead, Some other were that parted out the pray, And ſome purſuing. Antigone toke vp The Queene Iocaſta, and the brethren both, Whom in a chariot hither they will bring Ere long: and thus, although we gotten haue The victory ouer our enemies, Yet haue we loſt much more than we haue wonne. O hard miſhap, we doe not onely heare The wearie newes of their vntimely death, But eke we muſt with wayling eyes beholde Their bodies deade, for loke where they be brought. MOſt bitter plaint, O ladyes, vs behoues Behoueth eke not onely bitter plainte, But that our heares dyſheuylde from our heades About our ſhoulders hang, and that our breſts With bouncing blowes be all be battered, Our gaſtly faces with our nayles defaced: Behold, your Quéene twixt both hir ſonnes lyes ſlayne, The Quéene whom you did loue and honour both, The Quéene that did ſo tenderly bring vp And nouriſhe you, eche one like to hir owne, Now hath ſhe left you all (O cruell hap) With hir too cruell death in dying dreade, Pyning with penſifeneſſe without all helpe. O weary life, why bydſte thou in my breaſt And I contented be that theſe mine eyes Should ſée hir dye that gaue to me this life, And I not venge hir death by loſſe of life? Who can me giue a fountaine made of mone, That I may weepe as muche as is my will, To ſowſſe this ſorow vp in ſwelling teares?