Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Is she living? 'tis welcome news, convey me quickly, friends, Oh quickly thither, that I may expire That breath that's left in Cleopatrae's arms. Go you, Epaphroditus, and besiege The Palace, to surprise Antonius; You Proculeius, and Cornelius Gallus, Go presently to Cleopatra's tomb, Woe her with all your art and eloquence With all assurances of Caesar's love To leave that place, and yield her person to him. Spare no attempts of force or policy To draw her thence: for you the Citizens Of Alexandria, cheer your fainting hearts, I'll mediate in your behalf to Caesar, To spare the City. Thanks to the most noble And good Agrippa. here he comes himself. The paleness of your fear declares your guilt. But that, though ne'er so great, shall not exceed Our clemency, to let you know it was Your happiness to be subdued by us. Mercy shall rule our just severity. First for your founder Alexander's sake, Next for the love of reverent Arius Our Master here whose goodness far outweighs All your offences and rebellions. Caesar in goodness, as in greatness, bears Equality with Jove. Hail mighty Caesar. What's he? Achoreus, Osiris Priest, A good and holy man. We dare believe thee, And therefore welcome him. Please it great Caesar, To give Achoreus leave to wait on him Into the ancient Temples of our Gods To show th' Egyptian rites and mysteries, And all the Deities that we adore. Most willingly Achoreus, I would see Gods, but not Oxen. He has blanked the Priest. I fain would see great Alexander's hearse The mansion once of so divine a soul A spirit greater than the world itself, Whom the world feared but could not satisfy. Within the vault of our Pyramids His body yet all whole may Caesar see. And all the bodies of our Ptolemies. I'd see Kings only, not dead carcases. But see, Epaphroditus is returned. Speak man, where is Antonius? Slain, my Lord. How? slain? what hand durst do it? His own hand. That was our fear: cruel Antonius. Too cruel to thyself, to Rome, and me How white a day have all the people lost? How great might Caesar's happiness have been Had but the fates permitted me to lay These conquering arms aside, and once again Embrace thee, dear Antonius, as a friend Thou worthy aider of my infant fortunes, Thou brave revenger of great Julius' death, Witness these tears, though I were forced to war (Whilst thou preferring foreign love before Caesar's alliance, didst reject my kindred, And scorn my love) I still could honour thee. But since too cruel fate denies to me So great an happiness as to express This love to thee alive, let thy dear ghost Behold my Piety, and see the honours Caesar will do to thy sad funeral. Most royal Caesar-like dissimulation.
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)
Is ſhe living? Tis welcome news, convey me quickly, friends, Oh quickly thither, that I may expire That breath that's left in Cleopatrae's arms. Go you, Epaphroditus, and beſiege The Palace, to ſurprize Antonius; You Proculeius, and Cornelius Gallus, Go preſently to Cleopatraes tombe, Wo her with all your art and eloquence With all aſſurances of Caeſar's love To leave that place, and yield her perſon to him. Spare no attempts of force or policy To draw her thence: for you the Citizens Of Alexandria, cheer your fainting hearts, I'll mediate in your behalf to Caeſar, To ſpare the City. Thanks to the moſt noble And good Agrippa. Heer he comes himſelf. The paleneſſe of your fear declares your guilt. But that, though nere ſo great, ſhall not exceed Our clemencie, to let you know it was Your happineſſe to be ſubdu'd by us. Mercy ſhall rule our juſt ſeveritie. Firſt for your founder Alexanders ſake, Next for the love of reverent Arius Our Maſter heer whoſe goodneſſe far out-weighs All your offences and rebellions. Caeſar in goodneſſe, as in greatneſſe, bears Equalitie with Jove. Hail mighty Caeſar. What's he? Achorus, Oſiris Prieſt, A good and holy man. We dare believe thee, And therfore welcom him. Pleaſe it great Caeſar, To give Achoreus leave to wait on him Into the ancient Temples of our Gods To ſhew th' Aegyptian rites and myſteries, And all the Deities that we adore. Moſt willingly Achoreus, I would ſee Gods, but not Oxen. He has blank'd the Prieſt. I fain would ſee great Alexander's herſe The manſion once of ſo divine a ſoul A ſpirit greater then the world it ſelf, Whom the world fear'd but could not ſatisfie. Within the vault of our Pyramides His bodie yet all whole may Caeſar ſee. And all the bodies of our Ptolomeys. I'd ſee Kings only, not dead carcaſſes. But ſee, Epaphroditus is return'd. Speak man, where is Antonius? Slain, my Lord. How? ſlain? what hand durſt do it? His own hand. That was our fear: cruell Antonius. Too cruell to thy ſelf, to Rome, and me How white a day have all the people loſt? How great might Caeſar's happineſſe have been Had but the fates permitted me to lay Theſe conquering arms aſide, and once again Embrace thee, dear Antonius, as a friend Thou worthy aider of my infant fortunes, Thou brave revenger of great Julius death, Witneſſe theſe tears, though I were forc'd to warre (Whilſt thou preferring forreigne love before Caeſar's alliance, did'ſt reject my kindred, And ſcorn my love) I ſtill could honour thee. But ſince too cruell fate denies to me So great an happineſſe as to expreſſe This love to thee alive, let thy dear ghoſt Behold my Pietie, and ſee the honours Caeſar will do to thy ſad funerall. Moſt royall Caeſar-like diſſimulation.