Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Newton, Thomas · published 1581 · first performed or written 1581 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T38 Death, parting and grief at court · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T38: queen, king, death, dead, heart, life, die, lord, royal, news.
Post, post, be gone, and trudge for life: Queen mother make no stay: That twixt my Brothers, perfect league and truce continue may. You that be Mother to them both, use your authority: Out of their hands their weapons wrest, and make them wars defy. Your bared Breasts which once they sucked, hold out amid their swords: Bear of the brunt of all their blows, or end this war with words. Thy talk I like, I will be gone: I'll go with might and main: This head of mine I jeopard will, between them to be slain. In thickest throng of all the Troops I purposed am to stand, And try what grace, or courtesy remains in either Bond. If Brothers bear malicious minds each other to subdue, Let them first onset give on we, and me to death pursue. If either of them be endued with any spark of grace, Or Nature's laws or Filial awe doth any whit embrace, Let him at mother's suit lay down his Pikes and glaives of war, And weapons of hostility let him abandon far. And he that cankered stomach bears his Brother there to quell, Forgetting Nature, let him first with me his Mother mell. These heady youths from further rage I silly Trot will stay: I wittingly will not behold such mischief carry sway. Or if I live to see the same, it shall not be alone. The Standards are displayed in field, the Enemies are prone To fall to fight: the clashing noise of weapons hear you may. Much murder, death, and dreadful dole, cannot be far away. Their stony hearts go mollify, with sugared terms persuade Their wilful minds O Queene, before they furiously invade The one the other: yonder see how they in armour bright Bestir themselves from place to place: (O dire and dismal sight.) My trickling tears, my blubbering Eyes, may put you out of doubt That all is true which I have said: look, look, how all the rout O eyther part doth slowly march as loth (belike) to trye By dent of Sword so strange a case: But both my brothers hie Apace, to grapple force to force, and join with handy blows: This day will breed the bitter smart of ever during woes. What whirlwind swift might I procure to bear me through the air? What monstrous flying Sphinx will help, that I were quickly there? Of all the Birds Stimphalides (with wings so huge and large That Phoebus' rays they shadowed quite) will any take the charge To carry me to yonder place? what ravenous Harpy bird With ugly talons all with filth, and dirty dung befured, (Which hunger-starved King Phineus, that had put out the Eyes Of children his) will at this pinch a mean for me devise, That I aloft may hoist be, and with all speed be set, Where yonder cruel armies two in open field be met?
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)
POaſt, poaſt, be gone, and trudge for life: Queene mother make no ſtay: That twixt my Brothers, perfect league and truce continue may. You that be Mother to them both, vſe your auctority: Out of their handes their weapons wreſt, and make them warres defye. Your bared Breaſtes which once they ſuckt, hold out amid their Swordes: Beare of the brunt of all their blowes, or end this warre with wordes. Thy talke I like, I wil be gone: Ile goe with might and mayne: This head of myne I ieoperd wil, betwene them to be ſlayne. In thickeſt thronge of all the Troupes I purpoſd am to ſtand, And try what grace, or curteſy rimaynes in eyther Bonde. If Brothers beare malicious myndes each other to ſubdue, Let them firſt onſet geue on wee, and me to death purſue. If eyther of them be endude with any ſparke of grace, Or Natures lawes or Filiall awe doth any whit embrace, Let him at mothers ſuite lay downe his Pikes and glaues of warre, And weapons of haſtility let him abandon farre. And he that cancard ſtomacke beares his Brother there to quell, Forgetting Nature, let him firſt with me his Mother mell. Theſe headdy youthes from further rage I ſeely Trot wil ſtaye: I wittingly will not behold ſuch miſchiefe cary ſway. Or if I liue to ſee the ſame, it ſhal not bee alone. The Standardes are diſplayd in field, the Ennemyes are prone To fall to fight: the claſhing noyſe of weapons heare you may. Much murther, death, and dreadfull dule, cannot be far away. Their ſtony hartes goe mollify, with ſugred termes perſwade Their wilful myndes O Oueene, before they friouſly inuade The one the other: yonder ſee how they in armour bright Beſtirre themſelues from place to place: (O dire and diſmall ſight.) My trickling teares, my blubbring Eyes, may put you out of doubt That all is true which I haue ſayd: looke, looke, how al the route O eyther part doth ſlowly march as loth (belike) to trye By dent of Swerd ſo ſtraunge a caſe: But both my brothers hie Apace, to grapple force to force, and ioyne with handy blowes: This day wil breeede the bitter ſmart of euer during woes. What whirlewynd ſwift might I procure to beare me through the ayre? What monſtruous flying Sph wil helpe, that I were quickly there? Of all the Byrdes Stimphalides (with winges ſo huge and large That Phoe bur rayes they ſhadowed quight) wil any take the charge To cary mee to yonder place? what rauenous Harpye Burd With vgly talantes all with flith, and dirty dung befurde, (Which hungreſtarud King Phineus, that had put out the Eyes Of children his) wil at this pinch a meane for me deuyſe, That I aloft may hoyſed bee, and with al ſpede be ſet, Where yonder cruel armies two in open field be met?