Tancred and Gismund (Gismond of Salerne) · chunk 14 of 29
Wilmot, Robert / Hatton, Christopher / Noel, HenryAl., G.Stafford, Roderick · published 1591 · first performed or written 1567 [1567-1568; revised 1591] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm typicality 0.83 · 505 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
roll up the rock: where Titius hath his lot To feed the Gripe that gnaws his growing heart. Where proud Ixion whirled on the wheel, Pursues himself: where due deserved smart The damned Ghosts in burning flame do feel, From thence I mount: thither the winged God, Nephew to Atlas, that upholds the sky, Of late down from the earth, with golden rod, To Stygian Firrie, Salerne souls did guide, And made report, how Love that lordly boy, Highly disdaining his renowns decay, Slipped down from heaven, have filled with fickle joy, Gismunds heart, and made her throw away Chasteness of life, to her immortal shame, Minding to show by proof of her foul end, Some terror unto those that scorn his name, Black Pluto (that once found Cupid his friend In winning Ceres' daughter Queen of hells) And Parthie moved by the grieved Ghost Of her late husband, that in Tartar dwells, Who prayed due pains for her, that thus hath lost All care of him, and of her chastity, The Senate then of hell by grave advice Of Minos, Aeac, and of Radamanth, Commands me draw this hateful air, and rise Above the earth, with dole and death to daunt The pride and present joys, wherewith these two Feed their disdained hearts, which now to do Behold I come, with instruments of death. This stinging snake which is of hate and wrath, I'll fix upon her father's heart full fast, And into hers, this other will I cast, Whose rankling venom shall infect them so With envious wrath, and with recureless woe Each shall be others plague and overthrow. Furies must aid when men surcease to know Their gods: and hell sends forth revenging pain On those whom shame from sin cannot restrain. GOds are ye guides of justice and revenge? O thou great Thunderer, dost thou behold With watchful eyes the subtle scapes of men Hardened in shame, seared up in the desire Of their own lusts: why then dost thou withhold The blast of thy revenge? why dost thou grant Such lively breath, such lewd occasion To execute their shameless villainy? Thou, thou art cause of all this open wrong, Thou that forbearest thy vengeance all too long, If thou spare them rain then upon my head The fullness of thy plagues with deadly ire, To reave this ruthful soul, who all too sore Burns in the wrathful torments of revenge. O earth the mother of each living wight, Open thy womb, devour this withered corpse, And thou O hell, (if other hell there be Then that I feel) receive my soul to thee. O daughter, daughter, wherefore do I grace Her with so kind a name? O thou fond girl, The shameful ruin of thy father's house, Is this my hoped joy? is this the stay Must glad my grief-full years that waste away? For life which first thou didst receive from me, Ten thousand deaths shall I receive by thee? For all the joys I did repose in thee,
seed 43: T32 · seed 44: T26 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Rowles vp the rock: where Titius hath his lot To feede the Gripe that gnawes his growing heart. Where proud Ixion wherled on the wheele, Pursues himselfe: where due deserued smart The damned Ghosts in burning flame do feele, From thence I mount: thither the winged God, Nephew to Atlas, that vpholds the skie, Of late downe from the earth, with golden rod, To Stigian Firrie, Salerne soules did guide, And made report, how Loue that lordly boy, Highly disdaining his renownes decay, Slipt downe from heauen, haue fild with fickle ioy, Gismunds heart, and made her throw awaie Chastnes of life, to her immortall shame, Minding to shew by proofe of her foule end, Some terror vnto those that scorne his name, Blacke Pluto (that once found Cupid his friend In winning Ceres daughter Queene of hels) And Parthie moued by the grieued Ghost Of her late husband, that in Tartar dwels, Who praid due paines for her, that thus hath lost All care of him, and of her chastitie, The Senate then of hell by graue aduice Of Minos, Aeac, and of Radamant, Commands me draw this hatefull aire, and rise Aboue the earth, with dole and death to dant The pride and present ioyes, wherewith these two Feed their disdained hartes, which now to do Behold I come, with instruments of death. This stinging snake which is of hate and wrath, Ile fixe vpon her fathers heart full fast, And into hers, this other will I cast, Whose rankling venome shall infect them so With nuious wrath, and with recurelesse wo Each shall be others plague and ouerthrow. Furies must aide when men surcease to know Their gods: and hel sends foorth reuenging paine On those whom shame from sin cannot restraine. GOds are ye guyds of iustice and reuenge? O thou great Thunderer, doest thou beholde With watchful eyes the subtile scapes of men Hardned in shame, sear'd vp in the desire Of their owne lustes: why then dost thou withhold The blast of thy reuenge? why doest thou graunt Such liuely breath, such lewd occasion To execute their shamelesse villanie? Thou, thou art cause of al this open wrong, Thou that forbear'st thy vengeance all too long, If thou spare them raine then vpon my head The fulnesse of thy plagues with deadly ire, To reaue this ruthfull soule, who all too sore Burnes in the wrathfull torments of reuenge. O earth the mother of each liuing wight, Open thy wombe, deuour this withered corps, And thou O hel, (if other hel there be Then that I feele) receiue my soule to thee. O daughter, daughter, wherefore do I grace Her with so kind a name? O thou fond girle, The shamefull ruine of thy fathers house, Is this my hoped ioy? is this the stay Must glad my griefe-ful yeares that wast away? For life which first thou didst receiue from me, Ten thousand deaths shal I receiue by thee? For al the ioyes I did repose in thee,