Tancred and Gismund (Gismond of Salerne) · chunk 15 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 T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.86 · 508 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
Which I (fond man) did settle in thy sight, Is this my recompense? that I must see The thing so shameful, and so villainous, That would to God this earth had swallowed This worthless burden into lowest deeps, Rather than I (accursed) had beheld The sight that hourly massacres my life. O whether, whether fliest thou forth my soul? O whether wandereth my tormented mind? Those pains that make the miser glad of death Have seized on me, and yet I cannot have What villains may command, a speedy death. Whom shall I first accuse for this outrage? That God that guideth all, and guideth so This damned deed. Shall I blaspheme their names? The gods the authors of this spectacle: Or shall I justly curse that cruel star Whose influence assigned this destiny? But nay, that traitor, shall that vile wretch live By whom I have received this injury? Or shall I longer make account of her That fondly prostitutes her widows shame? I have bethought me what I shall request. On bended knees, with hands heaved up to heaven This (sacred senate of the Gods) I crave, First on the traitor your consuming ire: Next, on the cursed strumpet dire revenge: Last, on myself, the wretched father, shame. Oh could I stamp, and therewithal command Armies of Furies to assist my heart, To prosecute due vengeance on their souls. Hear me my friends, but as ye love your lives, Reply not to me, hearken and stand amazed, When I (as is my wont) oh fond delight, Went forth to seek my daughter, now my death, Within her chamber (as I thought) she was, But there I found her not, I deemed then For her disport she and her maidens were Down to the garden walked to comfort them, And thinking thus, it came into my mind There all alone to tarry her return: And thereupon I (weary) threw myself Upon her widows bed (for so I thought) And in the curtain wrapped my cursed head. Thus as I lay anon I might behold Out of the vault up through her chamber floor My daughter Gismund bringing hand in hand The County Palurin, alas it is too true, At her bed's feet this traitor made me see Her shame, his treason, and my deadly grief. Her Princely body yielded to this thief. The high despite whereof so wounded me That trance-like, as a senseless stone I lay, For neither wit, nor tongue could use the mean T' express the passions of my pained heart. Forceless, perforce, I sunk down to this pain, As greedy famine doth constrain the hawk, Piecemeal to rent and tear the yielding pray: So fared it with me in that heavy stound, But now what shall I do? how may I seek To ease my mind that burneth with desire Of dire revenge? For never shall my thoughts Grant ease unto my heart, till I have found A mean of vengeance to requite his pains, That first conveyed this sight unto my soul.
Wilmot, Robert / Hatton, Christopher / Noel, HenryAl., G.Stafford, Roderick
Publication year (edition)
1591
First performance / composition (Annals)
1567 [1567-1568; revised 1591]
First performance (BritDrama)
1568 [Apr] [1566 or 1568-1569]
Theater
before the Court;
Genre (British Drama)
tragedy
Play type
University/Inns of Court;Nonprofessional
Edition / TCP / DEEP
edition 178 · TCP A15498 · DEEP 138
Edition role
Representative edition — used in the analysis
Position
nodes 882–946 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 15 of 29 in this edition
Length
508 words · 659 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.857 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T7 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Which I (fond man) did settle in thy sight, Is this my recompence? that I must see The thing so shameful, and so villanous, That would to God this earth had swalowed This worthlesse burthen into lowest deepes, Rather then I (accursed) had beheld The sight that howerly massacars my life. O whether, whether flyest thou foorth my soule? O whether wandreth my tormented mind? Those paines that make the miser glad of death Haue caz'd on me, and yet I cannot haue What villains may commaund, a speedie death. Whom shal I first accuse for this outrage? That God that guideth all, and guideth so This damned deede. Shal I blaspheme their names? The gods the authors of this spectacle: Or shal I iustly curse that cruel starre Whose influence assigned this destinie? But nay, that traitor, shal that vile wretch liue By whom I haue receau'd this iniurie? Or shal I longer make account of her That fondly prostitutes her widowes shame? I haue bethought me what I shall request. On bended knees, with hands heau'd vp to heauen This (sacred senate of the Gods) I craue, First on the traytor your counsming ire: Next, on the cursed strumpet dire reuenge: Last, on my selfe, the wretched father, shame. Oh could I stampe, and therewithall commaund Armies of Furies to assist my heart, To prosecute due vengeance on their soules. Heare me my frends, but as ye loue your liues, Replie not to me, hearken and stand amaz'd, When I (as is my wont) oh fond delight, Went foorth to seek my daughter, now my death, Within her chamber (as I thought) she was, But there I found her not, I demed then For her disport she and her maidens were Downe to the garden walkt to comfort them, And thinking thus, it came into my mind There all alone to tarry her returne: And thereupon I (wearie) threw my selfe Vpon her widdowes bed (for so I thought) And in the curten wrapt my cursed head. Thus as I lay anon I might beholde Out of the vaut vp through her chamber floore My daughter Gismund bringing hand in hande The Countie Palurin, alas it is too true, At her beds feete this traitor made me see Her shame, his treason, and my deadly griefe. Her Princelie body yeelded to this theefe. The high despite wherof so wounded me That traunce-like, as a senceles stone I lay, For neither wit, nor tongue could vse the meane T' expresse the passions of my pained heart. Forcelesse, perforce, I sunke downe to this paine, As greedie famin doth constraine the hauke, Peecemeale to rent and teare the yeelding praie: So far'd it with me in that heauie stound, But now what shal I doe? how may I seeke To ease my minde that burneth with desire Of dire reuenge? For neuer shal my thoughts Graunt ease vnto my heart, til I haue found A meane of vengeance to requite his paines, That first conueyd this sight vnto my soule.