Tancred and Gismund (Gismond of Salerne) · chunk 24 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 unassigned nearest T38 Death, parting and grief at court · 473 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T38: queen, king, death, dead, heart, life, die, lord, royal, news.
O damned deed. What deem you this to be All the said news that I have to unfold? Is here (think you) end of the cruelty That I have seen? Could any heavier woe Be wrought to him, than to destroy him so? What, think you this outrage did end so well? The horror of the fact, the greatest grief, The massacre, the terror is to tell. Alack what could be more? they threw percase The dead body to be devoured and torn Of the wild beasts. Would God it had been cast a savage pray To beasts and birds: but lo, that dreadful thing Which even the tiger would not work, but to Suffice his hunger: that hath the tyrant king Withouten ruth commanded us to do, Only to please his wrathful heart withal. Happy had been his chance, too happy alas, If birds, or beasts had eaten up his corpse, Yea heart and all: within this cup I bring, And am constrained now unto the face Of his dear Lady to present the same. What kind of cruelty is this you name? Declare forthwith, and whereunto doth tend This farther plaint. After his breath was gone, Forced perforce thus from his panting breast Straight they despoiled him, and not alone Contented with his death, on the dead corpse Which ravenous beasts forbear to lacerate, Even upon this our villains fresh begun To show new cruelty: forthwith they pierce His naked belly, and unripped it so, That out the bowels gushed: who can rehearse Their tyranny, wherewith my heart yet bleeds. The warm entrails were torn out of his breast. Within their hands trembling not fully dead, His veins smoked, his bowels all to reeked Ruthless were rent, and thrown about the place: All clottered lay the blood in lumps of gore, Sprent on his corpse, and on his paled face, His trembling heart, yet leaping, out they tore, And cruelly upon a rapier They fixed the same, and in this hateful wise Unto the king this heart they do present: A sight longed for to feed his ireful eyes. The king perceiving each thing to be wrought As he had wild, rejoicing to behold Upon the bloody sword the pierced heart, He calls then for this massy cup of gold, Into the which the woeful heart he cast, And reaching me the same, now go, quoth he, Unto my daughter, and with speedy haste Present her this, and say to her from me, Thy father hath here in this cup thee sent That thing to joy and comfort thee withal, Which thou lovedst best, even as thou wert content To comfort him with his chief joy of all. O hateful fact! O passing cruelty! O murder wrought with too much hard despite O heinous deed, which no posterity Will once believe!
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)
O dāned deed. What deem you this to be Al the sayd newes that I haue to vnfould? Is here (think you) end of the crueltie That I haue seen? Could any heauier woe Be wrought to him, then to destroy him so? What, think you this outrage did end so well? The horror of the fact, the greatest , The massaker, the terror is to tell. Alack what could be more? they threw percase The dead body to be deuourd and torne Of the wild beasts. Would God it had been cast a sauage praie To beasts and birds: but lo, that dreadfull thing Which euen the tyger would not work, but to Suffice his hunger: that hath the tyrant king Withouten ruth commaunded vs to doe, Onely to please his wrathfull heart withal. Happy had been his chance, too happy alas, If birdes, or beasts had eaten vp his corps, Yea heart and all: within this cup I bring, And am constrained now vnto the face Of his deare Ladie to present the same. What kind of crueltie is this you name? Declare foohwith, and wherunto doth tend This farther plaint. After his breath was gone, Forced perforce thus from his panting brest Straight they dispoiled him, and not alone Contented with his death, on the dead corps Which rauenous beasts forbeare to lacerate, Euen vpon this our villens fresh begunne To shew new crueltie: foorthwith they pearce His naked bellie, and vnript it so, That out the bowels gusht: who can rehearse Their tyrannie, wherwith my heart yet bleedes. The warme entralles were torne out of his brest. Within their hands trembling not fully dead, His veines smok'd, his bowels all to Ruthlesse were rent, and throwen about the place: All clottered lay the bloud in lumps of gore, Sprent on his corps, and on his paled face, His trembling heart, yet leaping, out they tore, And cruelly vpon a rapier They fixt the same, and in this hateful wise Vnto the king this heart they do present: A sight longd for to feede his irefull eies. The king perceiuing each thing to be wrought As he had wilde, to behold Vpon the bloudie sword the pearced heart, He calles then for this massie cup of gold, Into the which the wofull heart he cast, And reaching me the same, now go, quoth , Vnto my daughter, and with speedy hast Present her this, and say to her from me, Thy father here in this cup thee sent That thing to ioy and comfort thee withal, Which thou louedst best, euen as thou wert content To comfort him with his chiefe ioy of all. O hateful fact! O passing crueltie! O murder wrought with too much hard despite O hainous deede, which no posteritie Wil once beleeue!