Herbert, Mary Sidney / Garnier, RobertSidney Herbert, Mary · published 1595 · first performed or written 1590 (Annals) tragedy T54 Antony and Cleopatra: love, death and mo typicality 0.89 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T54: antony, caesar, anthony, cleopatra, antonius, love, death, die, heart, breast.
That I have thee betrayed, dear Antonie, My life, my soul, my sun? I had such thought? That I have thee betrayed my Lord, my King? That I would break my vowed faith to thee? I ave thee? deceive thee? yield thee to the rage Of mighty foe? I ever had that heart? Rather sharp lightning lighten on my head: Rather may I to deepest mischief fall: Rather the opened earth devour me: Rather fierce Tigers feed them on my flesh: Rather, o rather let our Nilus send, To swallow me quick, some weeping Crocodile. And didst thou then suppose my royal heart Had hatched, thee to ensnare, a faithless love? And changing mind, as Fortune changed cheer, I would weak thee, to win the stronger, loose? O wretch! o caitiff! o too cruel hap! And did not I sufficient loss sustain Losing my Realm, losing my liberty, My tender offspring, and the joyful light Of beamy Sun, and yet, yet losing more Thee Antony my care, if I lose not What yet remained? thy love alas! thy love, More dear than Sceptre, children, freedom, light So ready I to row in Charon's barge, Shall lose the joy of dying in thy love: So the sole comfort of my misery To have one tomb with thee is me bereft. So I in shady plains shall plain alone, Not (as I hoped) companion of thy moan, O height of grief! Eras why with Continual cries Your grieffull harms do you exasperate? Torment yourself with murdering complaints; Strain your weak breast so oft, so vehemently? Water with tears this fair alabaster? With sorrows sting so many beauties wound? Come of so many Kings want you the heart Bravely, stoutly, this tempest to resist? My evils are wholly unsupportable, No human force can them withstand, but death. To him that strives nought is impossible. In striving lies no hope of my mishaps. All things do yield to force of lovely face. My face too lovely caused my wretched case. My face hath so entrapped, so cast us down, That for his conquest Caesar may it thank, Causing that Antonie one army lost The other wholly did to Caesar yield. For not enduring (so his amorous sprite Was with my beauty fired) my shameful flight, Soon as he saw from rank wherein he stood In hottest fight, my Galleys making sail: Forgetful of his charge (as if his soul Unto his Lady's soul had been enchained) He left his men, who so courageously Did leave their lives to gain him victory. And careless both of fame and Army's loss My oared Galleys followed with his ship's Companion of my flight, by this base part Blasting his former flourishing renown. Are you therefore cause of his overthrow? I am sole cause: I did it, only I. Fear of a woman troubled so his sprite? Fire of his love was by my fear inflamed. And should he then to war have led a Queen?
seed 43: T51 · seed 44: T48 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
That I haue thee betraide, deare Antonie, My life, my soule, my sunne? I had such thought? That I haue thee betraide my Lord, my King? That I would breake my vowed faith to thee? I aue thee? deceiue thee? yeelde thee to the rage Of mightie foe? I euer had that hart? Rather sharpe lightning lighten on my head: Rather may I to deepest mischiefe fall: Rather the opened earth deuoure me: Rather fierce Tigers feed them on my flesh: Rather, ô rather let our Nilus send, To swallow me quicke, some weeping Crocodile. And didst thou then suppose my royall heart Had hatcht, thee to ensnare, a faithles loue? And changing minde, as Fortune changed cheare, I would weake thee, to winne the stronger, loose? O wretch! ô caitiue! ô too cruell happe! And did not I sufficient losse sustaine Loosing my Realme, loosing my libertie, My tender of-spring, and the ioyfull light Of beamy Sunne, and yet, yet loosing more Thee Antony my care, if I loose not What yet remain'd? thy loue alas! thy loue, More deare then Scepter, children, freedome, ligh So readie I to row in Charons barge, Shall leese the joy of dying in thy loue: So the sole comfort of my miserie To haue one tombe with thee is me bereft. So I in shady plaines shall plaine alone, Not (as I hop'd) companion of thy mone, O height of griefe! Eras why with Continuall cries Your griefull harmes doo you exasperate? Torment your selfe with murthering complaints; Straine your weake brest so ost, so vehemently? Water with teares this faire al ablaster? With sorrowes sting so many beauties wound? Come of so many Kings want you the hart Brauely, stoutly, this tempest to resist? My eu'lls are wholy vnsupportable, No humain force can them withstand, but death. To him that striues nought is impossible. In striuing lyes no hope of my mishapps. All things do yeelde to force of louely face. My face too louely caus'd my wretched case. My face hath so entrap'd, so cast vs downe, That for his conquest Caesar may it thanke, Causing that Antonie one army lost The other wholy did to Caesar yeld. For not induring (so his amorouse sprite Was with my beautie fir'de) my shamefull flight, Soone as he saw from ranke wherein he stoode In hottest fight, my Gallies making saile: Forgetfull of his charg (as if his soule Vnto his Ladies soule had beene enchain'd) He left his men, who so couragiously Did leaue their liues to gaine him victorie. And carelesse both of fame and armies losse My oared Gallies follow'd with his ships Companion of my flight, by this base parte Blasting his former flourishing renowne. Are you therefore cause of his ouerthrow? I am sole cause: I did it, only I. Feare of a woman troubled so his sprite? Fire of his loue was by my feare enflam'd. And should he then to warre haue led a Queene?