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 0.87 · 487 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T54: antony, caesar, anthony, cleopatra, antonius, love, death, die, heart, breast.
What monstrous hap Wilt thou recount? Alas too hard mishap! When I but dream of what mine eyes beheld, My heart doth freeze, my limbs do quivering quake, I senseless stand, my breast with tempest tossed Kills in my throat my words, ere fully borne. Dead, dead he is: be sure of what I say, This murdering sword hath made the man away. Alas my heart doth cleave, pity me racks, My breast doth pant to hear this doleful tale. Is Antony then dead? to death, alas! I am the cause despair him so compelled. But soldier of his death the manner show, And how he did this living light forego. When Antony no hope remaining saw How war he might, or how agreement make, Saw him betrayed by all his men of war In every fight as well by sea, as land; That not content to yield them to their foes They also came against himself to fight: Alone in court he 'gan himself torment, Accuse the Queen, himself of her lament, Called her untrue and traitoress, as who sought To yield him up she could no more defend: That in the harms which for her sake he bore, As in his blissful state, she might not share. But she again, who much his fury feared, Got to the tombs, dark horrors dwelling place: Made lock the doors, and pull the hearses down. Then fell she wretched, with herself to fight. A thousand plaints, a thousand sobs she cast From her weak breast which to the bones was torn. Of women her the most unhappy called, Who by her love, her woeful love, had lost Her realm, her life, and more the love of him, Who while he was, was all her woes support. But that she faultless was she did invoke For witness heaven, and air, and earth, and sea. Then sent him word, she was no more alive, But lay enclosed dead within her tomb. This he believed; and fell to sigh and groan, And crossed his arms, than thus began to moan. Poor hopeless man! What dost thou more attend Ah Antony! why dost thou death defer. Since Fortune thy professed enemy, Hath made to die, who only made thee live? Soon as with sighs he had these words up closed, His armour he unlaced and cast it off, Then all disarmed he thus again did say: My Queen, my heart, the grief that now I feel. Is not that I your eyes, my Sun, do lose, For soon again one tomb shall us conjoin: I grieve, whom men so valorous did deem, Should now, than you, of lesser valour seem. So said, forthwith he Erisychthon to him called, Erisychthon his man; summoned him on his faith To kill him at his need. He took the sword, And at that instant stabbed therewith his breast, And ending life fell dead before his feet.
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)
What monstrous hap Wilt thou recount? Alas too hard mishap! When I but dreame of what mine eies beheld, My hart doth freeze, my limmes do quiuering quake, I senceles stand, my brest with tempest tost Killes in my throte my words, ere fully borne. Dead, dead he is: be sure of what I say, This murthering sword hath made the man away. Alas my heart doth cleaue, pittie me rackes, My brest doth pant to heare this dolefull tale. Is Antony then dead? to death, alas! I am the cause despaire him so compelld. But soldior of his death the manner showe, And how he did this liuing light forgoe. When Antony no hope remaining saw How warre he might, or how agreement make, Saw him betraid by all his men of warre In euery fight as well by sea, as land; That not content to yeeld them to their foes They also came against himselfe to fight: Alone in court he gan himselfe torment, Accuse the Queene, himselfe of hir lament, Call'd hir vntrue and traitresse, as who sought To yeeld him vp she could no more defend: That in the harmes which for hir sake he bare, As in his blisfull state, she might not share. But she againe, who much his fury fear'd, Gat to the tombes, darke horrors dwelling place: Made lock the doores, and pull the hearses downe. Then fell she wretched, with hir selfe to fight. A thousand plaints, a thousand sobbes she cast From hir weake brest which to the bones was torne. Of women hir the most vnhappy call'd, Who by hir loue, hir woefull loue, had lost Hir realme, hir life, and more the loue of him, Who while he was, was all hir woes support. But that she faultles was she did inuoke For witnes heau'n, and aire, and earth, and sea. Then sent him word, she was no more aliue, But lay inclosed dead within her tombe. This he beleeu'd; and fell to sigh and grone, And crost his armes, then thus began to mone. Poore hopeles man! What dost thou more attend Ah Antony! why dost thou death deferre. Since Fortune thy professed enimie, Hath made to die, who only made thee liue? Sone as with sighes hee had these words vp clos'd, His armor he vnlaste and cast it off, Then all disarm'd he thus againe did say: My Queene, my heart, the griefe that now I feele. Is not that I your eies, my Sunne, do loose, For soone againe one tombe shall vs conioyne: I grieue, whome men so valorous did deeme, Should now, then you, of lesser valor seeme. So said, forthwith he Eros to him call'd, Eros his man; summond him on his faith To kill him at his nede. He tooke the sword, And at that instant stab'd therwith his breast, And ending life fell dead before his feete.