The Wars of Cyrus, King of Persia · chunk 12 of 26
Anonymous · published 1594 · first performed or written 1588 [1587-1594] (Annals) tragedy · Children of the Chapel (first) (Oxford's Boys) T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and so typicality 0.80 · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T17: tamburlaine, persian, cyrus, king, mahomet, arms, mighty, assyrian, thousand, army.
Seeing knightly Cyrus is thus merciful, Vouchsafe this service at thy vassals hands, Give me but letters from your Majesty, To signify how fain you would have peace, And draw your legions from Assyria, And bearing them unto Antiochus, In the delivery I will murder him. So highly do I honour Cyrus' name, So vildly think on base Antiochus. Thou shalt have letters to th' Assyrian king, Free liberty to pass from this our camp, And conduit money from our Treasury. Attend our leisure, I will send thee straight. What virgin is it that Gobrias leads? My daughter mighty Cyrus, and your child, For I commit her to your patronage. Then princely virgin welcome to our camp. But why sigh you, why hang you down the head? And in your pale looks bury beauty's pride, 'tis pity these looks should be stained with tears. even as a dove late rifled by the Eagle, Whose breast is tainted with his forked talents, So stands poor Alexandra terrified. And almost dead to think of her escape, If thou be Cyrus of whom Asia rings, Rescue, O rescue poor Libanio. From whom fair madame should I rescue him, O from Antiochus that bloody king. Who when he heard my father served your grace, Besieged his fortress with his men at arms, Where only I and that Libanio staid. By whom I live, For when the hold was lost, He being bondman and of a baser birth, would needs constrain me to put on his weeds, And he disguised as I was wont to go, would be Gobrias daughter in my stead, And so was thought of king Antiochus. and all the nobles of his warlike camp, But I a bondman and at his request, whose care was only to preserve my life, Sent hither as a messenger from him, To will my father whom they thought my Lord, To leave your camp, and come to Babylon, Or else Libanio his beloved child should die for his so traitorlike revolt, And die he must, lest Gyrus give him life. The deed was full of honour and deceit, If gold will pay his ransom, he shall live, And therefore Alexandra be not sad. So shall Gobrias beat Cyrus' beck, And for his sake make lavish of his blood. And when they know how he deluded them, I fear they'll rate his ransom at his head. Then blood and death Bellona's waiting maid, shall ghastly marching Babylons waste streets, And never was a bondman's death revenged, as Cyrus means for this Libanio. Give me the charm, for now doth Panthea sleep If it prevail this jewel shall be thine, Doubt not the operation of this charm, For I have tried it on Diana's nymph, And made her wanton and lascivious, If Panthea be a Goddess she must yield. But tell me first, how must it be applied? And in what time will it begin to work? Lay it under the pillow of her bed, and in an hour it will make her wake and yield.
seed 43: T18 · seed 44: T18 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Seeing knightly Cyrus is thus mercifull, Vouchſafe this ſeruice at thy vaſſals hands, Giue me but letters from your Maieſtie, To ſignifie how faine you would haue peace, And draw your legions from Aſſyria, And bearing them vnto Antiochus, In the deliuerie I will murther him. So highly do I honour Cyrus name, So vildlie thinke on baſe Antiochus. Thou ſhalt haue letters to th' Aſſyrian king, Free libertie to paſſe from this our campe, And conduit monie from our Treaſurie. Attend our leyſure, I will ſend thee ſtraight. What virgin is it that Gobrias leades? My daughter mightie Cyrus, and your child, For I commit her to your patronage. Then princely virgin welcom to our campe. But why ſigh you, why hang you downe the head? And in your pale lookes burie beauties pride, T'is pitie theſe lookes ſhould be ſtainde with teares. Euen as a doue late rifeled by the Eagle, Whoſe breaſt is tainted with his forked talents, So ſtands poore Alexandra terrified. And almoſt dead to think of her eſcape, If thou be Cyrus of whom Aſia rings, Reſcue, O reſcue poore Libanio. From whom faire madame ſhould I reſcue him, O from Antiochus that bloodie king. Who when he heard my father ſerude your grace, Beſiegde his fortreſſe with his men at armes, Where onely I and that Libanio ſtaide. By whom I liue▪ For when the hold was loſt, He being bondman and of a baſer birth, would needes conſtraine me to put on his weedes, And he diſguiſde as I was woont to go, would be Gobrias daughter in my ſtead, And ſo was thought of king Antiochus. and all the nobles of his warlike campe, But I abondman and at his requeſt, whoſe care was onely to preſerue my life, Sent hither as a meſſenger from him, To will my father whom they thought my Lord, To leaue your campe, and come to Babylon, Or elſe Libanio his beloued childe ſhould die for his ſo traitorlike reuolt, And die he muſt, leaſt Gyrus giue him life. The deed was full of honor and deceit, If gold will pay his raunſome, he ſhall liue, And therefore Alexandra be not ſad. So ſhall Gobrias beat Cyrus becke, And for his ſake make lauiſh of his blood. And when they know how he deluded them, I feare theyle rate his raunſome at his head. Then blood and death Bellonas waiting maid, ſhall ghaſtly marchin Babylons waſte ſtreetes, And neuer was a bondmans death reuengde, as Cyrus meanes for this Libanio. Giue me the charme, for now doth Panthea ſleep If it preuaile this iewell ſhall be thine, Doubt not the operation of this charme, For I haue tride it on Dianas nymph, And made her wanton and laſciuious, If Panthea be a Goddeſſe ſhe muſt yeeld. But tell me firſt, how muſt it be applied? And in what time will it begin to worke? Lay it vnder the pillow of her bed, and in an houre it will make her wake and yeeld.