Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Neville, Alexander · published 1581 · first performed or written 1563 (Annals) tragedy T22 Shepherds, flocks and Pan typicality 0.81 · 484 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T22: shepherd, pan, shepherds, love, sheep, flocks, fair, shepherdess, swain, away.
The kings chief Shepherd than that was, delivered you to me. What was his name? O king old men's remembrance soon doth fail: Oblivion for the chiefest part, doth boary heads assail. And drowns their former memory of things long out of mind. What? canst thou know the man by sight? Perhaps I should him find, And know by Face. Things over whelmed by time, and quite oppressed. A small mark oft to mind revokes, and fresh renews in breast. Sirs bid the Herdsmen forth with drive their Beasts to Altars all. Away with speed, make haste, the Master Shepherds to me call. Sith that your destiny this doth hide, and Fortune it detain And closely keep, let it be so, from opening that refrain. That long concealed hath hidden lain, that seek not to disclose: Such things outsearched and found oft-times against the searcher goes. Can any mischief greater be? than this that now I fear. Advise you well remember first what weight this thing doth bear: That thus you go about to search, and slit with Tooth and Nail, Observe the golden mean: beware bear still and equal sail. Your countries wealth (O King) your life, and all upon this lies. Though you stir not, be sure at length your Fortune you escries. A happy state for to disturb doth nought at all behoue. When things be at the worst, of them a man may safely move. Can you have ought more excellent? than is a princes state? Beware lest of your Parents found it you repent to late. No (father) no I warrant that: repent not I (I trow.) I seek it not to that intent. I have decreed to know, The matter at the full. Wherefore I will it now pursus. Lo Phorbas: where hee trembling coms, with comely aged h. To whom of all the kings flock than, the care and charge was due. Dost thou his name, his speech his Face, or yet his person know? methinks I should have seen his Face, and yet I cannot show The places where I have him seen, small time brings such a change, As well acquainted Faces ost, to us appear still strange. This look is neither thoroughly known, nor yet unknown to me, I cannot tell: I doubt it much, and yet it may be he. In Laius' time long since when he these Kingdoms great did keep? Wast thou not on Cithaeron hills chief shepherd to his sheep? SOmetime a charge of sheep I had, unworthy though I were. And did upon those hills chief rule on other Shepherds bear. know'st thou not me. I cannot tell. Didst thou once give this man A Child. Speak out, why dost thou stay? if so, declare it than. Why dost thou blush and doubting stand, troth seeketh no delay? Things out of mind you call again, almost quite worn away.
nodes 836–885 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 19 of 26 in this edition
Length
484 words · 639 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T22 — Shepherds, flocks and Pancross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.809 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T24 · seed 44: T25 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
The kings chief Shephard than that was, deliuered you to mee. What was his name? O king old mens remēbrance ſoone doth fayle: Obliuton for the chieteſt part, doth boary heads aſſayle. And drowns their former memory of things long out of mynde. What? canſt thou know y• man by ſight? Perhaps I ſhould him finde, And know by Face. Things ouer whelmd by time, and quight oppreſt. A ſmall marke oft to mynde reuokes, and freſh renues in breſt. Sirs bid the Herdmen forth wt driue theyr Beaſts to Aulters all. Away with ſpeede, make haſt, the Maſter Sheepherds to mee call. Sith that your deſny this doth hyde, and Fortune it detayue And cloſely keepe▪ let it be ſo, from opening that refrayne. That long canceald hath hidden lyen, that ſeeke not to diſcloſe▪ Such things outſercht and foūd oftimes agaynſt the ſercher goes. Can any miſchiefe greater be? than this that now I feare. Aduiſe you wel remembre fyrſt what weight this thing doth beare: That thus you goe about to ſcarch, and ſlit with Tooth and Nayle, Obſerue the golden meane: beware beare ſtill and equall ſayle. Your Coūtreys wealth (O King) your lyfe, and all vpon this lyes. Though you ſtir not, bee ſure at length your Fortune you eſcryes. A happy ſtate for to diſturbe doth nought at all behoue. When things be at the worſt, of them a man may ſafely moue. Can you haue ought more excellent? than is a Prynces ſtate? Beware leaſt of your Parents found it you repent to late. No (father) no I warrant that: repent not I (I trow.) I ſeeke it not to that entent. I haue decreed to know, The matter at the full. Wherefore I will it now purſus. Lo Phorbas: where hee trembling coms, with comely aged h. To whom of all the kinges flack than, the care and charge was due. Doſt thou his name, his ſpeach his Face, or yet his perſon know? Me thinks I ſhould haue ſeene his Face, and yet I cannot ſhow The places where I haue him ſeene, ſmall time brings ſuch a chainge, As well acquaynted Faces oſt, to vs appeare ſtill ſtrainge. This looke is neyther throughly known, nor yet vnknown to mee, I cannot tell: I doubt it much, and yet it may bee hee. In Laius tyme long ſince when hee theſe Kindomes great did keepe? Waſt thou not on Citheron hils chiefe Shepard to his ſheepe? SOmetime a charge of ſheepe I had, vnworthy though I weer. And did vpon thoſe hills chiefe rule on other Shepards beare. Knowſt thou not me. I cannot tell. Didſt thou once geue this man A Childe. Speake out, why doſt thou ſtay? if ſo, declare it than. Why doſt thou bluſh and doubting ſtand, troth ſeeketh no delay? Things out of minde you call agayne, almoſt quight worne away.