Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas · published 1570 · first performed or written 1562 [Jan 18] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court unassigned nearest T51 Parents and children: blessing, birthrig · 531 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T51: esau, iacob, father, son, isaac, god, love, birthright, parents, thing.
The silent night, that brings the quiet pause, From painful travails of the weary day, Prolongs my careful thoughts, and makes me blame The slow Aurore, that so for love or shame Doth long delay to show her blushing face, And now the day renews my griefful plaint. My gracious lady and my mother dear, Pardon my grief for your so grieved mind, To ask what cause tormenteth so your heart. So great a wrong, and so unjust despite, Without all cause, against all course of kind! Such causeless wrong and so unjust despite, May have redress, or at the lest, revenge. Neither, my son: such is the froward will, The person such, such my mishap and thine. Mine know I none, but grief for your distress. Yes: mine for thine my son: A father? no: In kind a father, not in kindliness. My father? why? I know nothing at all, Wherein I have misdone unto his grace. Therefore, the more unkind to thee and me. For knowing well (my son) the tender love That I have ever borne and bear to thee, He grieved thereat, is not content alone, To spoil thee of my sight my chiefest joy, But thee, of thy birthright and heritage Causeless, unkindly, and in wrongful wise, Against all law and right, he will bereave: Half of his kingdom he will give away. To whom? Even to Porrex his younger son, Whose growing pride I do so sore suspect, That being raised to equal rule with thee, Me thinks I see his envious heart to swell, Filled with disdain and with ambitious hope, The end the Gods do know, whose altars I Full often have made in vain, of cattle slain To sand the sacred smoke to heavens throne, For thee my son, if things do so succeed, As now my jealous mind misdeemeth sore. Madame, leave care & careful plaint for me, Just hath my father been to every wight: His first unjustice he will not extend To me I trust, that give no cause thereof: My brother's pride shall hurt himself, not me. So grant the Gods: But yet thy father so Hath firmly fixed his unmoved mind, That plaints and prayers can no whit avail, For those have I assayed, but even this day, He will endeavour to procure assent Of all his counsel to his fond device. Their ancestors from race to race have borne True faith to my forefathers and their seed: I trust they eke will bear the like to me. There resteth all. But if they fail thereof, And if the end bring forth an ill success: On them and theirs the mischief shall befall, And so I pray the Gods requited it them, And so they will, for so is wont to be. When lords, and trusted rulers under kings, To please the present fancy of the prince. With wrong transpose the course of governance, Murders, mischief, or civil sword at length, Or mutual treason, or a just revenge, When right succeeding line returns again, By Ioues just judgement and deserved wrath, Brings them to cruel and reproachful death, And roots their names and kindreds from the earth.
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)
The silent night, that bringes the quiet pawse, From painefull trauailes of the wearie day, Prolonges my carefull thoughtes, and makes me blame The slowe Aurore, that so for loue or shame Doth long delay to shewe her blushing face, And now the day renewes my griefull plaint. My gracious lady and my mother deare, Pardon my griefe for your so grieued minde, To aske what cause tormenteth so your hart. So great a wrong, and so vniust despite, Without all cause, against all course of kinde! Such causelesse wrong and so vniust despite, May haue redresse, or at the least, reuenge. Neither, my sonne: such is the froward will, The person such, such my missehappe and thine. Mine know I none, but grief for your distresse. Yes: mine for thine my sonne: A father? no: In kinde a father, not in kindlinesse. My father? why? I know nothing at all, Wherein I haue misdone vnto his grace. Therefore, the more vnkinde to thee and mee. For knowing well (my sonne) the tender loue That I haue euer borne and beare to thee, He greued thereat, is not content alone, To spoile thee of my sight my chiefest ioye, But thee, of thy birthright and heritage Causelesse, vnkindly, and in wrongfull wise, Against all lawe and right, he will bereaue: Halfe of his kingdome he will geue away. To whom? Euen to Porrex his yonger sonne, Whose growing pride I do so sore suspect, That being raised to equall rule with thee, Mee thinkes I see his enuious hart to swell, Filled with disdaine and with ambicious hope, The end the Goddes do know, whose altars I Full oft haue made in vaine, of cattell slaine To send the sacred smoke to heauens throne, For thee my sonne, if thinges do so succede, As now my ielous minde misdemeth sore. Madame, leaue care & carefull plaint for me, Iust hath my father bene to euery wight: His first vniustice he will not extend To me I trust, that geue no cause therof: My brothers pride shall hurt him selfe, not me. So graunt the Goddes: But yet thy father so Hath firmely fixed his vnmoued minde, That plaintes and prayers can no whit auaile, For those haue I assaied, but euen this day, He will endeuour to procure assent Of all his counsell to his fonde deuise. Their ancestors from race to race haue borne True fayth to my forefathers and their seede: I trust they eke will beare the like to me. There resteth all. But if they faile thereof, And if the end bring forth an ill successe: On them and theirs the mischiefe shall befall, And so I pray the Goddes requite it them, And so they will, for so is wont to be. When lordes, and trusted rulers vnder kinges, To please the present fancie of the prince. With wrong transpose the course of gouernance, Murders, mischiefe, or ciuill sword at length, Or mutuall treason, or a iust reuenge, When right succeding line returnes againe, By Ioues iust iudgement and deserued wrath, Bringes them to cruell and reprochfull death, And rootes their names and kindredes from the earth.