Norton, Thomas / Sackville, Thomas · published 1570 · first performed or written 1562 [Jan 18] (Annals) tragedy · before the Court T38 Death, parting and grief at court typicality 0.84 · 495 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T38: queen, king, death, dead, heart, life, die, lord, royal, news.
O let us then repair unto the place, And see if Porrex live, or thus be slain. Alas he liveth not, it is to true, That with these eyes of him a peerless prince, Son to a king, and in the flower of youth, Even with a twink a senseless stock I saw. O damned deed. But hear his ruthful end. The noble prince, pierced with the sudden wound, Out of his wretched slumber hastily start, Whose strength now failing strait he overthrew, When in the fall his eyes even new unclosed Beheld the Queen, and cried to her for help. We then, alas, the ladies which that time Did there attend, seeing that heinous deed, And hearing him often call the wretched name Of mother, and to cry to her for aid, Whose direful hand gave him the mortal wound, Pitying (alas) for naught else could we do) His ruthful end, ran to the woeful bed, Despoiled strait his breast, and all we might Wiped in vain with napkins next at hand, The sudden streams of blood that flushed fast Out of the gaping wound, O what a look, O what a ruthful steadfast eye me thought He fixed upon my face, which to my death Will never part fro me, when with a braid A deep fet sigh he gave, and therewithal Clasping his hands, to heaven he cast his sight. And strait pale death pressing within his face The flying ghost his mortal corpses forsook. Never did age bring forth so vile a fact. O hard and cruel hap, that thus assigned Unto so worthy a wight so wretched end: But most hard cruel heart, that could consent To lend the hateful destinies that hand, By which, alas, so heinous crime was wrought. O Queen of adamant, O marble breast. If not the favour of his comely face, If not his princely cheer and countenance, His valiant active arms, his manly breast, If not his fair and seemly parsonage, His noble limbs in such proportion cast As would have wrapped a silly woman's thought, If this might not have moved thy bloody heart. And that most cruel hand the wretched weapon Even to let fall, and kissed him in the face, With tears for ruth to reave such one by death: Should nature yet consent to slay her son? O mother, thou to murder thus thy child? Even Ioue with justice must with lightning flames From heaven sand down some strange revenge on thee. Ah noble prince, how often have I beheld Thee mounted on thy fierce and trampling stead, Shining in armour bright before the tilt, And with thy mistress sleeve tied on thy helm, And charge thy staff to please thy lady's eye, That bowed the head piece of thy friendly foe? How often in arms on horse to bend the mace? How often in arms on foot to break the sword, Which never now these eyes may see again.
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 1253–1313 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 21 of 29 in this edition
Length
495 words · 631 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T38 — Death, parting and grief at courtcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.837 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T44 · seed 44: T6 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O let vs then repayre vnto the place, And see if Porrex liue, or thus be slaine. Alas he liueth not, it is to true, That with these eyes of him a perelesse prince, Sonne to a king, and in the flower of youth, Euen with a twinke a senselesse stocke I saw. O damned deede. But heare hys ruthefull end. The noble prince, pearst with the sodeine wound, Out of his wretched slumber hastely start, Whose strength now fayling straight he ouerthrew, When in the fall his eyes euen new vnclosed Behelde the Queene, and cryed to her for helpe. We then, alas, the ladies which that time Did there attend, seing that heynous deede, And hearing him oft call the wretched name Of mother, and to crye to her for aide, Whose direfull hand gaue him the mortall wound, Pitying (alas) for nought els could we do) His ruthefull end, ranne to the wofull bedde, Dispoyled straight his brest, and all we might Wiped in vaine with napkins next at hand, The sodeine streames of bloud that flushed fast Out of the gaping wound, O what a looke, O what a ruthefull stedfast eye me thought He fixt vpon my face, which to my death Will neuer part fro me, when with a braide A deepe fet sigh he gaue, and therewithall Clasping his handes, to heauen he cast his sight. And straight pale death pressing within his face The flying ghost his mortall corpes forsooke. Neuer did age bring forth so vile a fact. O hard and cruell happe, that thus assigned Unto so worthy a wight so wretched end: But most hard cruell hart, that could consent To lend the hatefull destenies that hand, By which, alas, so heynous crime was wrought. O Queene of adamant, O marble brest. If not the fauour of his comely face, If not his princely chere and countenance, His valiant actiue armes, his manly brest, If not his faire and seemely personage, His noble limnies in such proportion cast As would haue wrapt a sillie womans thought, If this mought not haue moued thy bloudy hart. And that most cruell hand the wretched weapon Euen to let fall, and kiste him in the face, With teares for ruthe to reaue such one by death: Should nature yet consent to slay her sonne? O mother, thou to murder thus thy childe? Euen Ioue with iustice must with lightning flames Frō heauen send downe some strange reuenge on thee. Ah noble prince, how oft haue I behelde Thee mounted on thy fierce and traumpling stede, Shining in armour bright before the tilt, And with thy mistresse sleue tied on thy helme, And charge thy staffe to please thy ladies eye, That bowed the head peece of thy frendly foe? How oft in armes on horse to bend the mace? How oft in armes on foote to breake the sworde, Which neuer now these eyes may see againe.