The Brazen Age (The Age of Brass) · chunk 20 of 40
Heywood, Thomas · published 1613 · first performed or written 1611 [1610-1611] (Annals) classical legend or myth · Queen Anne's Men unassigned nearest T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla · 513 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
If he attempts he dies, what's that to me? Why should Medea fear a stranger's life? Or what's that Iason I should dread his fall? If he o'ercome, my father's glory wanes, And all our fortunes must reward his pains. Let Jason perish then, and Colchos flourish. Our pristine glories let us still enjoy, And these our brass-head bulls the Prince destroy. Oh! what distraction's this within me bred, Although he die, I would not see him dead? The best I see, the worst I follow still, He near wronged me, why should I wish him ill? Shall the Bulls toss him whom Medea loves, A tigress, not a Princess, should I prove? To see him tortured whom I dearly love? be then a torturess to thy father's life, A robber of the clime where thou wast bred, And for some straggler that hath lost his way, Thy father's Kingdom and his State betray. Tush, these are nothing, first his faith I'll crave, That covenant made, him by enchantments fave My task is above strength, Duke Peleus sent me Not to achieve, but die in this pursuit, And to prevent the Oracle that told him I must succeed; Iason bethink thee then Thou com'st to execution, not to act Things above man; I have observed Medea Retort upon me many an amorous look, Of which I'll study to make prosperous use. If by her art the Enchantments I can bind Immured with death, I certain safety find. Shall I o'erwhelm upon my captive head, The curse of all our Nation, the crowns ruin? Clamours of men, and women's loud exclaims. Burnings of children; the universal curse Of a great people, all to save one man, A straggler (God knows whence derived, where borne, Or hither where Noble? let the proud Greek die, we still in Colchos sit instated high Oh me! that look upon Medea cast Drowns all these fears, and hath the rest surpassed. Madam, because I love I pity you, That you a beauteous Lady, artful wise, Should have your beauty and your wisdom both enveloped in a cloud of Barbarism: That on these barren Confines you should live, Confined into an Angle of the world. And ne'er see that which is the world indeed, Fertile and populous Greece, Greece that bears men, Such as resemble Gods, of which in us You see the most dejected, and the meanest. How harshly doth your wisdom sound in th'ears Of these Barbarians, dull, unapprehensible, And such, in not conceiving your hid Arts, Deprive them of their honour; In Greece springs The fountains of Divine Philosophy, They are all understanders; I would have you Bright Lady with us, enter to that world Of which this Colchos is no part at all. Show then your beauty to these judging eyes, Your wisdom to these understanding ears. In which they shall receive their merited grace, And leave this barren, cold, and sterile place. His presence without all this Oratory Did much with us, but where they both conjoin To entrap Medea, she must needs be caught.
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)
If he attempts he dies, what's that to mee? Why should Medea feare a strangers life? Or what's that Iason I should dread his fall? If , my fathers glory waines, And all our fortunes must reward his paines. Let lason perish then, and Colchos flourish. Our pristine glories let vs still enioy, And these our brasse-head buls the Prince destroy. Oh! what distraction's this within me bred, Although he die, I would not see him dead? The best I see, the worst I follow still, Hee nere wrong'd mee, why should I wish him ill? Shall the Buls tosse him whom Medea loues, A Tygresse, not a Princesse, should I proue? To see him tortured whom I deerely loue? Bee then a torteresse to thy fathers life, A robber of the clime where thou wast bred, And for some straggler that hath lost his way, Thy fathers Kingdome and his State betray. Tush, these are nothing, first his faith I'le craue, That couenant made, him by enchantments faue My task is aboue strength, Duke Peleus sent me Not to atchieue, but die in this pursuite, And to preuent the Oracle that told him I must succeed; Iason bethinke thee then Thou com'st to execution, not to act Things aboue man; I haue obseru'd Medea Retort vpon me many an amorous looke, Of which I'le studdy to make prosperous vse. If by her art the Inchantments I can bind Immur'd with death, I certaine safety find. Shall I o're-whelme vpon my captiue head, The curse of all our Nation, the Crownes ruin? Clamours of men, and woemens loud exclaimes. Burnings of children; the vniuersall curse Of a great people, all to saue one man, A straggler (God knowes whence deriu'd, where borne, Or hether where Noble? let the proud Greeke die, Wee still in Colchos sit instated hye Oh me! that looke vpon Medea cast Drownes all these feares, and hath the rest surpast. Madam, because I loue I pitty you, That you a beauteous Lady, art-full wise, Should haue your beauty and your wisedome both Inuelopt in a cloud of Barbarisme: That on these barren Confines you should liue, Confin'd into an Angle of the world. And ne're see that which is the world indeed, Fertile and populous Greece, Greece that beares men, Such as resemble Gods, of which in vs You see the most deiected, and the meanest. How harshly doth your wisedome sound in th'eares Of these Barbarians, dull, vnapprehenfible, And such, in not conceiuing your hid Arts, Depriue them of their honour; In Greece springs The fountaines of Diuine Phylosophy, They are all vnderstanders; I would haue you Bright Lady with vs, enter to that world Of which this Colchos is no part at all. Shew then your beauty to these iudging eies, Your wisedome to these vnderstanding eares. In which they shall receiue their merited grace, And leaue this barraine, cold, and stirrill place. His presence without all this Oratory Did much with vs, but where they both conioyne To entrap Medea, shee must needs bee caught.