Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 8 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1566 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T53 The crown: kingship claimed, resigned an · 483 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T53: crown, king, state, life, lord, lords, live, queen, tullia, prince.
His conscience wedlock vow doth prick and brings him home again. Let us return the self same trade a new for to retain, To which at first we should have stuck and ought not to forsake, To covenant continent a new let us ourselves betake: To take the trade of honesty at no time is to late: He purged is from punishment whose heart the crime doth hate. Why whether will thou gad (o rash and unadvised dame?) What dost thou earnestly believe, and firmly trust the same, That Agamemnon's spousal bed will loyal be to thee, That nought doth underprop thy mind which might thy terror be? His proud success puffed up to high with lucky blast of wind, Might make so crank, and set aloft his haughty swelling mind: Among his pears he stately was, oer Trojan turrets torn, How thynk ye then his stomach stout by nature given to scorn, In haughtiness agmented is more in himself to joy, Through this triumphant victory and conquest got of Troy? Before his voyage miceane king most myldly did he reign, But now a Tyrant truculent returned he is again. Good luck and proud prosperity do make his heart so rise. With what great preparation prepared solemn wise, A rabblement of strumpets come that clonge about him all? But yet the prophetess of Phoebe, (whom god of truth we call) Appears above the rest: she keeps the king, she doth him guide: Wyl● thou in wedlock have a mate and not for it provide? So would not she, the greatest grief this is unto a wite, Her husbands minion in her house to lead an open life. A queen's estate can not abide her pear with her to reign, And jealous wedlock will not her companion sustain. Aeg●st in desperate mode again why seist thou me a float? Why kyndlest thou the sparks of ire in embers covered hot? If that the victors own free will release his captives care, Why may not I his lady spouse have hope as well to far? One law doth rule in royal throne, and pompous princely towers, Among the vulgar sort, another in private simple bowers. what though my grudging fancy force that at my husbands hand, Sharp execution of the law I stubbornly withstand? recording this that haynouslye offended him I have: ●gently will me pardon grant who need the same to crave? Even so? on this condition thou mayst with him compound, To pardon him, if he again to pardon thee be bound. The subtle science of the law, The statutes of our land, (That long ago decreed were) thou dost not understand. The judges be malicious men, they spite and envy us, But he shall have them partial his causes to dyscns. This is the chiefest privilege that doth to kings belong, What laws forbiddeth other men they do, and do no wrong.
seed 43: T57 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
¶His cōsciēce wedlok vow doth prick and brynges hym home agayne. Let vs returne the selfe same rade a newe for to retayne, To which at first we should haue stuck and ought not to forsake, To couenaunt contynent a newe let vs our selues betake: To take the trade of honestie at no tyme is to late: He purged is from punyshment whose harte the cryme doth hate. ¶Why whether wilt thou gad (o rashe and vnaduysed dame?) What doest thou ernestly beleue, and fyrmly trust the same, That Agamemnons spousall bed wyll loyall be to thee, That nought doth vnderprop thy mind whych myght thy terrour bee? Hys proud successe pufte vp to hyghe wih lucky blast of wynde, Myght make so cranke, and set alofte hys hawty swellyng mynde: Amonge hys peares he stately was, er Troian turrets torne, How hynk ye then hys stomack stout by nature gyuen to scorne, In haughtynes agmented is more in hym selfe to ioye, Through thys tryumphant vyctorye and conquest got of Troye? Before hys voyage miceane kynge moste mylly dyd he reygne, But now a Tyrant truculent returnd he is agayne. Good lucke and proud prosperytie do make hys harte so ryse. With what great preparacion prepared solemne wyse, A rablement of strumpets come that clonge about hym all? But yet the prophetesse of Phaebe, (whom god of trueth we call) Appeares aboue the rest: she kepes the kynge, she doth hym guyde: Wyl thou in wedlock haue a mate and not for it prouyde? So wolde not she, the greatst greefe this is vnto a wyte, Her husbandes minion in her house to leade an open lyfe. A queenes estate can not abyde her peare with her to reygne, And Ielous wedlock will not her companyon sustayne. ¶Aegst in desprat mode agayne why sest thou me a flote? Why kyndlest thou the sparkes of ire in imbers couered hote? If that the vyctors owne free will releas his captyues care, Why may not I hys lady spouse haue hope as well to fare? One lawe doth rule in royall throne, and pompous pryncely towers, Amonge the vulgar sorte, another in pryuate symple bowers. what though my grudgyng fansy force that at my husbandes hande, Sharpe execution of the lawe I subbernly withstande? ecordyng thys that haynousye offended hym I haue: gently wyll me pardon graunt who nede the same to craue? ¶Euen so? on thys condicion thou mayst wyth hym compounde, To pardon hym, if he agayne to pardon thee be bounde. The subtle scyence of the lawe, The statutes of our lande, (That longe ago decreed were) thou doest not vnderstande. The Iudges be malicious men, they spyhte and enuye vs, But he shall haue them parciall hys causes to dyscns. Thys is the chiefest pryuiledge that doth to kynges belonge, What lawes forbyddeth other men they do, and do no wronge.