Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 9 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1566 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla · 496 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
He pardoned Helen, she is wed to Menelaus again, Which Europe all, with Asia did plunge alike in pain. No Ladies lust hath ravyshte yet Atrides in his life, Nor pryvelie purloined his heart, betrothed to his wife. To pick a quarrel he begins, and matter thee to blame, Suppose thou nothing hast cōmyt● that worthy is of shame? What woteth him whom princes hate an honest life to frame? He never doth complain his wrong, but ever bears the blame. Wilt thou repair to Sparta, and to thy country trudge aright? Wilt thou become a ronagate, from such a worthy wight? Divorcement made from kings, will not so let the matter scape, Thou easest fear, by fickle hope, that falsely thou dost shape: My trespass is dysclosd to none, but to a trusty wight. At princes gates fidelity yet never enter might. I will corrupt and feede him s● with silver and with gold, That I by bribing bind him shall no secrets to unfold: The trust that hired is and bought by bribes and moneys fee, Thy counsel to bewray a gain with bribes enticed will be, The remnant left of shamfa●nes of those ungracious pryckes, Wherein of late I did delight, my conscience freshly prycks. Why keepest thou such a busy stur, and with thy flattering speech Enst ructing me with lewd advise dost wicked counsel preach? Shall I forsooth of royal blood with all the speed I can, Refuse the king of kings, and wed an outcast banished man? Why should you think in that Thyestes was father unto me, And Agamemnon Atreus son he should my better be? If that be but a trifle small Ad Nephew to the same, I am of Phoebus' lineage borne, whereof I do not shame. Why mak'st thou Phoebus' author of thy wicked pedigree, Whom out of heaven ye forced to fly when bridle back he drew? When lady night with mantel black did spread her sudden shade, Why makest thou the gods till such reproach fullness to wade? Whose father hath thee cunning made by flight and subtle guile To make thy kinsman Cuckold, while his wife thou do defile. What man is he whom we do know to be thy father's mate, Abusing lust of lechery in such unlawful rate? Avaunt, go pack the hence in ha●●e, dispatch, out of my sight This infamy, whose blemish stains this blood of worthy wight. This is no new exile to me that wickedness do haunt, But if that thou (o worthy queen) cammaund me to a●aunt I will not only straight avoid the house, the town, and field, My life on sword at thy request I ready am to yield. This heinous deed permit shall I (most churlesh cruel drab) Against my will though I offend, the fault I should not blab: Nay, rather come apart with me, and let us join our wits, To wrap ourselves out of this woe, and perilous threatening fits.
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)
¶He pardned Helen, she is wedd to Menela agayne, Whych Europ all, wyth Asia dyd plonge alyke in payne. ¶No Ladyes luste hath rauyshte yet Atrides in hys lyfe, Nor pryuelie purloynd hys harte, betrthed to hys wyfe. To picke a quarell he begyns, and matter thee to blame, Suppose thou nothyng hast cōmyt that worthy is of shame? What oteth hym whom prynces hate an honest lyfe to frame? He neuer doth complayne his wronge, but euer beares the blame. Wylt thou repayre to Spart, and to thy countrey trudge aryght? Wylt thou becom a ronagate, from such a worthy wyght? Deuorcement made from kynges, wil not so let the matter scape, Thou easest fear, by fyckle hope, that falsly thou doest shape: ¶My trespas is dysclosd to none, but to a trustye wyght. ¶At prynces gates fydelytye yet neuer enter myght. ¶I wyll corrupt and fede him s with syluer and wyth gould, That I by brybyng binde hym shall no secrets to vnfould: ¶The trust that hyred is and bought by brybes and moneys fee, Thy counsell to bewray a gayne with brybes entyste wyll bee, ¶The remnaunt left of shamfanes of those vngracyous ryckes, Wherin of late I dyd delyght, my concience freshly prycks. Why kepest thou such a busy stur, and wyth thy flattryng speache Enst ructyng me wyth lewd aduise dost wicked counsell preache? Shall I forsooth of royall blood with all the speede I can, Refuse the kynge of kynges, and wed an outcast banysht man? ¶Why should you thinke in that Thyest was father vnto mee, And Agamemnon Atreus sonne he should my better be? ¶If that be but a tryfle small Ad Nephew to the same, ¶I am of Phaebus linage borne, wherof I do not shame. Why makste thou Phaebus aucthor of thy wycked pedagrew, Whom out of heauen ye forste to fly when brydle backe he drew? When lady nyght with mantell black dyd spred her sudden shade, Why makest thou the gods til suche reproche fulnes to wade? Whose father hath thee conning made by fleyght and subtle guyle To make thy kynsman Cockold, while hys wyfe thou do defyle. What man is he whom we do know to be thy fathers mate, Abusyng luste of lecherye in suche vnlawfull rate? Auaunt, go packe the hence in hae, dispatche, out of my syght This infamie, whose blemysh staynes this blood of worthy wyght. ¶Thys is no newe exile to me that wyckednes do haunt, But if that thou (o worthy queene) cammaund me to aaunt I wyll not onely strayght auoyde the house, the towne, and feild, My lyfe on swerd at thy request I redy am to yeild. ¶Thys haynous dede permit shall I (most churlesh cruell drab) Agaynst my wyll though I offende, the fault I should not blab: Nay, rather come aparte wyth me, and let vs ioyne our wyts, To wrap our selues out of thys wo, and parlous threatnyng fyts.