Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) · chunk 8 of 28
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T53 The crown: kingship claimed, resigned an · 483 words · other edition — not in the analysis
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 & 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 whither wilt 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 ere Trojan turrets torn, How think ye then his stomach stout by nature given to scorn, In haughtiness augmented is more in himself to joy, Through this triumphant victory and conquest got of Troy? Before his voyage Miceane King most mildly 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 clung about him all? But yet the Prophetess of Thebe (whom God of truth we call) Appears above the rest: she keeps the King, she doth him guide: Wilt thou in wedlock have a mate and not for it provide? So would not she, the greatest grief this is unto a wife, Her husbands mimon in her house to lead an open life. A queen's estate cannot abide her peer with her to reign, Ind jealous wedlock will not her companion sustain. Aegist in desperate mood again why seest thou me a float? Why kindlest 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 fare? 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 heinously offended him I have: He 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 the 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 discus. This is the chiefest privilege that doth to Kings belong. What laws forbiddeth other men, they do, and do no wrong.
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)
His conſcience wedlocke vow doth pricke & bringes him home again Let vs returne the ſelfe ſame trade a new for to retayne, To which at firſt we ſhould haue ſtucke and ought not to forſake, To coenaunt continent a new let vs our ſelues betake: To take the trade of honeſty at no tyme is to late: He purged is from puniſhment whoſe hart the cryme doth hate. Why whither wilt thou gad (o raſh and vnaduyſed dame?) What doſt thou earneſtly beleeue, and firmly truſt the ſame, That Agamemnons ſpouſall bed wil loyall be to thee? That nought doth vnderprop thy mynd which might thy terrour bee? His proud ſucceſſe puft vp to high with lucky blaſt of wynde, Might make ſo cranke, and ſet aloft his hawty ſwelling mynd: Among his peares he ſtately was ere Troyan turrets torne, How thinke ye then his ſtomacke ſtoute by nature geuen to ſcorne, In haughtines augmented is more in himſelfe to ioy, Throughe this triumphant victory and conqueſt got of Troy? Before his voyage Miceane King moſt mildly did he raygne, But now a Tyrant truculent returnd he is agayne. Good lucke and proude proſperity do make his hart ſo ryſe. With what great preparation prepared ſolemne wyſ, A rabblement of ſtrumpets come that clong about him al? Bt yet the Propheteſſe of Thebe (whom God of truth we call) Appeares aboue the reſt: ſhe keepes the King, ſhee doth him guyde: Wilt thou in wedlocke haue a mate and not for it prouyde? So would not ſhee, the greatteſt greefe this is vnto a wyfe, Her huſbandes mimon in her houſe to leade an open life. A Queenes eſtate cannot abyde her peete with her to raygne, Ind ielous wedlocke wil not her companion ſuſtayne. Aegiſt in deſprat moode agayn why ſeeſt thou mee a flote? Why kindleſt thou the ſparkes of yre in imbers couered hot If that the victors owne free will eleaſe his captiues care, Why may not. I his Lady ſpouſe haue hope as wel to fare? One law doth rule in royal throne, and po pous princclye Towres, Among the vulgar ſorte, another in priuate ſimple bowers. What though my grudging fancy force that at my huſbandes hand, Sharpe execution of the law I ſtubbernly withſtand? Recording this that haynouſly offended him I haue: He gently wil me pardon graunt who neede the ſame to craue? Euen ſo on this condition thou mayſt with him compound. To pardon him if he agayne to pardon th be bounde. The ſubtil ſcience of the law, the ſtatutes of our land, (That long agoe decreed were) thou doſt not vnderſtand. The Iudges be malicious men, they ſpyght and enuye vs, But he ſhal haue them partiall his cauſes to diſcus. This is the chiefeſt priuiledge that doth to Kinges belong. What lawes forbiddth other men, they doe, and doe no wronge.