Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Let Aemon know we'll be his fate. No more Eurydice. Antigone was lately met alone Without the city. None of all her servants Were privy to her going, nor yet know Whither their Lady went. Ha! I suspect What she intends to do. If I guess right She goes upon her ruin. Aephytus, Double the watch, and with a careful eye o'er look the knaves; this night shall be thy charge. Perform it well, and thou shalt find reward Beyond thy wishes; let no negligence, No gifts, no favour, nor respect to any, How near soe'er to us, make thee or them Slack in your charges, as your lives shall answer Our strictest justice. Do not fear me Sir. I'll be at hand myself to make all sure. Post to the West, bright Phoebus, and thou night, That robbest mortality of light, to lend them A greater blessing, rest and sweet repose, Spread thy black mantle over yond mourning fields, Which those dead Grecians strew, where too too long My wronged brother Polynices lies Barred by unnatural, and injurious Thebes, Dead from a tomb, as living from a Crown. This wrong must I redress, assist me virtue, And all ye gods, that favour piety. I have at last escaped the curious eyes Of all that watched my actions, and expect Nought but the safe concealment of the night: Were but these rites performed, not Creon's spite, Nor racks, nor tortures should my soul affright. What could th' Argolian ghosts, though once our foes, Deserve so much from us, as thus to lose The rites of funeral, which all mankind justly expect from greatest foes to find? Why should the land that gave them death, deny Them sepulture? pursuing enmity Farther than that? why with so black a stain Dost thou pollute the entrance of thy reign Unhappy Creon, thwarting nature's law, Upon thyself and fatal Thebes to draw The hate and curse of nations, who will make The quarrel theirs; Pluto himself will take Revenge for this great loss, that must befall His Monarchy, whilst these Argolians all Unburied lie, wandering a hundred year Exiled from him for want of sepulchre. Thine anger boots not, Creon; 'tis all one Whether the fire or putrefaction Dissolve them; all to nature's bosom go, And to themselves their ends the bodies owe. If now the Argives bodies be not burned, They shall when earth and seas to flames are turned. Earth will, inspite of thee, receive again whatever she brought forth; and they obtain heaven's coverture, that have no graves at all. Thou that deniest these people funeral, Why dost thou fly those slaughter-smelling fields? Breathe, if thou canst, the air this sad place yields. Those vanquished carcases alone possess The ground, and bar the conquerors access.
seed 43: T30 · seed 44: T33 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Let Aemon know Wee'll be his fate. No more Eurydice. Antigone was lately met alone Without the city. None of all her ſeruants Were priuy to her going, nor yet know Whither their Lady went. Ha! I ſuſpect What ſhe intends to doe. If I gueſſe right She goes vpon her ruine. Aephytus, Double the watch, and with a carefull eye Ore looke the knaues; this night ſhall be thy charge. Performe it well, and thou ſhalt finde reward Beyond thy wiſhes; let no negligence, No gifts, no fauour, nor reſpect to any, How neereſo ere to vs, make thee or them Slacke in your charges, as your liues ſhall anſwer Our ſtricteſt iuſtice. Doe not feare me Sir. Ile be at hand my ſelfe to make all ſure. Poaſt to the Weſt, bright Phaebus, and thou night, That robb'ſt mortality of light, to lend them A greater bleſſing, reſt and ſweet ropoſe, Spread thy black mantle ore yon mourning fields, Which thoſe dead Grecians ſtrew, where too too long My wronged brother Polynices lyes Barr'd by vnnaturall, and iniurious Thebes, Dead from a tombe, as liuing from a Crowne. This wrong muſt I redreſſe, aſſiſt me vertue, And all yee gods, that fauour piety. I haue at laſt eſcapt the curious eyes Of all that watcht my actions, and expect Nought but the ſafe concealement of the night: Were but theſe rites perform'd, not Creons ſpite, Nor racks, nor tortures ſhould my ſoule affright. What could th' Argolian ghoſts, though once our foes, Deſerue ſo much from vs, as thus to loſe The rites of funerall, which all mankinde Iuſtly expect from greateſt foes to finde? Why ſhould the land that gaue them death, deny Them ſepulture? purſuing enmity Farther then that? why with ſo black a ſtaine Doſt thou pollute the entrance of thy reigne Vnhappy Creon, thwarting natures law, Vpon thy ſelfe and fatall Thebes to draw The hate and curſe of nations, who will make The quarrell theirs; Pluto himſelfe will take Reuenge for this great loſſe, that muſt befall His Monarchy, whil'ſt theſe Argolians all Vnburied lie, wandring a hundred yeare Exil'd from him for want of ſepulcher. Thine anger bootes not, Creon; 'tis all one Whether the fire or putrefaction Diſſolue them; all to natures boſome goe, And to themſelues their ends the bodies owe. If now the Argiues bodies be not burn'd, They ſhall when earth and ſeas to flames are turn'd. Earth will, inſpite of thee, receiue againe What euer ſhe brought forth; and they obtaine Heauens couerture, that haue no graues at all. Thou that deny'ſt theſe people funerall, Why doſt thou fly thoſe ſlaughter-ſmelling fields? Breathe, if thou canſt, the aire this ſad place yeelds. Thoſe vanquiſh'd carcaſſes alone poſſeſſe The ground, and barre the conquerours acceſſe.