Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
About this place he lies, dear Ghost forgive Thy sister's slackness, and with favour now Accept these loving, though late rites I do. A Grecian Lady? (so her habit speaks her) Some pious sorrow brings her to this place: Lady the gods assist your piety. Are you a woeful widowed Lady too, That come to break dire Creon's savage law? But yet you seem a Theban; all their bodies Have rites of funeral performed already. Or does your too too charitable grief? Extend to some unhappy Grecian soul? I know not how to answer you; the man Whose hearse I seek, was once a Thebes, prince; But since his native soil did prove to him So cruel, and unnatural, I dare Not call him Theban. Gentle Argos proved A kinder home to him, and freely gave What Thebes, though due, denied, a princely state With royal nuptials; now among the souls Of those unburied Grecians wanders he, And still perhaps desires to be esteemed One of their company, hating for ever (Ah woe is me) the memory of Thebes. His name was Polynices, my unhappy, Though dearest brother. Oh my heart? are you That good Antigone, whom I so long Have wished to see? I am that woeful maid. Then see your brother my dear husband's hearse Your grief is mine. Pardon me royal sister, Are you Argia great Adrastus' daughter? Let me adore the best of woman kind. Has your most faithful unexampled love Brought you so far, and on so cruel hazards To my dead brother? was it not enough That first so great a princess as yourself Advanced a banished man, and freely gave That love to him, which happiest princes sought? But that his dire misfortunes evermore Should make your virtue wretched? Dearest sister, Whose knowledge I am proud, though thus, to meet, By this true knot of everlasting love Our sorrow ties tonight, I here protest, No grief, no loss that banishment could bring Did move so much sad Polynices' heart, As parting from thy dearest company. No name to him was half so dear in Thebes, No name so often as Antigone Would his sad tongue to me alone repeat. And witness all ye sacred deities, Though Polynices from his native Thebes Were banished long, yet from a sister's heart The love of thee could never be exiled, Nor Thebes without thy presence pleasing to me. How oft have I upon Cithaeron's mount Appeased my father's anger toward thee? And dost thou thus visit thy sister here? Oh my wronged brother? Oh my dearest Lord! When first at Argos I beheld thy face, It was deformed with blood, and wounded then, Yet then I loved it; fortune to my love Showed thee at first a pitied spectacle As now at last, dearest Antigone; My brother Tydeus met him then at Argos, Both strangers there, before affinity Had made them brothers, in a mutual rage They fought; but all the blood that then was drawn Seemed but a sacrament, that did confirm Their after rare and unexampled love. Ay me, how different was it from the love Which here a natural brother showed to him! Argos, how far dost thou disgrace our Thebes In nature and in honour!
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)
About this place he lyes, deare Ghoſt forgiue Thy Siſters ſlackneſſe, and with fauour now Accept theſe louing, though late rites I doe. A Graecian Lady? (ſo her habit ſpeakes her) Some pious ſorrow brings her to this place: Lady the gods aſſiſt your piety. Are you a wofull widow'd Lady too, That come to breake dire Creons ſauage law? But yet you ſeeme a Theban; all their bodyes Haue rites of funerall perform'd already. Or does your too too charitable griefe? Extend to ſome vnhappy Graecian ſoule? I know not how to anſwer you; the man Whoſe hearſe I ſeeke, was once a Thebes, prince; But ſince his natiue ſoile did proue to him So cruell, and vnnaturall, I dare Not call him Theban. Gentle Argos proou'd A kinder home to him, and freely gaue What Thebes, though due, deny'd, a princely ſtate With royall nuptialls; now among the ſoules Of thoſe vnbury'd Graecians wanders he, And ſtill perhapps deſires to bee eſteem'd One of their company, hating for euer (Ah woe is me) the memory of Thebes. His name was Polynices, my vnhappy, Though deareſt brother. Oh my heart? are you That good Antigone, whom I ſo long Haue wiſh'd to ſee? I am that wofull maide. Then ſee your brother my deare husbands hearſe Your griefe is mine. Pardon me royall ſiſter, Are you Argia great Adraſtus daughter? Let me adore the beſt of woman kinde. Has your moſt faithfull vnexampled loue Brought you ſo farre, and on ſo cruell hazards To my dead brother? was it not enough That firſt ſo great a princeſſe as your ſelfe Aduanc'd a baniſh'd man, and freely gaue That loue to him, which happyeſt princes ſought? But that his dire miſfortunes euermore Should make your vertue wretched? Deareſt ſiſter, Whoſe knowledge I am proud, though thus, to meete, By this true knot of euerlaſting loue Our ſorrow tyes to night, I here proteſt, No griefe, no loſſe that baniſhment could bring Did mooue ſo much ſad Polynices heart, As parting from thy deareſt company. No name to him was halfe ſo deare in Thebes, No name ſo often as Antigone Would his ſad tongue to me alone repeate. And witneſſe all yee ſacred deities, Though Polynices from his natiue Thebes Were baniſh'd long, yet from a ſiſters heart The loue of thee could neuer be exil'd, Nor Thebes without thy preſence pleaſing to me. How oft haue I vpon Cytherons mount Appeaſ'd my fathers anger toward thee? And doſt thou thus viſite thy ſiſter heere? Oh my wrong'd brother? Oh my deareſt Lord! When firſt at Argos I beheld thy face, It was deform'd with blood, and wounded then, Yet then I lou'd it; fortune to my loue Shew'd thee at firſt a pityed ſpectacle As now at laſt, deareſt Antigone; My brother Tydeus met him then at Argos, Both ſtrangers there, before affinity Had made them brothers, in a mutuall rage They fought; but all the blood that then was drawne Seem'd but a ſacrament, that did confirme Their after rare and vnexampled loue. Ay me, how different was i from the loue Which heere a naturall brother ſhew'd to him! Argos, how farre doſt thou diſgrace our Thebes In nature and in honour!