Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Theseus is he, whose warlike hand Defends mankind in every land No less by tyrants feared and known Then was the fair Alcmena's son. 'twas he, whose just revenging steel Subdued, and made dire Schinis feel The self-same torture in his death By which he took from other's breath, When trees together bowed were, And parted thence again, did tear Poor wretches, but by Theseus he Was forced to taste that Tragedy. Procrustes that inhuman thief (Monster of nature past belief) That made all passengers, whom he Surprised within the woods, to be By an unheard of cruel sport Stretched longer out, or else cut short, To fit their stature to his bed, By Theseus' hand was conquered, And doomed then himself to die By the same kind of cruelty. 'Twas he alone that did set free Athens from that sad slavery Which Minos fury, for the loss Of his beloved Androgeos, Had brought them to; when with clew He scaped the Labyrinth, and slew Fierce Minotaurus, that had been The monstrous issue of the Queen Pasiphae, Whom unnatural Prodigious lust had made to fall Before a Bull; the monster held Both shapes, and her foul guilt revealed. Against a far worse monster now The noble Theseus' arms to go, inhuman Creon, that denies To worthiest souls due obsequies, And, what those monsters would not do, Does after death his hate pursue. Oh let that still victorious sword Be now as prosperous, and afford To wicked Creon the just meed That is deserved for such a deed. But 'tis against all holy laws To doubt success in such a cause. PRince Polynices' body is interred By these two Ladies, whom I apprehend Just as the deed was done; nor did themselves Deny the fact. One I suspected still, And I am glad I have her, what's the other? The woeful widow of that wronged Prince Who stayed behind my countrymen, to do Those rites, which love, and piety required To my dead Lord; if that be judged a crime 'tis such a crime as I profess, and boast. Are you Adrastus' daughter then? The same. You are our prisoner now, take her, Ianthus, Into your custody: this falls out fitly, The ransom of this Princess will come well To fill our now-exhausted treasury. But thou a Theban borne, bound to obey Our crown and laws, what fury moved thy breast (Disloyal maid) to scorn our edict so? No other fury than the love of virtue, And reverence of the gods, moved me to this. Which were't to do again, not all the power Of hell, and tyrants should affright me from it. Has guilt emboldened thee? is this th' excuse Thou mak'st to me?
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)
Theſeus is he, whoſe warrelike hand Defends mankinde in euery land No leſſe by tyrants fear'd and knowne Then was the faire Alcmenaes ſonne. Twas he, whoſe iuſt reuenging ſteele Subdu'd, and made dire Schinis feele The ſelfe-fame torture in his death By which he tooke from others breath, When trees together bowed were, And parted thence againe, did teare Poore wretches, but by Theſeus he Was forc'd to taſt that Tragedy. Procruſtes that inhuman thiefe (Monſter of nature paſt beliefe) That made all paſſengers, whom he Surpriſ'd within the woods, to bee By an vnheard of cruell ſport Stretch'd longer out, or elſe cut ſhort, To fit their ſtature to his bed, By Theſeus hand was conquered, And doomed then himſelfe to dy By the ſame kinde of cruelty. 'Twas he alone that did ſet free Athens from that ſad ſlauery Which Minos fury, for the loſſe Of his belou'd Androgeos, Had brought them to; when w ith clew He ſcap'd the Labyrin, and ſlew Fierce Minotaurus, that had beene The monſtrous iſſue of the Queene Paſiphae, Whom vnnaturall Prodigious luſt had made to fall Before a Bull; the monſter held Both ſhapes, and her foule guilt reueal'd. Againſt a farre worſe monſter now The noble Theſeus armes to goe, Inhumane Creon, that denyes To worthieſt ſoules due obſequyes, And, what thoſe monſters would not doe, Does after death his hate purſue. Oh let that ſtill victorious ſword Be now as proſperous, and afford To wicked Creon the iuſt meede That is deſeru'd for ſuch a deede. But 'tis againſt all holy lawes To doubt ſucceſſe in ſuch a cauſe. PRince Polynices body is enterr'd By theſe two Ladyes, whom I apprehende Iuſt as the deede was done; nor did themſelues Deny the fact. One I ſuſpected ſtill, And I am glad I haue her, what's the other? The wofull widow of that wronged Prince Who ſtay'd behinde my countreymen, to doe Thoſe rites, which loue, and piety requir'd To my dead Lord; if that be iudg'd a crime Tis ſuch a crime as I profeſſe, and boaſt. Are you Adraſtus daughter then? The ſam ▪ You are our priſoner now, take her, Ianthus, Into your cuſtody: this falls out fittly, The ranſome of this Princeſſe will come well To fill our now-exhauſted treaſury. But thou a Theban borne, bound to obey Our crowne and lawes, what fury moou'd thy brea (Diſloyall maide) to ſcorne our edict ſo? No other fury then the loue of vertue, And reuerence of the gods, moou'd me to this. Which wer't to doe againe, not all the power Of hell, and tyrants ſhould affright me from it. Has guilt embolden'd thee? is this th' excuſe Thou mak'ſt to me?