Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
Fear not my care, my Lord, but let me crave (By your own worth I beg it, and that favour Which you were ever pleased to reflect On my poor services) till I return, Attempt no other course, I will be speedy, And if persuasions of the queen do fail; we'll find a way to save the princess life, But 'tis a desperate way, and must be used The last of all. Oh comfortable Dircus, Do but assure me that, and I shall owe More than my life, and all my fortunes to thee Upon mine honour, I'll not stir from hence Till thou return, nor stay thee now t'enquire More of the plot. I will outfly the wind. Closed up alive within a tomb to starve! Oh horrid cruelty, I would I could Forget whose crime it were, that my free hate Might not be checked by duty to a father. Should I approve his action, 'twere a sin So great 'gainst virtue, as no time could pardon; Should I condemn it, I must then abhor Th' offendor, and that piety forbids. Oh why should piety, and virtue strive? That piety, which I so much admired In fair Antigone, myself transgress In loving her cross to my father's will. Yet in obeying him I must approve Her piety, or else condemn mine own. What thoughts will reign in this divided breast. Till Dircus do return? but courage heart, More strong is he, that can his doubts defer Than he that known calamities does bear. Oh smooth thy frown at last, great queen of heaven, Let not unhappy Thebes for ever feel The dire effects of thy too mindful wrath: What could the wretched Semele's offence, Or poor Alcmena's error more deserve, Than they themselves have suffered from thy hand? Or if succeeding branches needs must bleed For parents' faults, before a goddess wrath Can be appeased, could not Actaeon's wounds Athamas madness, Ino's woeful death, Nor pitied Oedipus his fall suffice? Could not the actions of great Hercules, Nor Bacchus glorious deeds, which all mankind For ever shall renown, weigh down the crimes Of their unhappy mothers, and such crimes, As only Ioues resistless power could force? A fiercer war by far now threatens Thebes Then that which old Adrastus with the aid Of all his rash confederates could make. The mighty Theseus, whose all-conquering hand No Kingdom yet with safety could withstand, Armed with a cause, in which the prayers and wish Of nations join, is marching towards us. In vain, alas, did we expect an end Of this dire war, when both the princes died, When th' Argives fled, must out own victory Become our grief? and draw upon us now A greater ruin than our foil had done?
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)
Feare not my care, my Lord, but let me craue (By your owne worth I begge it, and that fauour Which you were euer pleaſed to reflect On my poore ſeruices) till I returne, Attempt no other courſe, I will be ſpeedy, And if perſwaſions of the queene doe faile; Wee'll finde a way to ſaue the princeſſe life, But tis a deſperate way, and muſt be vſ'd The laſt of all. Oh comfortable Dircus, Do but aſſure me that, and I ſhall owe More then my life, and all my fortunes to thee Vpon mine honour, Ile not ſtirre from hence Till thou returne, nor ſtay thee now t'enquire More of the plot. I will out-fly the winde. Cloſ'd vp aliue within a tombe to ſtarue! Oh horrid cruelty, I would I could Forget whoſe crime it were, that my free hate Might not be check'd by duty to a father. Should I approue his action, 'twere a ſinne So great 'gainſt vertue, as no time could pardon; Should I condemne it, I muſt then abhorre Th' offendor, and that piety forbidds. Oh why ſhould piety, and vertue ſtriue? That piety, which I ſo much admir'd In faire Antigone, my ſelfe tranſgreſſe In louing her croſſe to my fathers will. Yet in obeying him I muſt approoue Her piety, or elſe condemne mine owne. What thoughts will reigne in this diuided breſt. Till Dircus doe returne? but courage heart, More ſtrong is he, that can his doubts deferre Then he that knowne calamities does beare. Oh ſmooth thy frowne at laſt, great queene of heauen, Let not vnhappy Thebes for euer feele The dire effects of thy too mindefull wrath: What could the wretched Semeles offence, Or poore Alemenas errour more deſerue, Then they themſelues haue ſuffer'd from thy hand? Or if ſucceeding branches needes muſt bleede For parents faults, before a goddeſſe wrath Can be appeaſ'd, could not Actaeons wounds Athamas maddneſſe, Inoes wofull death, Nor pitti'd Oedipus his fall ſuffice? Could not the actions of great Hercules, Nor Bacchus glorious deedes, which all mankinde For euer ſhall renowne, weigh downe the crimes Of their vnhappy mothers, and ſuch crimes, As only Ioues reſiſtleſſe power could force? A feircer warre by farre now threatens Thebes Then that which old Adraſtus with the aide Of all his raſh confederates could make. The mighty Theſeus, whoſe all-conquering hand No Kingdome yet with ſafety could withſtand, Arm'd with a cauſe, in which the prayers and wiſh Of nations ioyne, is marching towards vs. In vaine, alas, did we expect an end Of this dire warre, when both the princes dy'd, When th' Argines fled, muſt out owne victory Become our greife? and draw vpon vs now A greater ruine then our foile had done?