Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
I come to thee sent from the wrathful gods To let thee know thy guilt, and punishment. Great plagues from heaven, if Tiresias Truly divine, are threatened 'gainst thy house. When I for thee unthankful man prepared A sacrifice within, the opened beast No signs but sad and fatal did afford. None but th' infernal gods deigned to appear. The blood was black, the burning entrails gave No flame at all, but darkly did consume, Mouldering away to ashes, and with black Unsavoury smoke clouded the fearful air. Unto our augury no birds at all But sad, and baleful birds of night appeared. Nor to our orisons would th'invoked gods Vouchsafe an answer, but in signs alone Declared their wrath. The cause of these their threats Against thy house is for thy cruelty To good Antigone, and if she die These plagues will surely fall. Can we avoid them. By sparing her? The gods above relent At humane penitence, and hear their prayers, Nor like the fiends are they inexorable. No longer, shalt thou now deny me Since heaven is joined with my petition. You are not constant in persisting thus, But obstinate. Now I renew my suit. In which we bend our knees, release, O king, For Thebes, for Aemons sake, that virtuous maid, And to prevent a fierce and cruel war, Vouchsafe to grant our suit, and give us leave To bury those dead Grecians in the field. No more of them; that last must not be granted, For our command is passed too far already, And must be justified, not changed now. But for the life of that Antigone, Although it cannot suit well with our justice To pardon her rebellious stubbornness, Yet she is thine Eurydice, to thee Do we refer her wholly; take this ring, And absolute power to dispose of her, Either to pardon, or to punishment. The gods reward thee for't; I'll go myself And bring her out with speed from that sad place; Heaven grant that grief have not already killed her. To arms, my Lord, if any arms so soon Can rescue Thebes from quick destruction. The mighty Theseus threatens you at hand. Why let him come: Should I esteem the name Of Theseus such a bugbear it should fright Me from my constant resolution? Have our late conquests, have the overthrows Of Argos and Mycenae taught the world Nothing of us? look on you purple fields With slaughter died, and learn what Thebes can do, Where Capanaeus, and stout Tydeus Parthenopaeus and Hippomedon Lie weltering in their gores, and should we then So tremble at the threats of Theseus? No power must daunt me; 'tis not Kingly now Upon constraint to change my rough decree. Though I relented now, though my soft breast Were moved with piety, yet thought of honour Would conquer that, as now it conquers fear, The fear of Theseus' hand; nor have I left A place for wisdom now; it comes too late; I must prevent or meet my instant fate. Yonder's the tomb, my Lord, which though it seem Too hard, and solid for our strength to force, I know a place will open presently.
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)
I come to thee ſent from the wrathfull gods To let thee know thy guilt, and puniſhment. Great plagues from heauen, if Tireſias Truly diuine, are threaten'd'gainſt thy houſe. When I for thee vnthankefull man prepar'd A ſacrifice within, the open'd beaſt No ſignes but ſad and fatall did afford. None but th' infernall gods deign'd to appeare. The blood was blacke, the burning entrailes gaue No flame at all, but darkely did conſume, Mouldring away to aſhes, and with blacke Vnſauoury ſmoake clouded the fearefull ayre. Vnto our augury no birds at all But ſad, and balefull birds of night appear'd. Nor to our orizons would th'inuoked gods Vouchſafe an anſwer, but in ſignes alone Declar'd their wrath. The cauſe of theſe their threats Againſt thy houſe is for thy cruelty To good Antigone, and if ſhe dy Theſe plagues will ſurely fall. Can we auoide them. By ſparing her? The gods aboue relent At humane penitence, and heare their prayers, Nor like the fiends are they inexorable. No longer, ſhalt thou now deny me Since heauen is ioyn'd with my petition. You are not conſtant in perſiſting thus, But obſtinate. Now I renew my ſuite. In which we bend our knnes, releaſe, O king, For Thebes, for Aemons ſake, that vertuous maide, And to preuent a feirce and cruell warre, Vouchſafe to grant our ſuite, and giue vs leaue To bury thoſe dead Graecians in the field. No more of them; that laſt muſt not be granted, For our command is paſt too farre already, And muſt be iuſtifi'd, not changed now. But for the life of that Antigone, Although it cannot ſuite well with our iuſtice To pardon her rebellious ſtubbornneſſe, Yet ſhee is thine Eurydice, to thee Do we referre her wholly; take this ring, And abſolute power to diſpoſe of her, Either to pardon, or to puniſhment. The gods reward thee for't; Ile goe my ſelfe And bring her out with ſpeede from that ſad place; Heauen grant that griefe haue not already kill'd her. To armes, my Lord, if any armes ſo ſoone Can reſcue Thebes from quicke deſtruction. The mighty Theſeus threatens you at hand. Why let him come: Should I eſteeme the name Of Theſous ſuch a buggebeare it ſhould fright Me from my conſtant reſolution? Haue our late conqueſts, haue the ouerthrowes Of Argor and Mycenae taught the world Nothing of vs? looke on you purple fields With ſlaughter dy'd, and learne what Thebes can doe, Where Capanaeus, and ſtout Tydeus Parthenopaeus and Hippomedon Ly weltring in their gores, and ſhould we then So tremble at the threates of Theſeus? No power muſt daunt me; 'tis not Kingly now Vpon conſtraint to change my rough decree. Though I relented now, though my ſoft breaſt Were moou'd with piety, yet thought of honour Would conquer that, as now it conquers feare, The feare of Theſeus hand; nor haue I left A place for wiſedome now; it comes too late; I muſt preuent or meete my inſtant fate. Yonder's the tombe, my Lord, which though it ſeeme Too hard, and ſolid for our ſtrength to force, I know a place will open preſently.