Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
My Lord, I will obey; And thus I take my leave. Too cruel Dircus. Was I not miserable enough before, But thou must load my sufferings with thy death? What cause hadst thou to die? thou hast not lost A love, why should my loss extend so far As to the ruin of so brave a friend? Thy death has injured fair Antigone, And made a strange Division in my grief. For all the sorrow which this breast could hold, Was due to her before. I must encroach Upon her right in spending tears for thee. My breast's too narrow for so great a grief, And must be quickly opened. Thou pure soul Of my Antigone, which still surviv'st, Though this fair palace be demolished quite By deaths ungentle hand, thou heavenly substance, True object of a chaste, and spotless love, Thy Aemon comes; and from these bonds of nature Flies forth to meet thee in the other world, To wed thee there; to finish there the rites Of long-crossed love, and taste eternal sweets. Oh horrid spectacle! see Aephytus, The Prince, Antigone, and Dircus dead. All dead? Ay me. Look to the Queen, she swoons Alas, 'tis more than so; cold death has seized her I fear, beyond recovery, Let's in, And certify the King, who now may see. The dire effects of his rash cruelty. Our war's already ended, and the death Of savage Creon, whose dire soul is fled To pacify the Argives wandering ghosts, Hath satisfied our justice, here we sheathe Our sword again, and free your town from fears. And now enterre with fitting obsequies The Carcases of all your slaughtered foes. Let cruel Creon too, though he at all Deserve it not, have rites of funeral. Those pious rites will we perform with joy, And thanks to mighty Theseus, may the Gods. Assist thee ever; and great Hercules Beholding thy brave actions from the sky Rejoice, and not disdain at all to be Esteemed thy equal by posterity. Send back Argia to her father's court With fair attendance; and 'tis left to you To place the Theban sceptre where 'tis due. Thebes humbly bows to mighty Theseus, And lays her crown and sceptre at his feet. No; still let Thebes be governed by her own; 'twas not our wars intention to enthrall Your land, but free it from a tyrant's yoke; And to preserve the conquered, not destroy them. We drew the sword of justice, not of conquest, Ambitiously to spread our Kingdoms bounds, But to avenge the laws of nature broke; This act being done, Theseus is peace again. soldiers' march on to Athens. Thebes adieu. Now let mankind enjoy a happy peace; Oh let no monsters breed on earth, to glut Themselves with human slaughter, let no thieves Infest the woods; no tyrants stain the cities With blood of innocents? but if such monsters Must needs be bred to plague the wretched earth, 'Gainst nature, and her holy laws to strive, Let them appear while Theseus is alive.
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)
My Lord, I will obey; And thus I take my leaue. Too cruell Dircus. Was I not miſerable enough before, But thou muſt loade my ſufferings with thy death? What cauſe hadd'ſt thou to dy? thou haſt not loſt A loue, why ſhould my loſſe extend ſo farre As to the ruine of ſo braue a friend? Thy death has iniur'd faire Antigone, And made a ſtrange Diuiſion in my griefe. For all the ſorrow which this breaſt could hold, Was due to her before. I muſt encroach Vpon her right in ſpending teares for thee. My breaſt's too narrow for ſo great a griefe, And muſt be quickly open'd. Thou pure ſoule Of my Antigone, which ſtill ſuruiu'ſt, Though this faire palace be demoliſh'd quite By deaths vngentle hand, thou heauenly ſubſtance, True obiect of a chaſt, and ſpotleſſe loue, Thy Aemon comes; and from theſe bonds of nature Flyes forth to meete thee in the other world, To wedd thee there; to finiſh there the rites Of long-croſſ'd loue, and taſt eternall ſweetes. Oh horrid ſpectacle! ſee Aephytus, The Prince, Antigone, and Dircus dead. All dead? Ay me. Looke to the Queene, ſhe ſownes Alas, tis more then ſo; cold death has ſeiz'd her I feare, beyond recouery, Lett's in, And certifie the King, who now may ſee. The dire effects of his raſh cruelty. Our warre's already ended, and the death Of ſauage Creon, whoſe dire ſoule is fled To pacifie the Argiues wandring ghoſts, Hath ſatisfi'd our iuſtice, heere we ſheath Our ſword againe, and free your towne from feares. And now enterre with fitting obſequies The Carcaſſes of all your ſlauter'd foes. Let cruell Creon too, though he at all Deſerue it not, haue rites of funerall. Thoſe pious rites will we performe with ioy, And thankes to mighty Theſeus, may the Gods. Aſſiſt thee euer; and great Hercules Beholding thy braue actions from the sky Reioyce, and not disdaine at all to be Eſteem'd thy aequall by poſterity. Send backe Argia to her father's court With faire attendance; and tis left to you To place the Theban ſcepter where tis due. Thebes humbly bowes to mighty Theſeus, And layes her crowne and ſeepter at his feete. No; ſtill let Thebes be gouern'd by her owne; T'was not our warres intention to enthrall Your land, but free it from a tyrants yoake; And to preſerue the conquer'd, not deſtroy them. We drew the ſword of iuſtice, not of conqueſt, Ambitiouſly to ſpread our Kingdomes bounds, But to auenge the lawes of nature broke; This act being done, Theſeus is peace againe. Souldiers march on to Athens. Thebes adieu. Now let mankinde enioy a happy peace; Oh let no monſters breede on earth, to glut Themſelues with human ſlaughter, let no theeues Infeſt the woods; no tyrants ſtaine the cities With blood of innocents? but if ſuch monſters Muſt needes be bred to plague the wretched earth, 'Gainſt nature, and her holy lawes to ſtriue, Let them appeare while Theſeus is aliue.