Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 21 (gar, shillings, alii, yongrave, ogenes, nat…). Matches are highlighted.
Javelin fly, And hit him not: which when my son perceyude, He overthrew the Lion as the bear. which done, said he, twice have I thrown and sped, whereat the prince snatched from his page a spear, And in a rage murdered my guiltless son. And that (which grieves me more) when he was dead, Albeit the old king wept m ost bitterly,
Full speech
Persians conduct me to your general. I come to yield, bring me to Cyrus tent. The Assyrian king whom you have put to death, Making me leader of a thousand horse, Buckled the armour with his gracious hands, Nor shall it be unloosed but by asking. Small guard have I to shield me from your swords, Most of my region is slain in fight, And of a thousand only these are left, Whose wounds yet bleeding proves the ̄ faint & weak, Yet rather will we run upon your spears, Then with dishonour yield our weapons, These if you injure us must be our friends, And either make us live or die Like men. By birth great Cyru: and Assyrian, And of the noblest house in Babylon. Sometime commander of a thousand horse, But those thy men have slaughtered and surprised, And therefore I have lost the ample shle, yet I am mighty Gobrias, rich in revenues, strong in for tresses That can command a camp of fighting men, As resolute (be it said without offence) As those that had theglorie of the day All which with me the governor of all, I yield unto your mighty patronage. Cyrus the disposition of this prince Sold up and sworn to endless villainies, May prove the griefs of Ctesiphon unfeigned, Upon my conscience Cyrus trust the man, No doubt his sorrow and complaints are true. My daughter mighty Cyrus, and your child, For I commit her to your patronage. My Lord, she is no page of mine. Some shameless strumpet and lascioious trull. Then Alexandra if you please is yours. Oh know my lord, whilst the Assyrian king, Which in this war was slain, enjoyed the crown, Being highly favoured of his majesty, He sent unto me for mine only son, Meaning to grace me with the nuptial, Of his fair daughter lovely Carmela. I glad to have alyance with the king, Sent him my son. Who coming to the court, Was fair entreated, gently entertained, And well was he that might he his copere, For fair he was and full of sweet demeanour. Pleasant, sharp, wise and liberal, And were he not my son, I would say more, Though his remembrance makes me weep outright. Began to grow familiar with my son, And with him road a hunting in the woods, where first the hounds put up a russet bear, At which the king flung soon his hunting dart, And missed But mine threw and pierced his heart. Then suddenly a Lion did arise, At whom likewise he let his Javelin fly, And hit him not: which when my son perceyude, He overthrew the Lion as the bear. which done, said he, twice have I thrown and sped, whereat the prince snatched from his page a spear, And in a rage murdered my guiltless son. And that (which grieves me more) when he was dead, Albeit the old king wept m ost bitterly, He neither did repent nor shed a tear, Nor would consent to give him burial, but left him in the field until I came, And took his body in these aged arms, which eke for grief made me to let him fallen, And then a fresh made him to bleed again, And me to weep upon his haked breast, O judge my lord, if you have had a son, How heavily I brook his timeless death. O judge my lord, whither that I have cause To offer service to that murderer, On whom I cannot look, but in his face as in a glass I see my slaughtered son. I humbly thank your royal majesty, And here in presence of the Persian lords, adopt you heir of all my provinces, My holds and castles, villages and towns, Conditionally that I may be revenged, On this archtyrant murderer of my son. Saving one daughter I have never a child, And she endued with jewels, plate and gold, shall be bestowed as you my lord think best. Oh Ctesiphon this tale of thine revives The woeful memory of my dearest son, Slaughtered by that most barbarous tyrant hand. First must I know before I can forget, Thee have I neither seen nor known till now. Found girl it seems thy wits be not thine own. I know thee now thou art my sweet Libanio, Thy borrowed habit made me to mistake, I know thee now thou art my sweea Libanio, A virtuous boy and of a noble spirit, To whose deserts and courage I ascribe, The rescue of my daughters liberty, Oh Cyrus this is he that to preserve My daughters freedom from the Assyrian king, Chosen to disguise himself in her array, In fearful doubt and hazard of his life, To save her honour from the tyrants wrath. It is my Lord. Cy. Then let us to your wished for place. That place Oh Cyrus I desire to see, Then wample both my eyes that with this turf, I may be sure to hit a virtuous man. So that the man be good and virtuous, Then Alexandra at thy husbands head. Your father's pleased, Histaspis she is yours. So shall Gobrias Beatrice Cyrus beck, And for his sake make lavish of his blood.
Plot summary
Plot — The Wars of Cyrus, King of Persia
Cyrus has conquered the rulers of Lydia, Arabia, and Assyria, and now he divides the spoils with his men, accepting none for himself. Unwilling to serve the new King of Assyria, who murdered his son, Gobryas defects to Cyrus and is given a command in his army. Panthea is taken captive: the Persians propose to present her to Cyrus, but she is faithful to her husband, Abradatas, and Cyrus refuses the temptation to love her. Appointed Panthea’s keeper, Araspas falls in love with her. When she rejects him, he resorts to magic; but the charm fails, and she reports him to Cyrus. Antiochus, the new King of Assyria, seeks revenge on Cyrus for his father’s death, and sends Ctesiphon as a feigned defector to the Persian camp. He also has vengeful designs on Gobryas’ daughter, Alexandra, but she swaps clothes with her page Libanio, who persuades Antiochus to hold ‘her’ hostage while ‘her page’ goes to persuade Gobryas to return. However, these plans go awry: Ctesiphon is so impressed with Cyrus that he renounces Antiochus’ sovereignty, confesses his former King’s plot, and offers to kill him; and when Dinon attempts to seduce the false Alexandra, ‘she’ sings him to sleep, kills him, and absconds to the Persian camp. Gobryas randomly selects a Persian husband for his daughter using the custom of blindfold turf-throwing; the clod lands on Hystaspas. Cyrus sends Ctesiphon back to Antiochus with a letter purportedly offering peace terms; in fact, it tells the Assyrian king of Ctesiphon’s treachery, and the would-be murderer is executed. Though Araspas is pardoned when he confesses the impropriety of his amorous behaviour, Cyrus persuades him to pretend to desert in fear of his wrath, and sends him to Babylon to spy on the Assyrians. Panthea persuades Cyrus to send for her husband Abradatas, who defects to the Persians because Antiochus attempted to seduce her. Araspas returns with news of Antiochus’ preparations for battle, and the Persians draw lots for the honour of leading the vanguard. Abradatas wins, and goes into battle. Panthea prays to Bellona for his safety, but he is killed. The grieving Panthea kills herself, leaving Cyrus to promise them both a worthy funeral.