Goffe, Thomas · published 1633 · first performed or written 1617 [c.1613-c.1618] (Annals) tragedy · at University T56 Magic, spells and conjuring typicality 0.81 · 482 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T56: magic, faustus, charms, charm, conjure, spirits, skill, ho, power, spells.
True, friend, but, O, whoever will reveal This hideous act! what power shall we invoke? Yes, harken friend, I have bethought a means; Not distant far from this place where we live, There stands a cave hard by a hollow oak, In a low valley where no Sun appears, No music ever was there heard to sound; But the harsh voice of croaking ominous ravens. And sad Nyctimine the bird of night, There's now a shed under whose ancient roof, There sometimes stood an Altar for the Gods, But now slow creeping time, with windy blasts Hath beaten down that stately Temples walls, Defaced his rich built windows, and untiled His battlemented roof, and made it now A habitation, nor for God, nor men: Yet an old woman, who doth seem to strive With the vast building for antiquity, In whose rough face time now hath made such holes, As in those uncouth stones she there hath made herself a cell, wherein to spend her age; Her name's Canidia; great in Magic spells, At whose dire voice, the gods themselves would quake, To hear her charm the second time pronounced. One that can know the secrets of Heaven, And in the air hath flying ministers, To bring her news from earth, from sea, from hell: Which, when thick night hath compassed in the world, Then doth she go to dead men's graves and tombs, And sucks the poisonous marrow from their bones, Then makes her charm, which she ne'er spent in vain, Nor doth she comes as suppliant to the Gods, But making Erebus, and Heaven to quake, She sends a spell drowning infernal thunder, By which all secrets that were ever done, In fair white parchment writ in lines of blood, Locked in the inmost room of hell itself Is brought unto her: and by her we may Have leave to look in Pluto's register, And read the names of those most loathed Furies, Which rent thy Father's soul from out his trunk, But she must see thy Father's dead bones first, Them we must bring her, for by them she works: This if thou dar'st assay, I'll go along. If I dare assay? yes, yes, dear friend, Were it to burst my Father's sepulchre, And wake his Manes, show them Radamanth, Their iterated sight will burn my soul With such a sparkling flame of dire revenge, As Nessus' shirt did burn great Hercules, If that the scroll which did contain their names, Were in a lake of flaming brimstone drenched, I'd take it out, or fetch't from Pluto's arms: But come; If earth have such a creature as can tell, 'twill save a journey for this once from hell. ALL years of happy days, all hours of joy So circle in thy state, as doth this crown Wreathe and combine thy princely temples in, All speak! Ioue still protect Aegisthus.
nodes 760–818 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 13 of 38 in this edition
Length
482 words · 633 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T56 — Magic, spells and conjuringcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.810 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T45 · seed 44: T51 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
True, friend, but, O, who euer will reueale This hideous act! what power shall wee inuoke? Yes, harken friend, I haue bethought a meanes; Not distant farre from this place where we liue, There stands a caue hard by a hollow oake, In a low valley where no Sun appeares, No musique euer was there heard to sound; But the harsh voyce of croking ominous rauens. And sad Nyctimine the bird of night, There's now a shed vnder whose ancient roofe, There sometimes stood an Altar for the Gods, But now slow creeping time, with windy blasts Hath beaten downe that stately Temples walls, Defac't his rich built windows, and vntil'd His battlemented roofe, and made it now A habitation, nor for God, nor men: Yet an old woman, who doth seem to striue With the vast building for antiquity, In whose rough face time now hath made such holes, As in those vncouth stones she there hath made Her selfe a cell, wherein to spend her age; Her name's Canidia; great in Magique spells, At whose dire voyce, the gods themselues would quake, To heare her charme the second time pronounc't. One that can know the secrets of Heauen, And in the ayre hath flying ministers, To bring her news from earth, from sea, from hell: Which, when thick night hath compas't in the world, Then doth she goe to dead mens graues and tombs, And sucks the poysonous marrow from their bones, Then makes her charme, which she nere spent in vaine, Nor doth she comes as suppliant to the Gods, But making Erebus, and Heauen to quake, She sends a spell drowning infernall thunder, By which all secrets that were euer don, In faire white parchment writ in lines of blood, Lockt in the inmost roome of hell it selfe Is brought vnto her: and by her we may Haue leaue to looke in Pluto's register, And read the names of those most loathed Furies, Which rent thy Fathers soule from out his truncke, But she must see thy Fathers dead bones first, Them we must bring her, for by them she works: This if thou dar'st assay, I'll goe along. If I dare assay? yes, yes, deare friend, Were it to burst my Fathers sepulchre, And wake his Manes, shew them Radamanth, Their iterated sight will burne my soule With such a sparkling flame of dire reuenge, As Nessus shirt did burn great Hercules, If that the scrowle which did containe their names, Were in a lake of flaming brimstone drencht, I'd take it out, or fetch't from Pluto's armes: But come; I feath haue such a creature as can tell, Twill saue a iourney for this once from hell. ALL yeares of happy dayes, all houres of Ioy So circle in thy state, as doth this crown Wreath and combine thy princely temples in, All speak! Ioue still protect Aegystheus.