Goffe, Thomas · published 1633 · first performed or written 1617 [c.1613-c.1618] (Annals) tragedy · at University T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm typicality 0.84 · 464 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
Hark, hark the Furies entertain my mother, Orpheus would fetch Eurydice from Hell, See, he looks back, wouldst venture so thou fool, I'd see my mother burnt before I'd go, Why shouldst thou bring her? she would stifle thee, Stifle thee in thy bed as my mother did. Still harping on thy mother? Harping, no, Let Orpheus' harp: O, ay, she was, she was, A very, very Harpy. Thus madness plays, And keeps a certain measure in his words, O I sucked out my mother's dearest blood, I did indeed, O she plagues me for't now, O I must go lie down in Tytius' place, Ixion too, he Sir would fain resign. I scorn your petty plagues, I'll have a Worse, O the vulture, the wheel, the vulture. See how his conscious thoughts, like fiends of hell, Do arm themselves, and lash his guilty soul. He see's no vulture, nor no Scorpion strikes, Yet doth his conscience whip his bloody heart, He needs no witnesses, he hath within A thousand thoughts which testify his sin. No punishment so strict, no deadly smart, As private guilt that smiteth on the heart. I did, I confess I did, I killed them all, Ripped up the womb that bore me; nay I did, O Tantalus thy plague, some meat, some meat, Who pulls those apples hence? let them alone, Nay sink to the bottom, I will follow thee, The river's dry, my mother hath drunk all. Alas, come, go with me, we will find drink. Is Pluto's buttery ope, his drinks too hot, I doubt 'twill scald me, but I'll taste on't yet Th' Eumenides stand to whip me as I go, Nay I will pass you, I will out-slip them all. See in his conscience lies hell's punishment, Our own thoughts judges none are innocent. WE that have here been born to see this change, May leave the court, and tell our children tales, Of the dire fall of Inachus great house, The young Prince mad, the Princess killed herself, Old Strophius dead from grief; and murder heaped, Corpse upon corpse, as if they meant t'invite, All hell to supper, or some jovial night. Nay but my Lord this is most pitiful, That the young Prince should thus from door to door, Beg for his food, and yet none dare to give, I saw him wandering yesterday alone, Flying from every crow, or prattling Pie, Crying out mother, and as if there had Tormenting Furies following him with fraud, And truth I thought to tell old Tyndarus, To move his ruthful years to pity him, And will you join petitioner with me, we'll tell the cause, 'tis good to ease misery. My Lord I like your motion, and will join For Agamemnon's sake my honoured Master.
seed 43: T32 · seed 44: T26 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Harke, harke the Furies entertaine my mother, Orpheus would fetch Euridice from Hell, See, he lookes back, wouldst venter so thou foole, I'de see my mother burnt before Ide goe, Why shouldst thou bring her? she would stifle thee, Stifle thee in thy bed as my mother did. Still harping on thy mother? Harping, no, Let Orpheus harpe: O, I, she was, she was, A very, very Harpie. Thus madnes playes, And keeps a certaine measure in his words, O I suckt out my mothers dearest blood, I did indeed, O she plagues me for't now, O I must goe lie downe in Tytius place, Ixion too, he Sir would faine resigne. I scorne your petty plagues, I'll haue a Worse, O the vulture, the wheele, the vulture. See how his conscious thoughts, like fiends of hells▪ Doe arme themselues, and lash his guilty soule. He see's no vulture, nor no Scorpion strikes, Yet doth his conscience whip his bloody heart, He needs no witnesses, he hath within A thousand thoughts which testifie his sin. No punishment so strickt, no deadly smart, As priuate guilt that smiteth on the heart. I did, I confesse I did, I kild them all, Ript vp the wombe that bare me; nay I did, O Tantalus thy plague, some meate, some meate, Who pulls thoseapples hence? let them alone, Nay sinke to the bottom, I will follow thee, The riuers drie, my mother hath drunke all. Alas, come, goe with me, we will finde drinke. Is Pluto's buttry ope, his drinks too hot, I doubt 'twill scald me, but I'll taste on't yet Th' Eumenides stand to whip me as I goe, Nay I will passe you, I will out-slip them all. See in his conscience lies hels punishment, Our own thoughts iudges none are innocent. WE that haue here ben born to see this change, May leaue the court, and tell our children tales, Of the dire fall of Inachus great house, The young Prince mad, the Princesse kild her selfe, Old Strophius dead from griefe; and murder heapt, Corps vpon corps, as if they ment t'inuite, All hell to supper, or som Iouiall night. Nay but my Lord this is most pittifull, That the yong Prince should thus from dore to dore, Beg for his foode, and yet none dare to giue, I saw him wandring yesterday alone, Flying from euery crow, or pratling Pie, Crying out mother, and as if there had Tormenting Furies following him with fraud, And truth I thought to tell old Tyndarus, To moue his ruthfull yeeres to pitty him, And will you ioyne petitioner with me, Wee'll tell the cause, 'tis good to ease misery. My Lord I like your motion, and will ioyne For Agamemnons sake my honor'd Master.