Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Newton, Thomas · published 1581 · first performed or written 1581 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 490 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
dear Daughter, unto Father blind a Staff of steady stay, To weary Sire, a comfort great, and Guide in all his way: And whom to have begotten, I may glad and joyful be: Yet leave me now, thy hapless Sire, thus plunged in misery. Why seekst thou means, still to direct my stalking steps aright? Let me I pray thee headlong slide in breakneck tumbling plight. I better shall and sooner find a way myself alone To rid me out of all the thrall wherein I now am thrown. Whereby both heaven shall eased be, and earth shall want the sight Of me vile wretch, whom, guilt hath made a most abhorred wight. Alas, what little trifling trick hath hitherto been wrought By these my hands? what feat of worth or mastery have I sought? In deed, they have me helped to pull mine eyes out of my head: So that ne Sun, ne Moon I see, but life in darkness lead. And though that I can nothing see, yet is my guilt and crime Both seen and known, & pointed at, (woe worth the cursed time.) Leave of thy hold, let lose thy hand, good daughter, let me go: Let faltering foot light where it will, let it (this once) be so. I'll trudge, and run, I'll scud, and range, I'll hasten to the hill Of craggy steep Cithaeron, there I hope to work my will. Where erst Actaeon lost his life by strange, and uncouth death, Whom bawling Dogs, and hunting Hounds bereft of vital breath: Where once Agave (bedlam-like) ranged up and down the wood With sisters hers, inspired all with Bacchus raging mood. And pleasing well herself in that her fact and mischief done, Pitched on a pole the grisly head of him that was her Son. Where Zethus with his ruffling Crew of Gallants young and stout Dragged, hauled, and pulled, the hateful corpse of Dirce, all about. Where bushy bloodied brambles show which way the Bull her drew: near where dame Ino from a Rock herself in Sea down threw. So that poor mother though she meant t'avoid one fault by flight: Yet she thereby a worse procured, while like a silly wight She bother self and eke her son from Scyron hurled down Intending both herself and him in foaming Sea to drown. Oh happy, yea thrice happy they, that had so good an bap: And whom such mother's pitiful erst daudled in their lap. Yea yet there is in these same woods another place to me That's due by right, and rightly may me challenge as his fee. Where I am Infant out was laid, all Fortunes to abide: I thither will direct my course of try what may betide. I'll neither stop ne stay till that I be arrived there, For guide I reck not, neither force for Stumbling anywhere. Why stay I thus like dastard drudge to hasten unto it?
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)
DEare Daughter, vnto Father blynde a Staffe of ſteady ſtay, To weary Syre, a comfort greate, and Guide in all his way: And whom to haue begotten, I may glad and ioyfull bee: Yet leaue me now, thy hapleſſe Syre, thus plungde in miſery. Why ſeekſt thou meanes, ſtill to direct my ſtalking ſteppes aright? Let mee I pray thee headlong ſlyde in breaknecke tumbling plight. I better ſhall and ſooner fynde a way my ſelfe alone To rid mee out of all the thrall wherein I now am throwne. Whereby both heauen ſhall eaſed bee, and earth ſhall want the ſight Of mee vile wretch, whom, guilt hath made a moſt abhorred wight. Alas, what litle triffling tricke hath hitherto bene wrought By theſe my hands? what feate of worth or maiſtry haue I ſought? In deede, they haue me helpt to pull myne eyes out of my head: So that ne Sunne, ne Moone I ſee, but life in darkneſſe lead. And though that I can nothing ſee, yet is my guilt and cryme Both ſeene and knowne, & poyneted at, (woe worth the curſed tyme.) Leaue of thy hold, let loſe thy hand, good daughter, let mee goe: Let foultring foote light where it will, let it (this once) be ſo. Ile trudge, and runne, Ile ſkudde, and raunge, Ile haſten to the hill Of craggy ſtiepe Cytheron, there I hope to worke my will. Where earſt Actaeon loſt his lyfe by ſtraunge, and vncouth death, Whom vawling Dogges, and hunting Hounds bereft of vitall breath: Where once Agaue (bedlemlike) raungd vp and downe the woode With Syſters hers, enſpired all with Bacchus raging moode. And pleaſing well her ſelfe in that her fact and miſchiefe donne, Pitcht on a Poale the griſly head of him that was her Sonne. Where Zethus with his ruffling Crew of Gallantes young and ſtoute Dragd, hald, and puld, the hateful corps of Dirce, all aboute. Where buſhie bloudied brambles ſhow which way the Bull her drew: Nere where dame Ino from a Rocke her ſelfe in Sea downe threw. So that poore mother though ſhe ment t'auoyde one fault by flight: Yet ſhe therby a worſe procur'd, while like a ſeely wight She both her ſelfe and eke her ſonne from Scyron hurled downe Entending both her ſelfe and him in foaming Sea to drowne. Oh happy, yea thryſe happy they, that had ſo good an bap: And whom ſuch mothers pitiful carſt daudled in theyr lap. Yea yet there is in theſe ſame woods an other place to mee Thats due by right, and rightly may me challenge as his fee. Where I am Infant out was layed, al Fortunes to abide: I thyther wil direct my courſe of try what may betyde. Ile neither ſtop ne ſtay til that I be arryued there, For guyde I recke not, neyther force for Stumbling any where. Why ſtay I thus like daſtard drudge to haſten vnto it?