Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Newton, Thomas · published 1581 · first performed or written 1581 (Annals) tragedy T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.72 · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
If that might be, then (daughter) I should not have heard thy voice. ay, I thy Sire, that thee be got by most incestuous choice. begetting of thee, makes my crimes more than they were before: Remorse thereof both gnaw and gripe my conscience more and more. oft-times that which mine Eyes not see, with Ears that do I hear, And of my Facts afore time done the inward wound I bear. Why is there stay made of my doom? Why am I spared so long? Why is not this blind head of mine thrown damned ghosts among? Why rest I on the Earth, and not among infernal spirits? Why pester I the company of any mortal Wights? What mischief is there more behind? to aggravate my care? My Kingdom, Parents, Children, Wit and Virtue quailed are By sturdy storms of froward Fate: nothing remained but tears, And they be dried, and Eyes be gone: my hardened heart forbears Such signs of grace: leave of therefore, and make no more add: A mind so mated with despair no suits will slowpe unto. I practise some strange punishments agreeing to my deed: But what proportion can be found of plagues unto my meed? Whose Fortune ever was so bad? I was in sooner borne, But silly Infant judged I was in pieces to be torn. My mother in whose womb I lay, forth had not me yet brought And yet even then I feared was: and straight my death was sought. Some Babes soon after they be borne, by stroke of death depart: But I poor soul, before my birth adjudged was to dart Of death: some yet in Mother's womb, ere any light they see Do taste the dint of hasty Fate, while Innocents they be. Apollo by his Oracle pronounced sentence dire Upon me being yet unborn, that I unto my Sire Should beastly parricide commit: and thereupon was I Condemned straight by Father's doom. My Feet were by and by Lanced through, & through with iron Pins: hanged was I by the Heels Upon a Tree: my swelling plants the print thereof yet feels: As pray to Beasts, cast out also, to cram their greedy jaws In Mount Cytheron, and to fill the griping vultures Maws. Such Sauce to taste full like was I, was other heretofore Descended of the royal Sangue, with smart (perforce) have bore. But see the chance: I thus condemned by Dan Apollo's hest And cast to beasts by Father's doom, and every way distressed, Could find no death: no death on me durst seize his lordly Paw, But fled from me, as though I had not been within his Law. I verified the Oracle, with wicked hand I killed Mine own dear Father, and unwares his guiltless blood I spilled. Shall any satisfaction redeem so vile an Act? May any kind of Piety purge such a shameful fact? I rested not contented thus. For Father being slain, I fell in links of lawless Love with Mother: Oh what pain
nodes 365–410 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 9 of 23 in this edition
Length
506 words · 646 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.720 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
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)
If that might bee, then (daughter) I ſhould not haue heard thy voyce. I, I thy Syre, that thee be got by moſt inceſtuous choiſe. Beegetting of thee, makes my crymes moe then they were before: Remorſe thereof both gnaw and grype my conſcience more and more. Ofttymes that which myne Eyes not ſee, with Eares that doe I heare, And of my Facts afore time done the inward wound I beare. Why is there ſtay made of my doome? Why am I ſpard ſo long? Why is not this blind head of myne throwne damned ghoſts among? Why reſt I on the Earth, and not among infernall Sprightes? Why peſter I the company of any mortall Wightes? What myſchiefe is there more behind? to aggrauate my care? My Kingdome, Parents, Children, Wit and Vertue quayled are By ſturdy ſtormes of froward Fate: nothing remaynde but teares, And they bee dryde, and Eyes be gon: my hardned heart forbeares Such ſignes of grace: leaue of therefore, and make no more adde: A minde ſo mated with diſpayre no ſuytes will ſlowpe vnto. I practize ſome ſtraunge puniſhments agreeing to my deede: But what proportion can bee found of plagues vnto my meede? Whoſe Fortune euer was ſo bad? I was in ſooner borne, But ſeely Infant Iudgde I was in peeces to be torne. My mother in whoſe wombe I lay, forth had not mee yet brought And yet euen then I feared was: and ſtraight my death was ſought. Some Babes ſoone after they bee borne, by ſtroke of death depart: But I poore ſoule, before my byrth adiudged was to dart Of death: ſome yet in Mothers wombe, ere any light they ſee Doe taſte the dint of haſty Fate, while Innocents they bee. Apollo by his Oracle pronounced ſentence dyre Vpon mee being yet vnborne, that I vnto my Syre Should breaſtly parricide commit: and therevpon was I Condemned ſtraight by Fathers doome. My Feete were by and by Launcde through, & through with yrō Pins: hangde was I by ye Heeles Vpon a Tree: my ſwelling plants the printe thereof yet feeles: As pray to Beaſtes, caſt out alſo, to cramme theyr greedy Iawes In Mount Cythaeron, and to fill the griping Vulturs Mawes. Such Sauce to taſt full lyke was I, was others heeretofore Deſcended of the royall Sangue, with ſmart (perforce) haue bore. But ſee the chaunce: I thus condemn'de by Dan Apollos heſt And caſt to beaſts by Fathers doome, and euery way diſtreſt, Could finde no death: no death on mee durſt ſeyze his lordly Pawe, But fled from mee, as though I had not beene within his Lawe. I verified the Oracle, with wicked hand I kilde Myne owne deere Father, and vnwares his guiltleſſe bloud I ſpilde. Shall any ſatiſfaction redeeme ſo vile an Acte? May any kinde of Piety purge ſuch a ſhamefull fact? I reſted not contented thus. For Father beeing ſlayne, I fell in linkes of lawleſſe Loue with Mother: Oh what payne