Hippolytus (Seneca's Fourth Tragedy) · chunk 5 of 30
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1567 (Annals) tragedy T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs typicality 0.80 · 536 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
I know the truth ye teach O Nurse, but fury forceth me at worser things to reach: My mind even wittingly to vice falls forward prone and bent To wholesome counsel back again in vain it doth relent: As when the Norman tugs and toils to bring the freighted Bark Against the striving stream, in vain he loseth all his cark And down the shallow stream perforce the Ship doth headlong yield, Where reason presseth forth, there fighting fury wins the field, And bears the swinging sway, and crank Cupid's puissant might triumpheth over all my breast this flighty winged wight And puissant potestate throughout the world doth hear the stroke, And with unquenched flames doth force Ioues kindled breast to smoke, The Battle-beaten Mars hath felt these bitter burning brands, And eke the God hath tasted these whose fervent fiery hands, The thumping thunder bouncing bolts three forked wise doth frame, And he that ever busted is about the furious flame, In smouldering Furnace raging hot on dusky top so high Of foggy Aetna mount: and with such slender heat doth fry, And Phoebe himself that wields his dart upon his twanging string, With aimed shaft directly driven the wimpled Lad doth sting. With power he scours along the Earth and Marble Sky awane. Lust favouring folly filth'ly did falsely forge and feign love for a God: and that he might his freedom 〈...〉 Ascribes the name of feigned God to shittel bed lame rage. Erycina about the world doth send her roving page, Who gliding through the Azure skies with slender jointed arm His perilous weapons wields at will, and working grievous vous harm. Of bones and stature being least great might he doth display Upon the Gods, compelling them to crouch and him obey. Some Brainsick head did attribute these things unto himself, And Venus' Godhead with the bow of Cupid little elf. Who cockered is, triumphing much in fawning fortunes lap. And floats in wealth, or seeks and sues for things that seldom hap, Lust (mighty fortune's mischievous mate) assaulteth straight his breast, His tooth condemneth wonted fare and victuals homely dressed. Nor handsome houses pleaseth him, why doth this plague refuse. The simple sort, and to annoy doth stately bowers choose? How haps it matrimony pure to bide in Cottage base? And honest love in middle sort of men doth purchase place? And things that be of mean estate themselves restrain full well, But they that wallow in their lust whose stately stomachs swell, Puffed up and boistered big with trust of Kingly sceptre proud Do greater matters enterprise then may be well aloud. He that is able much to do, of power will also be To do these things he cannot do. Now Lady dost thou see What things do thee beseem thus staid on stately throne on high? Mistrust the sceptre of thy spouse returning by and by. In me I bear a violent and mighty poise of love, And no man's coming home again to terror may me move. He never stepped back again, the welkin sky to touch, That swallowed once and sunk in gulf and glummy cave did couch Shut up in shimering shade for ay.
nodes 196–247 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 5 of 30 in this edition
Length
536 words · 719 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.795 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: T24 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I know the truth ye teach O Nurce, but fury forceth mee at worſer thinges to reach: My mynd euen wittingly to vyce falles forward prone and bent To boleſome counſell backe agayne in vayne it doth relente: As when the Norman tugges and toyles to bring the freighted Barke Agaynſt the ſtriuing ſtreame, in vayne he loſeth al his carke And downe the ſhallow ſtreame perforce the Shyp doth hedlong yeeld, Where reaſon preaſeth forth, there fighting fury winnes the field, And beares the ſwinging ſway, and cranke Cupidoes puiſſant might Tryumpheth ouer all my breaſt this flighty wined wight And puiſſant poteſtate throughout the world doth heare the ſtroke, And with vnquenched flames doth force Ioes kindled breaſt to ſmoake, The Battelbeaten Mars hath felt theſe bitter burning brandes, And eke the God hath taſted theſe whoſe feruent fierye handes, The thumping thunder bouncing boltes three forked wyſe doth frame, And he that euer buſted is about the furious flame, In ſmoltring Fornace raging hoat on duſky top ſo Of foggye Atna mount: and with ſuch ſlender heat doth frie, And Phoebe himſelfe that weldes his dart vpon his twanging ſtring, With aymed ſhaft directlie driuen the wimpled Ladde doth ſting. With powre he ſcoures along the Earth and Marble Skye awayne. Luſt fauoring folly filthtly did falſely forge and Lue for a God: and that he might hys freedome Aſcribes the name of fayned God to ſhittel bed lame rage. Erycina about the world doth ſend her rouing page, Who glyding through the Azure ſkies with ſlender ioynted arme His perlous weapons weildes at will, and working griec uous harme. Of bones and ſtature beyng leaſt great might he doth diſplay Vpon the Gods, compelling them to crouch and him obay. Some Brainſicke head did attribute theſe thinges vnto himſelfe, And Venus Godhead with the bow of Cupid litle elfe. Who cockred is, tryumphing much in fauing fortunes lap. And flotes in welth, or ſeekes and ſues for thinges that ſeldome hap, Luſt (mighty fortunes miſcheous mate) aſſaulteth ſtraight his breaſt, His tooth contempneth wonted fare and victuals homly dreſt. Nor hanſome houſes pleaſeth him, why doth this plague refuſe. The ſimple ſort, and to annoy doth ſtately bowers chuſe? How haps it matrimony pure to byde in Cottage baſe? And honeſt loue in middle ſort of men doth purchaſe place? And thinges that be of meane eſtate themſelues reſtraine ful well, But they that wallow in their luſte whoſe ſtately ſtomackes ſwell, Puft vp and boiſtred bigge with truſt of Kingly ſcepter proude Do greater matters enterpriſe then may be well alowde. Hee that is able much to do, of powre wil alſo bee To do theſe thinges he cannot doe. Now Lady doſt thou ſee What thinges do thee beſeeme thus ſtad on ſtately throne on hie? Miſtruſt the ſcepter of thy ſpouſe returning by and by. In me I beare a violent and mighty payſe of loue, And no mans comming home againe to terrour may me moue. He neuer ſtepped backe agayne, the welkin ſkie to touch, That ſwallowed once and ſunke in gulfe and glummy caue did couch Shut vp in ſhimering ſhade for ay.