Hippolytus (Seneca's Fourth Tragedy) · chunk 7 of 30
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1567 (Annals) tragedy T24 Apollo, Phoebus and the Muses typicality 0.83 · 503 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T24: apollo, phoebus, midas, muses, ears, play, hedone, gods, siren, time.
Now strengthen we our hand, Alas shall not my feeble age thy desperate death withstand, Forbear the sway of fury fierce. No reason can restrain Him that desireth death, when death he hath determined plain And aught to die, Sweet Lady mine (thou comfort of my age And feeble years) if in thy breast prevails such mighty rage Have not regard what sounding blast in trump of fame be blown Whereby thy name in stained stock of black reproach be sown, Or graft in spotless honesty: for fame doth favour small The most upright, to better worse, to worse she's best of all, Let us assay the froward mind of yonder stubborn Child It is my part to set upon the clubbish young man wild And to compel the sturdy lad with stony heart to yield. O Goddess great that art the wondrous seed Of frothy surge in stormy raging seas Whom flamy Cupid armed with scorching gleed, And Shafts, to call his Mother it doth please: This wanton Elf forth putting sappy might From steadfast Bow how surely doth he throw His venomed shafts, through all thy marrow right The foistering fire doth rankle in and glow The secret flame that boileth in each vain The stripe laid on shows not in open mark: But inward marrow he sucketh out amain, This boy to sound of peace doth never hark. His scattered shafts full nimble everywhere He darts about, the East that doth behold The dawning sun himself aloft to rear, From purple bed, and whether late he rolled. With ruddy lamp, in Western wade doth glide: If any coast lie under scorching claws Of burning Crab, or people do abide, Beneath the clime of icy frozen paws, Of ugly gargle faced bigger Bear, That wandering still from place to place doth go The fervent Fumes, and stoving heat each where That issues out from Cupid's burning bow, The flashing flames of youngmen's burning breast, He stirreth up, enkindling new the heat Of quenched coals, that wonted was to rest In drooping age: and virgins hearts do beat With strange untasted brands: and doth compel The Gods descending down from starry Sky, With counterfeited Visages, to dwell Upon the Earth to blind the lovers Eye. Sir PHOEBUS whilom forced in Thessail Land To shepherds state ADMETUS Herds did drive, His mourning Harp deprived of heavenly Hand With ordered Pipe his bullocks did revive. even he that trails the dusky riding rack, And wields the swaying Poles with swinging swift How oft did he feigned forms put on his back And heavenly Face with baser countenance shift. Sometime a Bird with silver shining wings, He fluttering flushed, and languishing the death With sweet melodious tuned voice he sings, When silly Cygnus gave up gasping breath. Sometime also with curled for head grim A dallying Bull, he bent his stooping back To maidens sport, through deepest Seas to swim While horny hove made shift like over slack Through waters wild his brother's perilous cost
seed 43: T29 · seed 44: T27 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Now ſtrengthen we our hand, Alas ſhal not my feble age thy deſpret death withſtand, Forbeare the ſway of furye fierce. No reaſon can reſtrayne Him that deſtreth death▪ when death he hath determind playne And ought to die, Sweete Lady myne (thou comfort of my age And feeble yeares) if in thy breaſt preuayles ſuch mighty rage Haue not regard what ſounding blaſt in trompe of fame be blowne Whereby thy name in ſtayned ſtock of blacke reproch be ſowne, Or graft in ſpotleſſe honeſty: for fame doth fauour ſmall The moſt vpright, to better worſe, to worſe ſhee's beſt of al, Let vs aſſay the froward mynd of yonder ſtubborne Child It is my part to ſet vppon the clubbiſh youngman wilde And to compell the ſturdy lad with ſtony hart to yeeld. O Goddeſſe great that art the wondrous ſeede Of frothie ſurge in ſtormy raging ſeas Whō flamy Cupid armd with ſcorching gleed, And Shaftes, to call his Mother it doth pleaſe: This wanton Elfe forth putting ſappy might From ſtedfaſt Bowe how ſurely doth he throwe His venimd ſhaftes, through all thy marrow right The foyſtring fyre doth rankle in and glovve The ſecret flame that boyleth in each vayne The ſtrype layd on ſhevves not in open mark: But invvard marrovv he ſucketh out amayne, This boy to ſound of peace doth neuer harke. His ſcattered ſhaftes ful nimble euery vvhere He dartes aboute, the Eaſt that doth behold The davvning ſunne himſelfe aloft to reare, From purple bed, and vvhether late he rold. With ruddy lamp, in Weſterne wade doth glyde: If any coaſtlye vnder ſcorching clavves Of burning Crab, or people do abyde, Beneath the clyme of Iſy froſen pavves, Of ougly gargle faced bigger Beare, That vvandring ſtill from place to place doth goe The feruent Fumes, and ſtouing heate eche vvhere That iſſues out from CVPIDS burning bow, The flaſhing flames of Yongmens burning breſt, Hee ſtirreth vp, enkindling new the heate Of quenched coales, that vvonted vvas to reſt In drouping age: and virgins hearts doe beate Wyth ſtraunge vntaſted brandes: and doth compell The Gods deſcending downe from ſtarry Sky, Wyth counterfeited Vyſages, todwell▪ Vpon the Earth to blinde the Louers Eye. Sir PHOEBVS vvhilome forſt in Theſſail Land To Sheepeherds ſtate ADMETVS Heirdes did driue, His mourning Harp depriude of heauenly Hand With ordred Pipe his Bullockes did reuiue. Euen hee that trayles the duſky riding rack, And wieldes the ſwaying Poles with ſwinging ſwift How oft did hee faynde fourmes put on his back And heauenly Face with baſer countenaunce ſhift. Sometime a Byrde with ſiluer ſhining wings, He fluttering fluſht, and languiſhing the death With ſweete melodious tuned voyce hee ſings, When ſilly Cygnus gaue vp gaſping breath. Sometime alſo wyth curled for head grim A dallying Bull, he bent his ſtouping backe To maydens ſport, through deepeſt Seas to ſwim Whyle horny houe made ſhift like Ore ſlacke Through waters wyld his brothers perlous coſt