Hippolytus (Seneca's Fourth Tragedy) · chunk 12 of 30
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1567 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T19 Virtue, Fortune and Vice as abstractions · 509 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T19: virtue, fortune, virtues, honour, fame, vice, envy, world, pride, great.
The poise of Sceptre proud: but wields the massy sceptre sway, At ebbing honours gapes he not, nor moils for fleeting muck, Removed far from hovering hope and dread of backward luck, Not bitter gnawing Envy rank tears him with tooth unkind, Not 'quainted with the mischief that in Cities and in mind Of people presseth thick: nor quakes at every blast that flies With guilty conscience to himself, nor frames himself to lies. Nor covets rich with thousand pillars close his head to shroud, Nor guilds his beams with glistering gold for fancy fond and proud Nor gushing streams of blood upon his innocent Altars flow. Nor Bullockets bright their hundred heads as white as flaky Snow, Do yield to Axe, while scattered is on th'altar sacred grain, But all the quiet country round at will he doth obtain. And harmless walketh too and fro amid the open air, And only for the brutish Beast contrives a trapping snare. Another while upon the swift Alpheus banks he walks Now up and down the briary Brakes of bushy woods he stalks Where luke warm Lernas crystal flood with water clear doth shine, And changing course his Channel out another way doth twine: And hear the piteous plaining Birds with chirping charms do chide. And Branches trembling shake whereon soft windy puffs do glide, And spreading Beeches old do stand, to fast and shake my shanks: To stamp and dance it doth me good on running Rivers banks: Or else upon a withered clod to steal a nap of sleep, Whereas the fountain flows amain with gushing waters deep. Or else among the balmy flowers out braying savours sweet, Whereas with pleasant humming noise the bubbling brook doth fleet. The Apples beaten of the tree do ravening hunger staunch, And strawberries gathered of the bush soon fill with hungry paunch. He shuns assaults, that doth himself from regal royal hold. Estates do quaff their dreadful drink in Bolles of massy Gold: How trim it is water to lap in palm of naked hand: The sooner drowsy Morpheus binds thy Brows with sleepy band: The careless corpses doth rest at ease upon the hardest Couch: The Cabin base haunts not by Nooks, to prig and filch a pouch: In house of many corners blind his head he doth not hide, He loves to come abroad and in the light to be espied: The Heavens bear witness of his life, they lived in this wise. I think, that scattered did of Gods in elder time arise. No doting covetous blind desire of Gold in them was found: No stones nor stakes set up in field did stint the parted ground: The sailing Ship with brazen Stem cut not the weltering wave, But every man doth know his coast and how much he should have. No hugy Rampires raised were, nor Ditches delved deep, Nor countermured Castle strong the walled Towns to keep. The Soldier was not busied his blunted Tools to whet, Nor rapping Pellets, Cannon shot the barred Gates down bet,
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)
The payſe of Scepter proude: but weildes the maſſy ſcepter ſway, At bbing honours gapes he not, nor moyles for fleeting mucke, Remoued farre from houering hope and dread of backward lucke, Not bitter gnawing Enuy rancke teares him with tooth vnkind, Not quaynted with the miſchiefe that in Cittyes and in mynd Of people preſſeth thicke: nor quakes at euery blaſt that flies With guilty conſcience to himſelfe, nor frames himſelfe to lies. Nor couets rich with thouſand pillers cloſe his head to ſhroude, Nor guildes his beams with gliſteryng gold for fancy fond and proude Nor guſhing ſtreames of bloud vpon his innocent Alters flow. Nor Bullockets bright their hundred heads as whyte as flakie Snow, Do yeeld to Axe, whyle ſcattered is on thaulter ſacred grayne, But al the quiet countrey round at wil he doth obtayne. And harmles walketh too and froe amid the open ayre, And onely for the brutiſh Beaſt contriues a trapping ſnare. Another whyle vppon the ſwift Alpheus banckes he walkes Now vp and downe the breary Brakes of buſhy woods he ſtalkes Where luke warme Lernas chriſtall floud with water cleare doth ſhine, And chaunging courſe his Channell out another way doth twyne: And heare the piteous plaining Birds with chirping charmes do chide. And Braunches trembling ſhake whereon ſoft windye puffes do glyde, And ſpreading Beches old do ſtand, to faſt and ſhake my ſhankes: To ſtampe and daunce it doth me good on running Riuers bankes: Or els vpon a withred clod to ſteale a nap of ſleepe, Whereas the fountayne flowes amayne with guſhing waters deepe. Or els among the baulmy flowres out braying ſauours ſweete, Wheras with pleaſant humming noiſe the bubbling brooke doth fleete. The Apples beaten of the tree do rauening hunger ſtaunch, And Strawberyes gathered of the buſh ſoone fill with hungry paunch. He ſhoons aſſaultes, that doth himſelfe from regall royall hold. Eſtates do quaffe theyr dreadful drinke in Bolles of maſſye Golde: How trimme it is water to lap in palme of naked hand: The ſooner drowſye Morpheus byndes thy Browes with ſleepy bande: The careleſſe corpes doth reſt at eaſe vpon the hardeſt Couch: The Cabin baſe hauntes not by Nookes, to prig and filch a pouch: In houſe of many corners blynd his head he doth not hyde, He loues to come abroade and in the light to be eſpyde: The Heauens beare witneſſe of his life, they liued in this wiſe. I thinke, that ſcattred did of Gods in ariſe. No doting couetous blinde deſtre of Golde in them was found: No ſtones nor ſakes ſet vp in field did ſtint the parted ground: The ſayling Ship with brazen St cut not the waltring waue, But euery man doth know his coaſt and how much he ſhould haue. No hugy taſed wre, nor Ditches delued deepe, Nor countermured Caſte ſtrong the walled Townes to keepe. The Souldier was not buſied his bluned Tooles to whet, Nor rapping Pellets▪ Cannon ſhot the barred Gates downe bet,