Hippolytus (Seneca's Fourth Tragedy) · chunk 25 of 30
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1567 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue · 514 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
A boasting Bull, his marble neck advanced high that bore, Upraised his lofty bristled Main on curled forehead green With shaggy ears pricked up his divers speckled horns were seen. (Whom Bacchus erst possessed had, who tames the Cattle wild, And eke the God that horn in floods was bred a water Child) Now puffing he perbraketh flames, and now as leaming light With sparkling beams his goggle eyes do glare and glister bright. His greasy larded neck (a mark for to be noted well) With rough and knobby kernels high out bumping big do swell. His snorting Nostrils wide do grunt and yawning gulfs they sosse, His breast and throatbag greenishly are daubed with clammy moss His side along begrimed is with Lettuce red of hue, On snarling knots his wrinkled rumps toward his face he drew, His scaly haunch, and lagging tail most ugly drags he up, As Priests in the deep of Seas the swallowed Keel doth sup, Or else perbraketh out again the undigested pup. The earth did quake, the Cattle feared about the field do ramp, The hunter stark with chilling fear begins to stare and stamp, The herdman had no mind his scattering Heifers to pursue, The deer amazed broke the pale and bad the Lands adieu. But only yet Hippolytus. devoid of fainting fear His neighing horses with the reins of Bridles hard doth bear, With wonted words he cheereth up his nimble nag's afraid: A steep high way at Argos lies with stony cliffs decayed, That nodding overhangs the Sea, which underfleets that ways: That ugly roil here heats himself, and raging wrath doth raise, And kindling courage hot, him force with burning breast assays, And chauflag eft himself before 'gan fret with angry heart. Lo then into a scouring course on sudden doth he start, With whirling pace he girding forth doth scarcely touch the ground, Lighting a-front the trembling Cart with glaring Eyes he bloomed. Then also doth thy threatening Son with lowering brows upstart, Nor changeth countenance, but speaks with stout courageous heart. This foolish fear doth not appaule my bold and hardened breast, It comes to me by kind, that Bulls by me should be oppressed. His Steeds defying straight the reins plunge forward with the Cart, As rage did prick them, sore affright bestoe the way they start. This bias way among the Rocks they range, and wander wide, But as the Pilot (lest the Bark should totter to one side) Doth bear it even in wrestling waves: so while his horses skip, He ruleth them, now rains them hard, and now with winding whip Free lashes on their buttocks lays: his Foe doth him pursue, Now step by step, now meeting full against his face he flew. Provoking terror everywhere. No further fly they might: The horned beast with butting brows 'gan run upon them right. The trampling Gennets 'straught of wits do straight way break their ray, The struggle striving hard to slip the Collar it they may. And prancing on their hinder Feet, the burden hurl on ground:
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: T26 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
A boaſting Bull, his marble necke aduaunced hye that bare, Vprayſd his lofty briſtled Mayn on curled forhead greene With ſhaggy eares prickt vp his diuers ſpeckled hornes were ſeene. (Whom Bacchus earſt poſſeſſed had, who tames the Cattel wyld, And eake the God that horne in flouds was bred a water Chyld) Now puffing he perbraketh flames, and now as leaming light With ſparckling beams his goggle eyes do glare and gliſter bright. His greaſy larded necke (a marke for to be noted well) With rough and knobby curnels hie out bumping big do ſwell. His ſnorting Noſtrilles wyde do grunt and yawning gulphes they ſoſſe, His breaſt and throtebag greeniſhly are dawd with clammy moſſe His ſide along begrymed is with Lactuſe red of hue, On ſnarling knots his wrinkled rumps toward his face he drue, His ſcaly haunch, and lagging tayle moſt vgly dragges hee vp, As Priſtis in the deepe of Seas the ſwallowed Keele doth ſup, Or elſe perbraketh out agayne the vndigeſted pup. The earth did quake, the Cattel feard about the field do rampe, The hunter ſtarke with chilling feare beginnes to ſtare and ſtampe, The hedman had no mynd his ſcattrynge Heyfers to purſue, The Deere amazed brake the pale and bad the Laundes adue. But onely yet Hippolytus. deuoyde of faynting feare His neyng horſes with the raynes of Bridles hard doth beare, With wnted woordes he cheareth vp his nymble Nagges afraide: A ſtepe hie way at Argos lies with ſtony cliues decaide, That nodding ouerhangs the Sea, which vnderfleetes that wayes: That vgly Royle heere heates him ſelfe, and ragng wrath doth rayſe, And kindling courage hoate, him force with burning breaſt aſſayes, And chauflag eft himſelfe before gan fret with angry hart. Lo then into a ſcouring courſe on ſodayne doth hee ſtart, With whirlg pace he girding forth doth ſcarcely touch the ground, Lighting a front the trimbling Eat with glaring Eyes hee glowd. Then alſo doth thy threatning Son with lowring browes vpſtart, Nor chaungeth Counteaunce, but ſpeakes with ſtout couragious hart. This fooliſh feare doth not appaule my bold and hardned breſt, It comes to mee by kinde, that Blls by mee ſhould ee oppreſt. His Steedes defying ſtrait the Rynes plonge forward with the Cart, As rage did prick them, ſore afright beſtoe the way they ſtart. This bias way among the Rocks they raunge, and wander wyde, But as the Pylot (leaſt the Barke ſhould totter to one ſyde) Doth beare it euen in wraſtling waues: ſo while his horſes ſkip, He ruleth them, now raines them hard, and now with winding whip Free laſhes on their buttocks layes: his Foe doth him purſue, Now ſtep by ſtep, now meeting full agaynſt his face hee flue. Prouoking terror euery where. No further fly they might: The horned beaſt with butting Brows gan run vpon them right. The trampling Gennets ſtraught of wits doe ſtraight way breake their ray, The ſtruggle ſtriuing hard to ſlip the Collar it they may. And prauncing on their hinder Feete, the burden hurle on ground: