Hercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Mount Oeta) (Seneca's Tenth Tragedy) · chunk 1 of 44
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / Studley, John · published 1581 · first performed or written 1566 (Annals) tragedy T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue typicality 0.82 · 497 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T20: hercules, hercles, ioue, deianeira, alcides, hand, lo, death, skies, hell.
O Lord of Ghosts whose fiery flash (that forth thy hand doth shake) Doth cause the trembling Lodges twain of Phoebus' Car to quake, Reign reckless now: in every place thy peace procured I have Aloof where Nereus locks up land Empaled in winding Wave. Thwack not about with thunder thumps, the rebel kings be down, The ravening tyrants Scepterless, are pulled from their crown: By me all daunted is whereon, thy bolts thou shouldst bestow. And yet O Father, yet the Heavens are still withheld me fro, At all assays I serve, as might an Imp of Ioue behove, And that thou aught to Father me, my stepdame well doth prove. Why dost thou linger in delay, is Heaven of us afraid? Seem we so awful, fell, and fierce? and wherefore are we staid? And cannot Atlas' boisterous back on stooping shoulder tough, Uphold the poise of Hercules, and heaven well enough? What is it sire? what is it Ioue that thee so much deters? What may thee force keep back thy son from scaling of the Stars For death hath let me pass again from dungeon dark to thee. When mischiefs fell and monsters all destroyed and spoiled be That either Land, or Seas, or Air. Or hell engender could Arcadian Lion none to range in savage Nemea wolte. The stymphal fowl hath chased been with Bow, and Brusell bolt. No nimble heart of Menalus doth lie in hill nor holt The Dragon daunting with his blood hath gored the golden grove. And Hydra hath his courage cooled, and Diomedes drove Whose puffed paunches pampered were with store of strangers blood That soared the Coast and barren banks of cruel Heber flood I slaughtered them, and that the force of foe might well be seen. I prowled away the boots of the proud Amazon Queen, Of silent shades in glummy gulfs the dreadful dooms I saw. On Cerber black the Tartar Tike the son did shine with awe, And he with steaming Goggle eyes hath glyed upon the soon: Anteus yawns, and gapes no more whose gasping breath to done. A-front his altars Busir fell was knocked unto the ground, By him whose hand gave Geryon his deep and deadly wound And slew the mighty Bull that was to hundred hearts a dread, All noyous plagues I spoiled have that ever Tellus bread, And daunted by my hand they lie: the Gods now need not free: The world to answer Juno's ire, no monsters now can get. Now show thy valiant son his sire, or set him in the clouds, Thou shalt not need to be my guide, myself will climb the shrouds. Do thou my passage but allow, and I shall find away, But if thou dread, that monsters more the earth engender may, Hast on each monster hideous, to show itself in time, While Hercules hath his abode beneath the heavenly Climb. For who encounter shall the fiends? who is't that Grecia hath,
seed 43: T17 · seed 44: T19 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O Lorde of Ghoſtes whoſe fyrye flaſhe (that forth thy hand doth ſhake) Doth cauſe the trembling Lodges twayne of Phoebus Carre to quake, Raygne reachleſſe nowe: in euery place thy peace procurde I haue Aloofe where Nereus lockes vp lande Empalde in winding Waue. Thwack not about with thunder thumpes, the rebell kinges bee downe, The rauening tyrauntes Scepterleſſe, are pulled from their crowne: By mee all daunted is whereon, thy boults thou ſhouldſt beſtowe. And yet O Father, yet the Heauens are ſtill withhelde mee froe, At all aſſayes I ſerue, as might an Impe of Ioue behoue, And that thou ought to Father mee, my ſtepdame well doth proue. Why doſt thou linger in delay, is Heauen of vs afraide? Seeme wee ſo awfull, fell, and fierce? and wherefore are wee ſtaide? And cannot Atlas boyſteous backe on ſtouping ſhoulder tough, Vpholde the payſe of Hercules, and heauen well inough? What is it ſier? what is it Ioue that thee ſo much detarres? What may thee force keepe backe thy ſonne from ſcaling of the Starres For death hath let me paſſe againe from dungeon darke to thee. When miſchiefes fell and monſters all deſtroyde and ſpoyled bee That eyther Lande, or Seas, or Ayre. Or hell engender coulde Arcadian Lion none to raunge in ſaluage Nemea wolte. The Stymphall Foule hath chaſed bin with Bowe, and Bruſell boulte. No nimble heart of Menalus doth lye in hill nor houlte The Dragon daunting with his bloud hath goarde the goulden groue. And Hydra hath his courage coolde, and Diomedes droue Whoſe puffed paunches pampred were with ſtoare of ſtraungers bloud That ſcoarde the Coaſte and barren bankes of cruell Heber floud I ſlaughterd them, and that the force of foe might well bee ſeene. I prowlde away the boottes of the prowde Amazon Queene, Of ſilent ſhades in glummy Goulphes the dreadfull doomes I ſaw. On Cerber black the Tartar Tike the ſonne did ſhine with awe, And he with ſteaming Goggle eyes hath glyed vpon the ſoone: Anteus yawnes, and gapes no more whoſe gaſping breath to doone. A front his alters Buſir fell was knockt vnto the grounde, By him whoſe hande gaue Gerion his deepe and deadly wounde And ſlew the mighty Bull that was to hundred heartes a dreade, All noyous plagues I ſpoyled haue that euer Tellus bread, And daunted by my hand they lye: the Gods now neede not free: The worlde to aunſwere Iunoes yre, no monſters now can get. Now ſhew thy valiaunt ſonne his ſire, or ſet him in the clowdes, Thou ſhalt not neede to bee my guide, my ſelfe will climbe the ſhrowdes. Doe thou my paſſage but allow, and I ſhall finde away, But if thou dreade, that monſters more the earth engender may, Haſt on eache monſter hideous, to ſhew it ſelfe in time, Whyle Hercules hath his aboade beueath the heauenly Clyme. For who encounter ſhall the fiendes? who iſt that Grecia hath,